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.