Connections Between Topics

  • Understanding the interrelationships among different environmental topics is crucial.

Windmills and Greenhouse Gases

  • Greenhouse Gases (GHGs): Include CO₂, methane, water vapor, and nitrous oxide.

    • While CO₂ is a minor component (~0.04% of atmosphere), it plays a significant role in climate change.
    • Natural Greenhouse Effect: Essential for maintaining Earth's temperature.
    • Enhanced Greenhouse Effect: Caused by human activities that have increased GHG concentrations.

  • Water-Vapor Feedback: Begins with warmer air, which holds more moisture, amplifying storms' intensity.

  • CO₂ Levels: Historical data shows:

    • 0.029% in the 1700s
    • Current levels at 0.04%, projected 0.06% by 2100

  • Main Causes of Increased GHGs:

    • Burning fossil fuels
    • Deforestation
    • Fertilizer production
    • Meat production

Climate Change Justice Implications

  • Vulnerability: 650 million people live in areas most susceptible to climate impacts.
  • Climate Refugees: Individuals displaced due to climate-related disasters.
  • Economic Effects:
    • Potential food price increases: +50% for maize, slightly less for wheat and rice.
    • Displacement fears: Up to 250 million people by 2050.
  • Case Study - Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico (2017):
    • Official deaths went from 64 to approximately 3,000.
    • Over $94 billion in damages, highlighting climate injustice.

The Carbon Cycle & Climate Change

  • Components of the Carbon Cycle:
    • Photosynthesis
    • Absorption
    • Decomposition
    • Respiration
    • Combustion
    • Ocean dissolution
  • Human Impact: Increased CO₂ through fossil fuel burning and deforestation.
  • Feedback Loops: Higher CO₂ levels → higher temperatures → increased water vapor → more heat trapping.
  • Recent Climate Data:
    • 20 warmest years since the mid-1800s recorded since 1990.
    • Sea-level rise accelerating from 2 cm/decade to 3 cm/decade.

Renewable Energy Considerations

  • Solar Energy:

    • Benefits: Abundant, clean, low maintenance.
    • Drawbacks: High initial costs, efficiency varies by location.

  • Wind Energy:

    • Benefits: Rapidly growing, clean source.
    • Drawbacks: Wildlife impacts, siting challenges.

  • Hydropower:

    • Efficient energy production (90% efficiency).
    • Drawbacks include community displacement and ecological disruption.

  • Biomass:

    • Reduces fossil fuel reliance but can harm air quality.

  • Geothermal:

    • Consistent energy source but expensive, limited to specific areas.

  • Nuclear Energy:

    • Low emissions but carries significant safety concerns and waste disposal issues.

Nutrient Dynamics - Importance of Nitrogen and Phosphorous

  • Nitrogen (N):
    • Essential for proteins and nucleic acids.
    • Cycle includes fixation, nitrification, and denitrification processes.
  • Phosphorous (P):
    • Required for fertilizers, often limited in availability.
  • Human Impact: Doubling nitrogen fixation through fertilizers leads to increased food output yet significant pollution issues.

Eutrophication Overview

  • Defined as nutrient overload in water bodies, leading to algal blooms and oxygen-depletion.
  • Processes of Eutrophication:
    1. Nutrient runoff into water bodies.
    2. Rapid algae growth.
    3. Algae die, leading to a spike in bacteria.
    4. Bacteria consume oxygen, creating dead zones.
  • Connection with Nutrient Cycles:
    • Water cycle enhances nutrient movement into aquatic systems.

Water Supply and Sewage Treatment in NYC

  • Early water sources transitioned from wells to aqueducts and reservoirs.
  • Sewage System Development: Spurred by cholera outbreaks in the 1800s, leading to a complex network of 6000 miles of sewer tunnels.
  • Combined sewer overflows contribute significantly to pollution during rain events.

Biodiversity and Its Value

  • Definition: Encompasses the variety and variability of life on Earth.
  • Threats to Biodiversity: Include land-use change, pollution, and climate change.
  • Governance Models for conservation vary from top-down approaches like protected areas to community-based initiatives.
  • Intrinsic vs Instrumental Values:
    • Intrinsic: Value in existence.
    • Instrumental: Value derived from ecological services and resources.
    • Future values include potential undiscovered benefits.

Identifying Plant Species with a Dichotomous Key

  • A dichotomous key uses paired choices to identify organisms, supplemented by traditional ecological knowledge and modern tools like apps.
  • Land Sharing vs. Land Sparing:
    • Land sparing promotes intensive agriculture in designated areas, while land sharing integrates agriculture with conservation.

Interconnected Issues:

  • Nutrient Cycles and Eutrophication: Excess fertilizer runoff leads to nutrient loading in water bodies, impacting quality.
  • Climate Change & Biodiversity: Climate shifts result in habitat loss and species migration, influencing biodiversity.
  • Urban Environments: Urban green spaces support ecological literacy and biodiversity conservation.