1. Environmental Issues Causes and Effects

2. Greenhouse Effect  Cause:  Water vapor, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), methane, and other gases trap heat that radiates off the Earth’s surface  Effect:  Heat is retained by the Earth’s atmosphere to maintain global temperatures  Cause:  Water vapor, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), methane, and other gases trap heat that radiates off the Earth’s surface  Effect:  Heat is retained by the Earth’s atmosphere to maintain global temperatures

3. Deforestation  Cause:  Wood used to make products from houses to paper  Wood burned for fuel  Needed for farmland  Effect:  Less Oxygen (O2) made by plants and more Carbon Dioxide (CO2)  Erosion of soil --> loss of nutrients  Loss of habitats  Cause:  Wood used to make products from houses to paper  Wood burned for fuel  Needed for farmland  Effect:  Less Oxygen (O2) made by plants and more Carbon Dioxide (CO2)  Erosion of soil --> loss of nutrients  Loss of habitats

4. Global Climate Change  Cause:  Excessive addition of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and other green house gases such as methane, due to human activities increase greenhouse effect  Combustion of fossil fuels, cutting down trees  Effect:  Increase of average temp. of biosphere .5 Celsius over past 120 years  Ice caps melting  Sea Levels rise  Weather disturbances and droughts  Loss of diversity  Cause:  Excessive addition of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and other green house gases such as methane, due to human activities increase greenhouse effect  Combustion of fossil fuels, cutting down trees  Effect:  Increase of average temp. of biosphere .5 Celsius over past 120 years  Ice caps melting  Sea Levels rise  Weather disturbances and droughts  Loss of diversity

6. Pollution  Cause:  Toxic compounds accumulate in tissues of organisms  Pesticides (DDT)  Individuals not putting trash/etc in the proper receptacles  Effect:  Threaten biodiversity  Organisms get caught in trash  Plastic rings from pop cans, etc  Passed through food chain  Birds’ eggs become fragile -->threatened extinction  Cause:  Toxic compounds accumulate in tissues of organisms  Pesticides (DDT)  Individuals not putting trash/etc in the proper receptacles  Effect:  Threaten biodiversity  Organisms get caught in trash  Plastic rings from pop cans, etc  Passed through food chain  Birds’ eggs become fragile -->threatened extinction

7. Acid Rain  Cause:  Combustion of fossil fuels releases acidic gases  These gases combine with water vapor forming sulfuric acid and nitric acid  Cause:  Combustion of fossil fuels releases acidic gases  These gases combine with water vapor forming sulfuric acid and nitric acid  Effect:  Acid rain can kill plants, change soil chemistry, release toxins  Chemical weathering of buildings and other structures  Effect:  Acid rain can kill plants, change soil chemistry, release toxins  Chemical weathering of buildings and other structures

8. Ozone Depletion  Cause:  Hole forming in the protective layer around earth due to Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)  CFCs, found in aerosol cans as propellants, to break down Ozone (O3) into Oxygen (O2)  Effect:  Hole is increasing  Higher than normal exposure to UV rays  Increases cancer, sunburn, increased disease and damage to producers  Cause:  Hole forming in the protective layer around earth due to Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)  CFCs, found in aerosol cans as propellants, to break down Ozone (O3) into Oxygen (O2)  Effect:  Hole is increasing  Higher than normal exposure to UV rays  Increases cancer, sunburn, increased disease and damage to producers

9. Endangered Species  Cause:  Altering habitats, hunting, toxic compounds introduced into food webs, introduction of foreign species into new environments  Effect:  Population sizes can decreased to the point of being threatened, endangered or extinct  Loss of genetic diversity  Whole food web affected  Cause:  Altering habitats, hunting, toxic compounds introduced into food webs, introduction of foreign species into new environments  Effect:  Population sizes can decreased to the point of being threatened, endangered or extinct  Loss of genetic diversity  Whole food web affected