1. Sustainable Development ► Immediately: Read Earth Science Textbook, pages 11 – 16 and answer questions in the Earth Science Workbook, page 5-6, Section 1.3: Representing Earth’s Surface. ► Chapter 4 student notes

2. Chapter 3 – Sustainable Development How can I contribute to making human kind compatible with life on Earth?

3. I. The Sustainable Development Ethic A. An ethic that meets current global human needs without limiting the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

4. B. 3 basic components 1. Resources are limited and are not all meant for human consumption 2. Humans are a part of nature and are subject to natural laws 3. Human success is living in harmony with the natural world

6. C. Relies on reducing demand, recycling, conservation, and the wise use of resources (depending mainly on renewable resources)

7. II. Feeding the World: Sustainable Agriculture A. As the world’s population continues to grow, people will have to find methods of producing foods that have a minimal impact on the environment

8. Ex. Regenerative farming – based on crop rotation, reduced soil erosion, integrated pest management, and a minimal use of soil additives

9. B. Methods 1. Crop rotation – changing the type of crop grown in the area on a regular cycle

10. a. Prevents soil from becoming depleted in mineral nutrients, especially nitrogen b. Some crops such as legumes have bacteria in their roots that can convert the nitrogen in the air into a useable form, allowing the soil to become rich in nitrogen – by alternating legumes with other crops, farmers can limit/avoid the use of nitrogen fertilizers

11. 2. Use of cover crops – non-food plants that are grown between growing seasons that hold the soil in place, thereby reducing erosion 3. Drip irrigation – delivers small quantities of water directly to the roots of plants, reducing erosion of the soil by flowing water

15. Drip irrigation

16. 4. Reduced tillage – tilling turns the soil over to bring lower layers to the surface; wastes water, uses energy, and increases soil erosion

17. 5. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – use of natural predators of pest organisms in order to reduce the amount of pesticides delivered to crops

18. Review Questions ► What is sustainable development? ► The ability to have the resources we need and conserve resources for the next generation

19. Review Questions ► 2. What strategies will have to be used in order to achieve sustainable development? ► Conservation, Recycling, and Wise use of Resources

20. Review Questions ► 3. What are the goals of sustainable agriculture/ regenerative farming? ► To find the most productive methods of food production without harming the environment

21. Review Questions ► 4. List 5 methods of regenerative farming. ► Crop Rotation ► Cover Crops ► Drip Irrigation ► Reduced Tillage ► IPM- Integrated Pest Management

22. III. Conservation A. Conservation is a strategy to reduce the use of resources through decreased demand and increased efficiency

23. B. Waste Reduction ► 1. Reasons Needed:  A. We live in a “disposable” society- products are used once and then thrown away; the amount of waste generated by these disposable items is vast  Ex. – Newspapers, food and beverage containers, diapers, etc.

24.  B. The amount of material and energy that humans waste is unique in the biosphere; No other species uses so many resources as inefficiently as humans

25. 2. Source Reduction ► The lowering of the demand for a resource, resulting in a reduction in the amount of resource needed to satisfy that demand; decreases the amount of a resource taken from the environment in the first place

26. 3. Reuse and Recycle ► Minimize the amount of material being thrown away by separating items that can be reused or recycled from the trash

27. C. Conserving Energy ► 1. Improve Energy efficiency in homes and Building  A. Insulate to reduce heat loss  B. Turn heat/ AC down when not at home  C. Take shorter showers

28. ► D. Run washing machine and dishwashers only when full ► E. Wash clothes at lower temperatures ► F. Install low flow showerheads and toilets ► G. Turn off lights and appliances when not in use ► H. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent ► I. Purchase energy efficient appliances

29. 2. Improve energy efficiency in automobiles ► A. Use mass transportation ► B. Carpool ► C. Keep engines properly tuned & tires properly inflated ► D. Purchase vehicles with more efficient engines

30. Review Questions ► 1. What is a “disposable” society? Name some examples. ► When we use items once and throw them away ► Examples- Newspapers, Diapers and fast food containers

31. Review Questions ► 2. How does source reduction help to conserve resources? ► Decreasing the demand decreases the amount of resources taken from the environment

32. Review Question ► 3. Name 3 things that you don’t do now that you are WILLING to do to help conserve energy.

33. IV. Recycling ► A. Recycling is reducing resource use by collecting usable waste materials and using them to produce new items; currently the US does NOT recycle nearly as much as most other developed nations

34. B. Benefits ► 1. Reduction in the amount of waste produced and the resulting disposal problems

35. ► 2. Recovered waste is a good source of limited resources, such as steel and aluminum ► 3. Recovering waste materials is often less polluting, cheaper and more energy efficient than taking new materials from the environment

36. ► 4. Prevent damage to the environment caused by the gathering of new resources

37. C. Recycled Materials: ► 1. Paper- about 1/3 of the US’s paper waste is currently recycled  A. One of the easiest materials to recycle

38.  B. Requires 75% less energy and uses 50% less water than producing paper from trees; also produces less toxic waste because it uses fewer chemicals ► C. Cannot be recycled forever - Cellulose fibers weaken with successive recycling, so fresh wood must be added

39. 2. Minerals ► A. Glass and several different metals have been recycled for years ► Ex. Aluminum must be separated from Bauxite ore so producing aluminum requires large amounts of energy and water; recycling aluminum saves bauxite and fossil fuels, and reduces air and water pollution

40. ► B. Other metals that are recycled in large quantities include iron and steel from junked cars and appliance, silver from photographic film and x-rays, copper from car radiators and telephone/utility cables, lead from car batteries and zinc from plumbing materials

