UT Austin - UGS 303 Sustaining a Planet

Drivers of consumption

population, affluence, and technology

Gro Brundtland

known as the mother of sustainable development; "sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

Rachel Carson

one of the first people to realize the global dangers of pesticide abuse (DDT). Wrote Silent Spring.

Barry Commoner

an activist scientist who spoke out about environmental hazards emphasized the link between science, technology and society. Wrote Science and Survival

Paul ehrlich

The Population Bomb theory; geometric growth of population

Thomas Malthus

Eighteenth-century English intellectual who warned that population growth threatened future generations because, in his view, population growth would always outstrip increases in agricultural production.

IPAT equation

an equation used to estimate the impact of the human lifestyle on the environment:

impact = population x affluence x technology

At what rate is global population growing?

1 to 2% per year

where is population growing the fastest?

Africa

at what rate is global affluence growing?

3 to 5% per year

where is affluence growing the fastest?

Nigeria, Egypt, and Bangladesh

at what rate is efficiency of resource use changing?

-1 to -2 % per year

3 pillars of sustainable development

economic growth, environmental protection, and social equality

basic trend in global consumption of energy

increasing rapidly due to population and economic growth

pathological science

scientists fool themselves into thinking the NEED to achieve their original hypothesis - too emotionally involved

pseudoscience

does not follow the scientific method

junk science

purported theories with little supporting evidence, crafted to fool lawmakers and the public

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

easter island

An island in the eastern Pacific Ocean, part of Polynesia, known for its giant human head statues (Moai)

when was Easter Island discovered?

1722 by Roggeveen who was a European explorer

how was Easter Island reconstructed

1. Lake sediment records (radiocarbon and pollen)

2. Midden records (trash and bones)

3. Oral and recorded histories

4. DNA history

archeological reconstruction/timeline of Easter Island

1. Polynesians blown off course?

2. Many resources

3. Culture and Moai

4.Cycle of growth: population growth

5. Land clearing: more erosion of soil

6. Choices of solutions to growth problem: keep going or control?

7. The real survivors: grass, rats, some people

Modern day examples of tragedy of the commons

Ogallala Aquifer - using it for surrounding farmland

The Gulf of Mexico/Mississippi River - dumping into rivers that lead into the gulf

Carbon Dioxide Atmosphere

tragedy of the commons

situation in which people acting individually and in their own interest use up commonly available but limited resources, creating disaster for the entire community

gulf of mexico tragedy of the commons

Hypoxia is believed to be caused primarily by excess nutrients delivered from the Mississippi River in combination with seasonal stratification of Gulf waters. Excess nutrients promote algal and zooplankton growth.

element

A pure substance made of only one kind of atom

compound

A substance made up of atoms of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds

minerals

a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition

types of rocks

igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

igneous rock

rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies

sedimentary rock

A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together

two ways sedimentary rocks form

1. deposit sediments from erosion of pre-existing rock and then solidify upon burial into rock

2. chemical/water - marine life creates rocks and shells through chemical process

metamorphic rock

A type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions.

rock cycle

A series of processes on the surface and inside Earth that slowly changes rocks from one kind to another

Earth layers

pangea

A supercontinent containing all of Earth's land that existed about 225 million years ago.

Wegener's hypothesis (The Grand Synthesis)

all the continents were once joined together in a single landmass and have since drifted apart

pangea proof points

1. puzzle piece continents

2. fossil and animal distribution

3. earthquakes and volcano distribution

4. differing ages of rocks on the continents and the rocks in ocean basins

evidence of continental drift

1. seafloor spreading (divergent boundaries)

2. mass consumption of seafloor - subduction (convergent boundaries)

lithospheric plate movement rate

1-10 cm/yr

divergent boundary

The boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other. creates new crust. mild earthquakes and volcanoes. creates ridges and rift valleys

convergent boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, come together, or crash into each other. destroys old crust @ subduction zone. large earthquakes and volcanoes. creates mountains and trenches. the denser plate will subduct under the other plate

transform boundary

The boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally. creates major earthquakes

andes mountains

convergent boundary; nazca plate is subducting under the south american plate

San Andreas Fault

transform boundary; only earthquakes

Iceland

divergent boundary; new crust being formed

Largest carbon reservoir

sedimentary rock

Atmosphere

a gaseous body bound gravitationally to a celestial body

-outermost layer of Earth, formed by outgassing of Earth's interior

-turbulent, rapidly changing

Importance of atmosphere

-makes life that requires respiration possible

-generates climate and weather

-filters a variety of types of electromagnetic radiation

-protects from space debris

-energy transfer

-water cycle

evolution of atmosphere

-CO2 went down due to photosynthesis

-Methane went down due to the chemical reaction with O2 to make CO2 and H2O

-NH3 (ammonia) went down because of the reactions with O2 to produce N

-O2 went up because of photosynthesis

troposphere

lowest layer of the atmosphere; contains the largest percentage of the mass (80%)

