1. Human Impacts on Ecosystems
Topic 2

2. Introduction
We are constantly affecting the environment to get natural resources.
Cut down trees
Create farms
Mine the land for metals, coal, and fuels
Dam rivers for electricity
Clear land for large cities
Create wastes and pollution
We use natural resources to meet our needs
Mercy Mercy Me!

3. Natural Resources
The impact people have on the environment can be big or small and have small or huge consequences
All living things meet their needs with natural resources
How can we balance our use of resources with our environmental impact?

4. People and Nature Before industrialization, life was simple we:
Used available land and plants for food and clothing
Used simple shelters
Travelled on horseback or foot
Now we:
Produce electricity
Wear clothes from all over the world in factories
Travel in cars/airplanes
Use water for agriculture and industry
Purchase factory produced products

5. Changing Agriculture History of Agriculture
How has technology changed the way we meet our need for food?

6. Changing Agriculture – How have these changes impacted the environment?

7. What are Needs and Wants?
Needs are basic to survival, wants make survival comfortable
Natural resources or energy are used to meet our needs
What are some needs and wants that people have?

8. In Canada many of our needs are met by stores
Most of our human technologies requires natural resources.
Dams  Electricity
Fossil Fuels  Run our cars and heat our homes
Mine metals  Batteries, cars, building…
Cut down trees  Homes, furniture

9. Impact on the Ecosystem
List 10
List 10 natural resources you use on a daily basis, their use; and how its use has an impact on the ecosystem?
Resource
Use
Impact on the Ecosystem

10. Simple Answers?
Is a forest fire a good or bad thing?

11. Did you know? Some forest fires are intentionally set
Help prevent wild fires
Create habitat for animals like deer and elk by providing more grass.

12. Simple Answers? DDT is a pesticide
Used to kill off mosquitoes and prevent malaria
Saved millions of lives throughout the world.
A powerful insecticide, herbicide, and fungicide that has saved farmers millions of dollars

13. Did you know? DDT- Is no longer used and is banned in most countries
It made the eggs of birds of prey brittle.
The peregrine falcon and bald eagle populations became endangered
Pesticides

14. Topic 3
Environmental Choices

15. Ecological Foot Print All living things depend on nature
When do you feel connected to nature?
Ecological Footprint
Footprint 2
Calculating your Eco Footprint

16. Ecological Footprint
Ecological footprint is calculated by taking all of the resources (materials and energy) you use to meet your needs and to break down your wastes
Sustainability means:
Resources are being renewed as fast as they are being used
Wastes are being broken down as quickly as they are being made

17. Ecological Footprint The materials needed include: Energy includes:
Food
Water
Supplies for shelter
Supplies to manufacture products
Energy includes:
Electricity
Natural gas
Energy needed to produce and transport manufactured products

18. Interesting facts
North Americans produce twice as much garbage than all other continents combined.
North Americans use 50% more electricity than any other continent.
North Americans use twice as much fossil fuel than other continents
Over 20% of CO2 produced in the world comes from North America.

19. Sustaining Our Lands

20. Sustaining Our Oceans

21. Sustaining Our Atmosphere

22. Reducing Your Ecological Footprint
Be aware of the products you consume
Reduce the energy you use
Reduce the number of products you use
Reduce the amount of garbage you produce
Reuse products as much as possible
Recycle products that cannot be used anymore

23. List
List 5 ways you can reduce your ecological foot print and promote sustainability 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

24. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce- create less waste or require less materials.
Reuse- Instead of throwing something away use it again.
Recycle- Raw materials in wastes can be made into new products.

26. Impact Here and There The world covers 51 billion hectares
Without desert, ocean, mountains and land covered in concrete there is 8.9 billion hectares of arable land.
That is 1.5 hectares per person.
The average Canadian requires 4.3 hectares per person.
Worldwide would need 2.5 planets for our needs, wants, and wastes.

27. Recycling

28. Real Solutions

29. List Reduce Reuse Recycle
List 3 strategies, for reduce, reuse and recycle to help reduce your impact on the environment.
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle