environmental issues exam

human population

8 billion

environmental refugee

• people who are displaced by environmental degradation or catastrophic weather events due to global climate change

  • up to 1.2 billion people will be considered this by 2050 due to global warming (deforestation, sea level, expanding deserts, etc)

  • migrants contributing to mega-cities

  • red cross shows more people are now displaced by environmental disaster than by war.

What factors keep nations (LDCs) poor?

• lack of resources

• limited educational opportunities

• lack of skills

• economic, social, and political systems that impede broad based growth

3 consequences of the wealth of HDCs?

1. HDC have higher rates of consumption-produces large amount of waste due to production and disposal of consumer goods

2. a much greater demand on earth’s resources-this includes its ability to absorb pollutants than does the average person in a LDC

3. contributes disproportionally to the world’s environmental problems-these problems include global warming, oxygen depletion, taxic waste generation and deforestation

ecological footprint

• representing the productive area of the earth required to support the lifestyle of one individual in a given population

• the footprint estimates land used for crops, grazing, forest products, housing, and ocean area exploited for food

• includes forest area needed to absorb carbon dioxide from fossil fuel use

• avg for the world in 6.84 acres

Can ingenuity and technology save humanity, and make the world more sustainable?

• No

• tech can lead to efficiency improvements, resource substitutions, and other innovations but it cannot solve the problem

Green revolution

• 1950-1984

• introduction of high yield crops and energy intensive agriculture

• success was primarily due to increased fossil fuel use for fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation

• seed quality improved

• energy intensiveness has increased by 100-fold or more

• implemented in a manner that has not proven to be environmentally sustainable

  • enhanced soil erosion, polluted the ground and surface waters, increased pesticide and herbicide use

edible food is wasted worldwide

30% or 1/3

primary source of food for world

• grain

  • marine sources are depleting

environmental vegetarianism

• eating a vegetarian diet because the production of meat is environmental unsustainable

  • due to land, air, and water pollution, land use and the use of fossil fuels, uses greater amount of water to produce

Land Resources-Supply

• all the best land is already being exploited

• the majority of deforestation (70-80%) is due to the spread of agriculture.
  

major limiting factor for agricultural production

water

Diet modification

• 40% of the world’s cropland produces grain for livestock.

  • a lot of the food grown is going to feeding livestock to produce meat

  • a solution is to EAT LESS MEAT
    

water and soil conservation (sustainable tech)

• soil management and tillage practices to conserve soil and water,

  • such as, contouring furrows, terraces, no-till, trees and shrubs grown around the perimeter and as windbreak

Crop varieties  (sustainable tech)

• plant dryland crops that require less water

• develop varieties with a better harvest index

• plant nitrogen-fixing legumes or native crop varieties (sorghum and cowpea) where the harvest yields were twice that of modern day

Maintaining biodiversity (sustainable tech)

• need to conserve the genetic biodiversity of crops

  • ie Svalbard global seed vault in Norway-over 500,000 seeds from every country, Kew Gardens seed bank in London

sustainable intensification (sustainable tech)

• increase food production from existing farmland while minimizing the pressure on the environment

• produce more from same area of land (protecting natural ecosystems from development) with fewer inputs 

  • less water fertilizer, pesticides, etc-combined fish and rice farms

alternative food sources (sustainable tech)

• microlivestock

  • bugs and guinea pigs

• aguaculture

  • growing fish in tanks or garden ponds

Increasing the shelf life of foods

• freeze foods (baked goods, nuts and seeds)

• worried about vegetables spoiling-blanch them in boiling water, and fully cook later, will last for a couple more days

• cook over ripe fruits into desserts or eat cooked

soil

• both a physical and biological factor

• It is the result of the interaction of abiotic factors e.g. geologic activities and climate, and biotic factors ie. vegetation type and rate of plant growth.  

• Soil is the repository from which nutrients are drawn into the biologic system, the site of water storage, an area of intense microbial activity and an anchoring place for plant roots.

Litter

top layer of non-decomposed matter newly added to the soil

Humus

partially decomposed organic matter; the rich black earth that is generally considered indicative of soil fertility

time for soil to form in nature

500 years

time for humus to form via composting

composting can produce humus in 1—2 years.

erosion

 process of soil and humus particles being picked up and carried away by water or wind; vegetative cover can prevent, especially forests

desertification

 1) as water holding capacity is diminished by erosion of topsoil such areas become deserts both ecologically and from a standpoint of production  

2) a climatic change that involves a decrease in precipitation thus causing a loss or destruction of the biological productivity of the landscape will lead to desert-like conditions

overgrazing

• animals grazing in greater numbers than the land can support. 

• There may be temporary economic gain in the short run but the grassland or other ecosystem is destroyed and its ability to support life is greatly diminished. 

• Soil erodes and is compacted making it easier for weeds to invade.

deforestation

• the removal of forest from a site

• Forest ecosystems are extremely efficient systems both for holding and recycling nutrients and for absorbing and holding water because they maintain and protect the very porous, humus-rich topsoil.

• if you remove the trees rapid erosion occurs e.g. in the old growth forests of the NW U.S.

• Rainforests once covered 14% of the Earth’s surface; now they cover 6% and it is estimated the remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years.

sedimentation

filling of lakes, reservoirs, stream channels etc. with soil particles, which come from erosion aka siltation, which results in clogged channels, increased flooding, loss of wildlife in freshwater and marine habitats, such as, coral reefs.

Provisioning services

such as, food, forage, fiber and fresh water

Regulating services

such as, water purification and climate regulation

organic v conventional farming

organic farming is far more beneficial for the soil than conventional farming.

Organic’s advantage- the soil has:

1. more microbes and they are more active

2. 60% more organic matter on surface

3. minerals captured that clump and improve the soil’s structure

4. amount of water it can hold is increased and better delivers nutrients

5. nitrogen and potassium are higher

6. soil is more fertile

7. seedlings break through the soil more easily

8. organic topsoil 16 cm deeper

9. less erosion-8.3 tons lost per hectare (organic) vs. 32.4 tons/hectare (conventional)

water problems

-25% of the world’s population faces chronic water shortages
-Many of the world’s major river systems are shared by 2 or more countries, and there are often
disputes over water usage and distribution
-The Middle East is in the worst drought in 900 years and it contributes to the political instability
in the area (think civil war in Syria).
-No developing nation in Asia and the Pacific are considered water secure

water shortages-South/southeast

• especially vulnerable due to increasing heat events and decreased water availability, the demands of water are not met by local sources

• region is growing

• droughts could pose a major threat to crops, as could heavy rain

  • southeast will have periods of very low rainfall and then of extreme rainfall

• in florida most of the freshwater comes from aquifers that are being overdrawn and threatened by saltwater intrusion and agricultural and industrial pollution

water shortages-midwest

• aquifers, eg the Ogallala being overdrawn at 4-6 times the replacement rate

• 30% of irrigated farmland is watered by Ogallala

• global warming will make droughts longer and more intense

• exports 50% of worlds corn, 40% of soybeans, 30% of wheat

water shortages-western

• drought conditions have persisted since 2000

• colorado river is used by 40 million people in 7 states but has less water from decreased snow melt and rain

• Arizona and nevada have mandated reductions, but arizona, nevada, california, and mexico have been voluntarily reducing last 2 yrs

• snowpack down 15-30%

consequences for overuse of water

1. falling water tables and depletion of aquifers-in Florida spring flows have decline by 1/3, state consuming water faster than it can be replaced

2. diminishing surface water-in some areas groundwater is at or just below the surface water, so if groundwater is depleted so will the lake

3. Salt water intrusion-decreased groundwater in coastal areas, rapid rate of groundwater removal reduces pressure in aquifer allowing seawater in

drip irrigation

• networks if plastic pipe with pinholes that deliver water to the base of the plant

xeroscaping

• landscape with drought tolerant plants

desalination

• desalting of seawater

  • expensive process

  • 3-6x more than what Americans pay

gray water

using slightly dirtied water from sinks, showers, bathtubs and laundry to wash cars, flush toilets, water lawns, etc

point sources

• discharge of pollutants at specific locations through pipes, ditches, or sewers into surface waters

  • factories, sewage treatment plants, mines, oil wells, and oil tankers

non-point sources

• cannot be traced to any single site of discharge

  • acid rain, run-off chems into surface waters including storm drains

  • seepage into ground from crops, feedlots, logged areas, streets, lawns, and parking lots

• difficult to control because it is difficult to identify and control since it is from so many sources

Infectious Agents

• category of water pollutants that cause health problems

from bacteria, viruses and parasites
-main source of pathogens is from untreated or improperly treated human wastes, and
from animal wastes generated from feedlots or fields near waterways

endocrine disruptors

• category of water pollutants that cause health problems

sources include personal care products ie. sunscreens, and
agricultural chemicals, plastics and PCBs
-mimic and/or interfere with the function of hormones in the body, may turn on, shut
off or modify signals hormones carry and affect the normal functioning of tissues and
organs
-effects include increases in breast and prostate cancer and lower sperm counts

organic chemicals

• category of water pollutants that cause health problems

-are pesticides, plastics, detergents, oil and gas
-from industrial waste, cleaners and surface run-off

bioaccumulation

• when a chemical is found in specific organs or tissues

  • fat at higher levels than would be expected

Biomagnification

• increase in concentration of a pollutant as it moves through the food chain

• pollutant must be long lived, mobile, soluble in fats and biologically active for this to occur

  • if a pollutant is short-lived, it will be broken down before it can become dangerous, if not mobile it will stay in one place and is unlikely to be taken up, if water soluble it will be excreted.

Plant nutrient

-come from fertilizers, sewage, manure and cleaners (detergents)

causes ecosystem disruption

cultural eutrophication

• if the water body is getting excess amounts of nutrients from fertilizers, detergents, and animal and human wastes

• effects:

  • excess plant growth

  • algal blooms and often see a change in algal species composition

  • when excess algae die and decay the decomposers use up the dissolved oxygen in the water starving the other organisms of oxygen

  • in extreme cases: may be noxious drinking water

wetlands

• land areas that are naturally covered by shallow water at certain times and are more or less drained at other times

• the water can be fresh or saltwater

• important for natures flood control and for water filtering, they also allow for the settling of sentiments

• water draining from wetlands is almost pure

• wetlands are the most ecologically productive ecosystem on earth

• more than 50% of the original wetlands of the US has been destroyed

  • drained for agriculture or filled for development

plastics (water pollution)

• Causes Both Health and Ecosystem Disruption

• sources are every kind of plastic waste coming from land, washing into streams, rivers and lakes, and eventually into our oceans, 80% comes from land, 20% from ships and dumping

solutions to water pollution

• reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers

• energy conservation-decreased thermal and particulate air pollution and acid rain

• restore wetlands and estuaries

pathogens

• Disease causing bacteria. viruses, and other parasitic organisms

• carried by sewage 

primary sewage treatment

• this involves the screening and settling of the raw sewage to remove large materials 

• separating solids from liquid

• the effluent (liquid) may also be disinfected to kill pathogenic microorganisms

• this process has organic nutrient removal efficiency of 5-15%

• the nutrients are organic wastes and nitrogen and phosphorous due to run-off from agricultural land and from detergents

secondary treatment

• this process is designed to reduce biochemical oxygen demand-a measure of the amount of pollutants of organic origin and a measure of how much oxygen will be required to break them down

  • produce of this is a humus like sewage sludge that can be disposed of on agricultural land, landfilled, or incinerated 

  • application on agricultural land is controversial

  • has a removal efficiency as large as 30-50%

tertiary treatment

• this involves the use of a suite if processes to further remove nutrients

• most common process involves only the addition of chlorine gas to disinfect the water before its returned to a natural water body

• other processes are designed to remove phosphorous and nitrogen which can leave the water with nutrient removal of 90% or larger (expensive)

• one method is the use of artificial wetlands with algae or aquatic plants that take up the phosphorous and nitrogen

• also be used as outdoor recreational and educational areas

clean water act

• 1972

• federal legislation to keep waterways clean and to provide for sewage treatment and to control point sources of pollutants

• it has been instrumental in the development and improvement of sewage treatment plants

air pollutants

• substances in the atmosphere that are harmful

• there are natural pollutants from volcanoes and forest fires but the atmosphere has mechanism for the removal, recycling and assimilation of these pollutant sources

smog

• a combination of the words smoke and fog that refers to an atmospheric condition of very poor visibility and a large concentration of air pollutants

air quality index

• index for reporting air quality it tells you how unhealthy your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern

