Coral bleaching refers to when too warm water causes corals to expel the algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white, exposing their skeleton.  Bleached corals are not dead but are more at risk to undergo starvation.  When corals bleach, expelling the zooxanthellae algae causes them to no longer be able to have the food and energy the algae provide (through photosynthesis), necessary to grow and reproduce.

Coral bleaching has been caused by human actions.  These include primarily rising ocean temperatures caused by global warming due to the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gas.  Other factors that can cause coral bleaching include increasing intensity of cyclones, ocean acidification and extreme weather events, all also caused by climate change and thus human actions.  Record breaking marine heatwaves are causing mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs globally, and furthermore since 2016 the reef has suffered  five mass bleaching events.  This year, some regions of the southern reef experienced significantly higher water temperatures that broke all previous records for weeks.  This is a crucial issue for not just for corals, but all marine life, and the food we rely on, with one quarter of all marine life relying on coral reefs at some point in their lifecycle.

The continuation of devastation coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef can be seen as a result of our inaction to act collectively on climate change due to the many different stakeholders of varying wealth and power across the world with contesting world views.  People with a more egocentric or Anthropocentric world view, and are more interested in the profit that mining and burning fossil fuels may bring than the short and long term human and ecological problems humanity must face as a result of their actions.  Tackling the issue of coral bleaching is made even harder through it not being a localised issue, i.e. just in Australia, but a global problem that can only be solved through global collaboration.  To achieve this, people with more earth-centric or ecocentric/biocentric world views have created activist groups to pressure the government and companies to be more environmentally conscious.

• Changes to the land

  • The two most pressing land uses affecting our land are urbanisation and agriculture

  • Less than 1/4 of the worlds original forest cover remains intact today

  • Chemicals, deforestation, and the impact of animal hooves on soil fertility has decreased the soil fertility, which also fuels more land to be cleared to make way for more farms

  • As the population expands, the pressure on liveable spaces increases, meaning we need to clear more forest to have places to live.

  • An increasing population also needs more and more food - farmed on cleared land.

  • Brazil's deforestation

    1. How and why did humans change the environment

       • Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, starting in the 1970s.

       • 5 million square kilometres

       • Originally as an economic growth strategy by the Brazil government and military, turning the rainforest into pastures for animals, fuelled by growing meat consumption, and furthermore soy beans to feed these animals and in other products 

       • First cattle allows for deforestation then soy bean plantations moved in, creating a cycle.

       • More efficient techniques created more profitable and sustainable use of the Amazon

       • Human-centred vs earth-centred world views

       • 1/5th of the worlds oxygen

       • 1/2 of the worlds fresh water

       • Crucial part of the planet

    2. What are the ongoing consequences of this change

       • Booming economy during the 2000s but also unprecedented deforestation

       • 17% of the Amazon has been deforested

       • If it reaches 20%, then it will reach a "tipping point" collapsing due to an incapability to sustain it's resources, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

• Changes to the atmosphere

  • The earth is surrounded by a combination of different gases known as the atmosphere

  • The atmosphere also protects the earth from ultraviolet rays form the sun and the freezing temperature of outer space

  • The burning of fossil fuels have changed the natural levels of certain gases in the atmosphere

  • In some cases, chemicals released into the atmosphere can create a hole in the ozone layer

  • In addition to this, they are responsible for an increase in the acidity of rain, and a warming of the atmosphere leading to global changes in our climate

  • Pollution in Delhi

    • How has the situation developed?

      • Second largest city in the world

      • More people = more cars

      • More people also create more polluting industry

      • The smog is so bad you can see it from space

      • Rice farming burning is causing huge spikes in the air pollution

      • Warm air currents trap the polluted air on the city

      • Crop stubble burning most be stopped for the pollution to decrease

    • How does it affect the people living here?

      • Every two minutes someone dies from air pollution in India

      • People need to wear masks

      • Spending a day outside in these conditions is the equivalent of smoking 50 cigarettes.