-Temperature and water vapor decrease with altitude

-contains 99% of all water vapor in the atmosphere

-contains all weather

-mainly N2 and O2

Stratosphere

2nd layer of the atmosphere

-temperature gradually increases

-contains the ozone layer which helps block UV rays

Mesosphere

3rd layer of the atmosphere

-temperature decreases with altitude

Thermosphere

4th layer of the atmosphere

-temp increases as altitude increases due to the absorption of solar radiation by the limited amount of remaining O2

Exosphere

The outer layer of the atmosphere

-transitional zone between atmosphere and space

benefits of atmosphere and greenhouse gases

without the atmosphere, it would be very very cold

-greenhouse gases help with providing temperate climate

Greenhouse effect

infrared wavelengths cannot escape the atmosphere and heat up the Earth

Greenhouse gases

CO2, CH4 (methane), CFC's, O3, N2O (nitrous oxide)

greenhouse gas functions

-absorb infrared light at key frequencies and warm planet

-must be in the atmosphere for a long time in order to create more greenhouse effects

positive feedback loop

a feedback loop in which change in a system is amplified

negative feedback loop

A feedback loop in which a system responds to a change by returning to its original state, or by decreasing the rate at which the change is occurring.

Equator greenhouse effect

Accepts more solar radiation than the Earth can give off

Polar greenhouse effect

Releases more solar radiation than accepted from the sun

climate change

Change in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered over periods of decades - can be caused by natural sources of anthropogenic sources

global warming

An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes) - due to anthropogenic emissions

Cap and Trade

a method for managing pollution in which a limit is placed on emissions and businesses or countries can buy and sell emissions allowances

Carbon tax

a fee that the government charges polluters for each unit of greenhouse gas they emit

Drivers of atmospheric circulation

1. solar radiation

2. gravity

3. Earth's rotation and orbit

Principles of atmospheric circulation

1. Hot air rises

2. Wind is movement of air in response to pressure gradients

3. Hot air can hold more moisture than cold air

4. Winds are deflected by Earth's rotation

5. Sun's rays hit Earth more directly at low latitude

6. Differential heating of land and oceans

seasons

Caused by the tilt of Earth on its axis as it revolves around the Sun

temperature

1. solar insolation: intensity varies with latitude due to changing footprint of energy flux

2. intensity and duration of insolation determined by tilt of the Earth

Aphelion

point in a planet's orbit that is farthest from the sun

Perihelion

orbital point nearest the sun

Angle of Tilt of Earth

23.5 degrees

How fast does the equator move?

1000 mi/hr

How fast do the poles move?

0 mi/hr

convection cells

circular patterns caused by the rising and sinking of air

High pressure areas are caused by

converging air

low pressure areas are caused by

diverging air

Coriolis effect

Causes moving air and water to turn left in the southern hemisphere and turn right in the northern hemisphere due to Earth's hemisphere.

Low pressure system

a large body of circulating air with low pressure at its center and higher pressure outside of the system - cyclone

high pressure system

a large body of circulating air with high pressure at its center and lower pressure outside of the system - anticyclone

Northern Hemisphere high pressure system

Anticyclone

-non-visible

-clockwise

Northern Hemisphere low pressure system

Hurricane/Cyclone

-visible

-counterclockwise

Southern Hemisphere high pressure system

Anticyclone

-non-visible

-counterclockwise

Southern Hemisphere low pressure system

Hurricane/Cyclone

-visible

-clockwise

Driving forces of cyclones

1. Latent Heat

2. Sea Surface Temperature

3. Depth of warm water

Latent heat

heat absorbed or radiated during a change of phase at a constant temperature and pressure

Heat of water

fuel for cyclone

latent heat of evaporation

The amount of heat energy that is needed to evaporate a substance, that is, to change it from a liquid to a gas

storm surge drivers

1. Winds

2. Low pressure

how do the mantle's convection currents affect the Earth?

They contribute and create movement of tectonic plates

waller creek properties

environmental index (physical looks)

conductivity

total dissolved solids

dissolved oxygen

E Coli and fecal coliform bacteria

streamflow

proxies to determine CO2 levels

-sedimentary rock

-cave formations

-tree rings

-coral

-glacial formations

phanerozoic period

"Visible life"- the most recent eon, began about 540 million years ago

cretaceous period

Period from 144 million to 66 million years ago. Continents move toward their present-day positions as South America splits from Africa. Widespread volcanic activity occurs. First flowering plants appear. Dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus rex, dominate. First snakes appear. Mass extinction at the end of the period causes disappearance of many land and marine life forms, including dinosaurs.

carbon cycle drivers:

1. plate tectonics

2. weathering

effects of increases in plate tectonic activity on CO2 levels

increases outgasing of Earth's interior through volcanoes, which adds CO2 to the atmosphere

effects of weathering on CO2 levels

chemical weathering uses CO2 from the atmosphere which lowers CO2 in the atmosphere

anthropocene

Geological epoch defined by atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen to acknowledge the central role humans play in shaping the Earth's environment - a geological age measured in decades to centuries