• runs from 0-500 with 0 being no pollution to 500 being an extreme health risk

3 categories of impact under air pollution and human health

1. chronic: pollutants cause the gradual deterioration of a variety of physiological functions over a period of years-bronchitis, fibrosis of the lungs, contribute to heart disease and low immunity

2. acute: pollutants bring on life-threatening reactions within hours or days. people who suffer from respiratory or heart disease can die if they go out during a smog alert

3. carcinogenic: pollutants initiate change in cells that lead to uncontrolled growth and division (cancer)-who classifies outdoor air pollutants as a definitive carcinogen . air pollution contains a mixture of cancer causing substances

clean air act

• 1970, amended in 1990, set standards for controlling the emissions of the major pollutants-particulates, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, lead and ozone

Sick building syndrome

• pollutants found un buildings can cause headaches, dizziness, burning eyes, coughing, sneezing, nausea, chronic fatigue and flu-like symptoms

  • most dangerous air pollutants are radon gas, formaldehyde, cigarette smoke, and furniture

greenhouse effect

• the natural warming of the atmosphere that allows the planet to be inhabitable

• it is the warming of the atmosphere from various gases

  • carbin dioxide, water vapor, etc

  • absorbing infrared energy from the sun

global climate change

• refers to changes in any aspects of the earths climate including temperature, precipitation, and storm activity

  • since industrial rev, increasing amounts of greenhouse gases through agriculture, deforestation, fossil fuels, etc

consequences of GCC to the Arctic/antarctic region

• past 50 yrs arctic temperatures rose 3x faster than anywhere else

  • permafrost is melting releasing carbon and methane into the atmosphere

  • glaciers and floating sea ice are melting and shrinking at increasing rates

• arctic and Antarctic ice sheets are melting and shrinking at increasing rates'

• sea levels are also rising

How GCC is affecting plants and animals

• the ranges if many plants and animals are shifting and extinctions will (and Have) occurred die to climate related selective pressure

  • increased head and weather events

How GCC is affecting water scarcity (droughts)

• extreme weather floods intense hurricanes, heat waves, droughts and blizzards have become far more common

• hurricane Helene and Milton-low precipitation, drought, and heat waves will contribute to water scarcity

Carbon dioxide sinks

• oceans-help moderate earths average temp by removing co2

• forests-take up about 25% of carbon dioxide created by human activities

what individuals can do to help mitigate global climate change

• vote for politicians that care about mitigating global climate change

• reduce energy usage at home and when in transit

• reduce food waste

What governments can do to mitigate climate change

• regulate and enforce carbon dioxide an methane as pollutants

• institute carbon and energy taxes

• increase subsidies for using carbon free alternatives energies technology, energy efficient tech, carbon capture and storage, and sustainable agriculture

• decrease tax breaks for fossil fuel companies

• international negotiations

• fund green tech

• require direct routes for flights

• stop cutting down forests

passive solar energy

• absorbs and stores heat from the sun directly within the structure

  • ie adding a greenhouse

active solar energy

• absorbs energy from the sun by using heat absorbing fluid and pumping it through collectors on the roof facing the sun

• some of the heat can be stored in an insulated container filled with gravel, water, clay, or a heat absorbing chemical for release as needed

  • can be used to supply water

solar thermal

• can collect and transform radiant energy from the sun into high temperature thermal E, which can be sued directly or converted to electricity

photovoltaic solar energy

• solar energy is converted directly into electrical E by photovoltaic cells. aka solar cells

wind energy

• using wind turbines to produce electricity

  • long island power authority is nations largest offshore wind farm

Geothermal

• use energy stored in the earths mantle to heat and cool building and to produce electricity

• EPA deemed geothermal exchange the most energy efficient, cost effective, and environmentally clean way to heat or cool a building

• geothermal is used to heat 90% of ice lands buildings, produce electricity, grow most of country’s food

burning solid biomass

• waste, plant materials, and animal wastes burned to provide heat or electricity or converted into liquid or gaseous biofuels

hydroelectric

• producing electricity from flowing water and trapping the water behind dams and releasing it as needed to spin turbines and produce electricity

alternative energy: what can you do

• Go to National Grid-Energy Choice and choose renewable energy, can choose to have electricity delivered by greenup provider

• install solar panels to heat ur pool

• unplug appliances and electronics when not in use to decrease vampire power and bring down electricity costs

• buy hybrid or electric vehicle

meltdown

• catastrophic failure of a nuclear reactor, the core overheats, and the fuel rods melt. 

