Ch. 24 part 3: Planetary Issues

explain the greenhouse effect

a natural phenomenon that is very important because it makes the earth habitable for life. light and heat radiate from the sun and hit the earth, and some of it gets absorbed, while some of it bounces back into the atmosphere. CO2 and other greenhouse gases at the edge of the atmosphere trap the heat

what greenhouse gas is emitted in the largest amounts by humans as a result of transportation, fossil fuel use etc…?

CO2

what greenhouse gas that is emitted by cows and decomposing food is contributing to climate change?

methane (CH4)

explain the changes can we expect to see on our planet as a result of climate change and global warming

ice caps and glaciers melting, oceans rising, weather patterns change, rising temperatures, agricultural patterns change, species distributions will change, human health will decline, islands will be underwater

would these changes on our planet continue even if we stopped all the activities contributing to them today?

yes, these changes would still continue even if we stopped all activities contributing to them, but even lowering our impact would make a difference

carbon dioxide is taken out of the air by trees and thus they are called carbon sinks. Where else is a carbon sink?

oceans, soil, plants

about what percentage of food is wasted in the US? also, which gas is emitted by food waste than ends up in landfills?

1/3 of food is wasted. methane

which group of animals were mentioned has being highly affected by pollution such as lead and rat poison?

raptors, like owls, hawks, and eagles

chemical pollution is affecting pollinators. why are pollinators important for our food (how many bites of food out of 3 are a result of pollinators)?

about 1/3 of food is a result of pollinators

what is a single use plastic?

plastics that are only meant to be used once and then thrown away

what are microplastics and where do they come from?

pieces of plastic that are less than 5mm in diameter. they are either produced to be very small, like in clothes, toothpastes, cleaning agents, cosmetics, glitter. other microplastics come from larger plastics that get broken down.

are microplastics harmful to the environment and animal species?

yes. plastic never fully breaks down, so all the plastic that was ever made is still on the earth and will always be on the earth. animals may eat the microplastics, harming or killing them. we may eat animals with microplastics in their tissues, harming us.

what are some things you can do to help decrease plastic pollution?

use less single use plastics, participate in clean ups, buy in bulk, reuse

what is noise pollution?

any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects health and well-being

does noise pollution on only effect animals on land? understand some of the animals that it affects and how such as birds and narwhals.

no, it affects birds and marine life. roads affect birds so that they are less able to hear predators, which makes it harder for them to eat. in the ocean, noises from human made machines disrupt communication between many sea animals like narwhals, or even cause them pain.

what is light pollution and why it is a problem for birds and sea turtles? what is Lights Out Ohio?

light pollution is the presence of excessive artificial light at night. sea turtles may follow human lights instead of the moon and stars into the ocean, making it more likely that they will die. birds migrate during the night and rest when they see daylight. if there are lights on at night, they are more likely to rest in human areas. during the day, this makes them more likely to die from running into windows.  Lights Out Ohio is where cities shut off big lights at night during migration times