41. ► C. Motor Oil can be collected, cleaned and reused again; saves energy and prevents toxic elements such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, and benzene from polluting land and water

42. 3. Plastics a. Recycling plastics is more difficult than recycling other materials i. Most plastics are made from petroleum, a complex organic molecule that does not break down easily

43. ii. There are many different kinds of plastics that cannot be recycled together

44. b. The amount of plastic being recycled is increasing; most plastics are now encoded with a number that indicates the kind of plastic from which a product is made, enabling the sorting of different types of plastics for recycling

45. c. Recovered plastics can be made into products such as bathtubs, containers, insulation, building materials, and synthetic fabrics

46. Review Questions 1. Name the 4 important benefits of recycling. 1.Reduces waste 2.Reduces energy consumption 3.Saves natural resources 4.Keeps us from using fossil fuels

47. 2. Why can’t paper be recycled over and over again? Because the cellulose fibers break down after awhile.

48. 3. What are some of the most important environmental benefits to recycling minerals? It means we don’t have to mine for new minerals

49. 4. Why are plastics the most difficult materials to recycle? Because they are made from fossil fuels which can be difficult to break down.

50. V. Conserving Biodiversity A. Biodiversity, the variety of species in an ecosystem, is currently threatened by the increasing size of the human population

52. 1. Species endangerment occurs when a species’ numbers fall so low that the population is in imminent danger of extinction 2. Earth is currently experiencing a “mass extinction” – this is different from other mass extinctions in that this one is caused by the activities of one species…humans

54. B. Importance of Biodiversity 1. New genetic material – raw material for biological evolution, also important for development of new crop plants 2. Natural chemicals in medicines and other industrial products 3. Aesthetic value – the beauty of life on Earth

57. Female wolf spider with babies on her back

58. Giant Anteater

59. Aardvark

60. Slender loris

62. Green ring tailed possum from tropics

63. Long beaked echidna

64. Rough green snake

66. Harbor Seals

67. Amazon pink river dolphin

70. Mekong river dolphin (Cambodia)

71. Christmas Iguana

72. C. Reasons for Biodiversity Loss 1. Habitat destruction – destroying all or part of an ecosystem that an organism needs to survive

73. a. Deforestation – cutting down forests for development and agriculture

74. Deforestation in Borneo

75. b. Draining / altering wetlands for use as resorts, marinas, and farmland

78. c. Diverting water – changing the course of rivers by using dams can alter and damage aquatic habitats

79. d. Pollution - introduction of toxins can damage or kill a living community

80. 2. Alien species – Non-native species introduced to an area by humans Ex. Kudzu – Japanese vine that can overtake huge areas of land in the U.S. due to lack of natural predators

82. 3. Pesticide Use – chemicals can move up food chains, causing harm to large predators Ex. Bald eagles consumed fish that had consumed smaller organisms affected by the pesticide DDT – this caused the eagle’s egg shells to become fragile so baby eagles could not survive

84. D. Protecting Biodiversity 1. The Endangered Species Act (1973) – requires the government to make a list of all endangered species and protect that species as well as its habitat

85. African wildcat

90. 2. Captive Breeding / Reintroduction - only focuses on the preservation of an individual species; saving a species while allowing the destruction of its habitat is short-sighted and futile

92. Red Panda

93. 3. Establishing preserves – an area of land or water set aside for the protection of the ecosystem in that area a. Includes national parks and wilderness areas

94. Elk in Yellowstone

95. b. Must be large enough to allow viable populations of organisms to survive and breed (over 1,000) c. Corridors between protective areas must be established to accommodate migratory species

96. Review Questions 1. Why is Earth’s current mass extinction different from previous mass extinctions? Because this time it is caused by humans and could be preventable.

97. 2. Name 3 reasons that it’s important to protect biodiversity. 1.Increased genetic material 2.Chemicals for medical discoveries 3.Aesthetic value

98. 3. What is the main reason for our current loss of biodiversity? Give 2 examples. Increase in human population. Ex: Draining wetlands Pollution

99. 4. What do you think is the best way to protect biodiversity? Stop destroying habitats!!

100. VI. Protecting the Environment A. Local Policies 1. Occur at the city or state level

101. 2. Most often include issues related to pollution, land management, and the quality of health Ex. Bond issues to improve a sewage treatment system

102. B. Federal policies 1. Occur at the national level 2. Federal government must intervene on behalf of the people when the actions of one state affect the quality of life in another state

103. 4. Examples of Federal Legislation: a. Clean Air Act b. Clean Water Act c. Endangered Species Act

104. 3. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for managing and investigating environmental concerns so that effective federal legislation may be developed

105. C. International Policies 1. Occur when policies are developed by cooperating nations 2. Often, differences of opinion exist between the developed nations who have already achieved wealth, and the developing nations 3. Examples of International Policies:

106. a. Kyoto Protocol – calls for a reduction in greenhouse gases to slow global warming b. Montreal Protocol – calls for a ban in CFC’s and other ozone depleting substances c. CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; regulates trade in all endangered species

107. The Sun’s energy passes through the car’s windshield. This energy (heat) is trapped inside the car and cannot pass back through the windshield, causing the inside of the car to warm up. Example of the Greenhouse Effect

108. Review Questions 1. If you are concerned about an environmental issue affecting your community, where would you start when trying to resolve the problem? City or state government

109. 2. What agency is responsible for enforcing federal environmental policies? EPA

110. 3. Why do you think that the examples of International policies were addressed at that level? Because all nations must cooperate to make a global difference.

112. Coatimundi of Costa Rica