• heat passes to the water in the reactor and generates high pressure which can rupture the reactor and release harmful radiation into the environment

• most common cause is the loss of coolant

radiation sickness

• damage to ur body caused by a large dose of radiation usually received over a short time (acute)

• the amount of radiation absorbed determines how sick you will be

• it is rare, but almost always serious and often fatal

  • ex> atomic bombings in japan and chernobyl

nuclear power

Most of the worlds radioactive wastes are stores at the site of all nuclear power plants
-The growth of nuclear power will remain static due to the high costs, fear of meltdowns, and
radioactive waste produced

Food and Drug Administration

• oversees the safety of personal care products

• FDA does not have the authority to ensure our products are safe

• the FDA cannot require companies to test products for safety and does not review ingredients for safety

• it does not set limits for known contaminants 

• FDA does not require that contaminants be listed on product labels

Toxic Substances Control Act

• in 1976 these government grandfathered in 100,000 chemicals without scrutiny

• so for most of these chemicals we don’t know if they are toxic-many likely are, but they have simply not been tested

• the chemical industry says these compounds have been used safely for decades, and do not have the overtly toxic properties, but they have not tested the compounds either

Hazardous wastes

• waste products of homes, factories, businesses, military installments, and other facilities that pose a threat to people, and the environment

• they are toxic, carcinogenic, or mutagenic

superfund

• the government fund intended to pay for the cleanup of hazardous waste dump sites and spills

• nearly 50% of the us’s population lives within 10 miles of a superfund site

e waste

• discarded tvs, cell phones, computers, e-toys, and other electronic devices

• the fastest growing solid waste problem in the US

• Us does not regulate where our e-waste goes, while EU requires manufacturers to take back electronics at the end of their lives for repair, remanufacture, or recycling. some American companies are doing this voluntarily

habitat destruction

• cause of extinction

• we have created small pockets of habitat(habitat fragmentation), which cannot be sustain breeding populations

• one quarter of land lease by the US BLM for fossil fuel extraction in the last 2 years has been wildlife corridors or priority conservation areas

commercial products and live specimens

• cause of extinction

• people from North America, European, and wealthy asian countries import skins, live animals (primates, birds, and fish and plants)

• pay a lot of money-60,000 dollars for 1 lb of rhino horns

exotic species introduction

• are considered among the most damaging agents of habitat alteration and degradation in the world

• zebra mussel and Kudzu vines

• these species can become invasive and negatively impact an area

Endangered species act

• 1973

• was a piece of legislation the US enacted to protect the endangered and threatened species

• one of the strongest wildlife laws in the world

Problems with ESA

• problems with how it is executed

• there are problems with the process of listing, implementation of recovery plans, enforcement and decreased funding

why species should be preserved

1. philosophical reasons: concerned with the aesthetics of extinction-central questions are “do humans have the right to act as the terminator of unique and irrevocable species?” and “Is human existence somehow impoverished by the tragedy of extinction?

2. Utilitarian reasons: we are not isolated, we take advantage of other organisms in many ways for sustenance, shelter. If species become extinct, their resources would be no longer available for exploitation by humans (medicine or agriculture)

3. Ecological reasons: involves the essential roles of species in maintaining the stability and integrity of ecosystems, and their roles in nutrient cycling, productivity, trophic dynamics and in other aspects of ecological structure and function

Ecological services the oceans provide for
humans

1. moderation of the earths average surface temperature by removing 25-30% of the Co2 created by humans in the lower atmosphere

2. storm protection-mangrove swamps and wetlands serve as a buffer zone between the ocean storms and the mainland. destruction caused by hurricane Katrina was intensifies by the loss of wetlands in Louisiana

coastal development

• destroys and pollutes coastal habitats, erodes beaches

nonpoint source pollution

• runoff creates dead Zones due to fertilizer and animal waste run-off, 80% of ocean pollution originates on lane

• In LDC 80-90% of untreated sewage is dumped or flows into oceans

• in the US some of this pollution comes from sewage treatment plants and leaking septic tanks

warming oceans

Know that warming oceans are causing the loss of coral reefs due to bleaching and we will loss
the majority of them if we don’t bring climate change under control.