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Published byRosalind Morton Modified over 9 years ago
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In nature all things are recycled
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Humans upset the cycles
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What have you noticed? Food costs Transport Energy Costs Fish Weather More buildings
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Food security Loss of Biodiversity Climate change Deforestation Desertification Research: Human impact on the environment Discuss what you understand these terms to mean
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The atmosphere and climate change carbon dioxide emissions; - concept of ‘carbon footprint’ and the need to reduce the carbon footprint; - deforestation; - greenhouse effect and global warming: – desertification, drought and floods; - methane emissions; - ozone depletion.
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http://www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu/2009/03/so-what-is- a-carbon-footprint-and-why-is-vanderbilt-calculating-one/
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Carbon footprint: the amount of carbon dioxide or other carbon compounds emitted into the atmosphere by the activities of an individual, company, country.
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Brainstorm what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint
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Carbon dioxideWaterMethane Main greenhouse gases:
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http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basic s/index.html
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Desertification is a complex process involving multiple natural and human-related causes. In desertification, the productive potential of arid and semi-arid lands falls by 10% or more, and topsoil is lost or degraded. – Desertification results mainly from a combination of natural climate changes causing prolonged drought and unsustainable human activities, including overgrazing and deforestation. – Desertification may lead to the formation of a desert or the encroachment of an existing desert onto formerly arable land. Overgrazing on marginal lands (top) can extend desert zones (lower)
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Effects of Climate Change
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http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/ Research what individuals, schools, communities and businesses can do to reduce climate change
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Most household cleaning can be done with a half-and- half mixture of vinegar and water, or liquid soap and baking soda. Most household cleaning can be done with a half-and- half mixture of vinegar and water, or liquid soap and baking soda.
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If it has a thermostat it uses a large amount of electricity. How can your family/school reduce its electricity consumption?
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Not all SA’s have access to safe water. Investigate how human activity affects water quality and availability and suggest solutions
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Water:Availability: Construction of dams - Destruction of wetlands - Poor farming practices - Droughts and floods - Exotic plantations and depletion of water table - Boreholes and effects on aquifers - Wastage - Cost of water
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Water: Quality - Water for domestic use, industry, agriculture and mining: pollution, diseases, eutrophication and algal bloom. - The effect of mining on quality of water - Thermal pollution The need for water purification and recycling - Alien plants, e.g., Eichornia
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Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given species, ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climatelifespecies ecosystembiomeplanethealth of ecosystemsclimate
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http://www.novamind.com/connect/nm_documents/285
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http://www.eco-question.com/what-are-the-main-causes-of-biodiversity-loss
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Loss of Biodiversity (the 6 th extinction) - habitat destruction: farming methods, e.g., overgrazing and monoculture, golf estates, mining, urbanisation, deforestation; loss of wetlands and grasslands; - poaching, e.g., for rhino horn, ivory and ‘bush meat’; - alien plant invasions: control using mechanical, chemical and biological methods; and - indigenous knowledge systems and the sustainable use of the environment e.g., devils’claw, rooibos, fynbos, the African potato (Hypoxis) and Hoodia.
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Loss of Biodiversity (the 6 th extinction) Investigate: Rhino poaching in South Africa: read articles and make suggestions on how it can be prevented.
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QUESTIONS.. Resource material from teaching biology.org
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