      • Sometimes you cannot even see in front of you

• Changes to water

  • Fresh water is vital to the survival of all life on Earth

  • We use it for drinking, fishing, washing, and so many more things

  • We rely on fresh water for the food we eat

  • The diversion and damming of rivers to provide reliable supply of water for farmers and city dwellers is causing water shortages in other places in the world

  • Inland waters such as rivers, lakes and wetlands are some of the worlds most degraded environments.  Human activities have reduced the quality of water supplies around the world.

  • 70% of the total water taken from water supplies is for agriculture

  • Human changes to water supplies also have serious impacts on other species on the Earth as we destroy the stability in their ecosystems

  • Water pollution can result in loss of clean, safe drinking water

  • Pollution can be the result of human activities near the water such as shipping, fishing, and oil drilling, or from activities conducted on land, a long way from the waterways.

  • In extreme cases, water pollution can cause famine and death.

    • Degrading water

      • Damming the rivers

        • Of the worlds 292 large river systems, two thirds have been changes by dams and reservoirs.

        • The natural interaction between rivers and coastal ecosystems is degraded as fewer nutrients and less water and sediment reach the river mouth and sea.

      • Pollutants in our water

        • Water pollution is the contamination of our rivers, lakes, wetlands, and other water bodies

        • The results are devastating to both human health and animal species and ecosystems that rely on the fresh water

        • Fish, humans, and other life forms may be killed, having devastating affects

  • Indian River

    • How do people use the river

      • Drinking, bathing and cleaning

      • Pilgrims pray and immerse themselves in the water for spiritual reasons, believing it brings health and prosperity

      • Chemicals, sewage, and plastics are all deposited

      • More than 60 million rely on the river for water

      • There is no other option to live

    • What are the consequences of this usage

      • The river has been "killed" by human activities and chemicals such as metals

      • No animal life can be sustained

      • Planting crops has been ban by the Supreme Court, however continues unpoliced

      • Causes many health conditions and death

  • Lake Chad

    • Formerly one of Africa's largest freshwater lakes

    • In 1963, it was the world’s 6th largest lake with a total surface area of 23000 square km. By 2001, this had declined by almost 75 per cent to just 300 square km.

    • This has been a result of:

      • Increasing population

      • Increasing demand for water irrigation

      • Extremely high rates of evaporation from the climate and shallowness

      • Increasing desertification of the Lake's catchment area

1. Whilst human-centred world views prioritise the importance of human life as the most important priority that exists for earth, and resources should be used to sustain our life first, a earth centred world view prioritises equality with other species and sustainability in preserving all life.

2. Ecocentric

3. a)  I think I have a biocentric world view, and I'm not sure about Australia, but based upon asking other people, I feel most would lean towards an earth centred world view, or at least away from egotism.

b)  I could not find someone who supported logging, however I talked to my friend about electric cars.  He believes that although climate change is a massive risk for all of us, but that electric cars are not the solution, rather synthetic fuels, due to production costs and environmental impact. However, I researched this and found that even accounting for this, EVs have lower emissions over their life.  

Geography Introduction

Physical geography:

• Looks at how the earth was formed and how it continues to change

• For example volcanos, etc.

Human (cultural) geography

• Looks at people and how they interact with the environment

• For example human water consumption etc.

BOLTSS

• Border - an outline drawn around the map

• Orientation - an indication of direction

• Legend - an explanation of the symbols, colours and patterns used on the maps

• Title - a heading describing the map and what it is

• Scale - a way of indicating distances on the map represent in the real world.  Can be written, a line scale or a ratio.

• Source - where the data used to make the map is from

Types of Maps

1. Maps that summarise the landscape (topographic and general reference maps)

2. Maps that describe or comment on the landscape, often called thematic maps

   • Physical maps (landscape features)

   • Political maps

   • Social maps

   • Synoptic maps - used to display weather conditions

   • Climate maps - climactic data (must include both rainfall and temp, describes longer term patterns)

   • Chloropleth maps - uses shading or colour to show the particular density or concentration of a particular feature in an area