2. Environmental Issues

3. Ozone Layer Depletion Ozone Function: Block UV radiation from sun Problems: – CFCs thinning the ozone layer – More UV radiation reaches the surface Effects: Crop damage, skin cancers, Eye damage Solution: Reduce CFCs, regrow trees UV Ozone layer CFCs UV

4. The Greenhouse Effect G.H.E. is naturally good (it warms Earth) Problem: Excess heat trapped near the earth’s surface Fear: Climate patterns change, ice caps melt Main Cause: CO 2 and CH 4 from burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) Solutions: Reduce use of fossil fuels, regrow trees, alternative energy sources

5. What’s in a name? The purpose of a greenhouse is to trap heat year round

6. Earth heat Some heat escapes into space Some heat naturally trapped by Earth’s atmosphere

7. Earth

8. CO 2 & CH 4 in atmosphere Less heat escapes into space More heat trapped near Earth’s surface

9. The Greenhouse Effect is naturally GOOD! Mars: No Greenhouse Effect Little heat is trapped by the thin CO 2 atmosphere. High temperatures can be around 20⁰F. Earth: Balanced Greenhouse Effect Average global temperature is 57⁰F. Venus: The Extreme Greenhouse Effect Heat is trapped by the thick CO 2 atmosphere. Temperatures reach 750⁰F.

10. Deforestation Defined: Clearing of forested areas Reasons: – High demand for wood products – Create farmland Problems: – Species lost – Excess CO 2 released Solutions: – Recycle – Improved, “eco-friendly” farming techniques

13. The Smog and Ground-Level Ozone Reason: – Burning of fossil fuels & industry Problems: – Respiratory illness – Ozone gas is poisonous Causes: – Particulates rise into air and react with sunlight to make air pollution Solutions: – Reduce use of fossil fuels – alternative energy sources – Plant trees

14. Non-native Species Introduction Defined: Foreign organisms are introduced to a new habitat Reason: –P–Pet industry, “free ride” organisms, pest control Effects: –F–Foreign species outcompete native species –F–Food webs unbalanced –E–Economic damage Solutions: –L–Laws preventing foreign goods into new countries

15. Defined: Precipitation with a below normal pH – Normal pH= 5.6 – Acidic pH= 4.6 Cause: – Fossil fuel pollution rises into the air & then falls as rain Effect: – Waterways more acidic – Kills plant and animal life Solutions: – Reduce fossil fuel usage – Add buffer (base) to waterways

16. Pollution can put entire freshwater ecosystems at risk. Indicator species provide a sign of an ecosystem’s health. –amphibians –top predators

17. Biomagnification Defined: accumulation of toxins in the food chain Pollutants that are fat soluble can move up the food chain. – stays in the body fat of an organism – predators eat contaminated prey – pollution accumulates at each stage of the food chain Top consumers, including humans, are most affected.

18. The Big Problem: Overpopulation Over 6.7 billion people Many natural resources are nonrenewable – Fossil fuels take millions of years to form More people means: – 1) More forests removed – 2) More resources consumed – 3) More CO 2 released

20. Conservation Laws Endangered Species Act works to protect individual species from extinction. – A listed species is called an umbrella species. the habitat in which the species lives must be protected other species are protected because they share the ecosystem Clean Air Act Clean Water Act