Environmental Problems 2 1-1

1. Environmental Problems 21-1 Ever since the Industrial Revolution in the 1700's, the environment has become more polluted due to our reliance on machines. Pollution is an unwanted change in the environment caused by substances like wastes or radiation Pollutants can be: Natural - volcanic eruptions Man-made - chemical waste, fertilizer, garbage etc. Let's see a little bit about pollution! (real player - pollution)

2. Garbage! Americans throw away more thrash per person than any other country on the planet! ~12 kg/week Much results in the production of hazardous waste when it enters the landfill! ~ things that can catch fire ~ corrosion ~ explosive ~ carcinogens Just in case you were wondering what types of industries cause what type of pollution, here's a pretty lengthy list!

3. Chemical Pollution Harmful chemicals that may get into the environment: ~ CFC's - chlorofluorocarbons * used in aerosol cans, refrigerators, plastic production * no longer legal! PCB's - once used in appliances and paint products ~poisonous and may cause cancer! ~banned from use now

4. Nuclear Waste While nuclear power plants provide excellent energy to our homes and businesses, they also produce radioactive waste! This can result in: ~ mutation of DNA resulting in birth defects in offspring ~ vomiting, diarrhea ~ burns ~ cancer ~ death

5. Gases in the Atmosphere Our atmosphere is made of a mix of different gases ~ CO2 ~ Nitrogen ~ Oxygen ~ other trace gases CO2 and other air pollutants act like a blanket - trapping in heat The increase in CO2 and air pollutants has shown to be increasing the global temperature - Global Warming The common name for this is the Greenhouse Effect! ~ the process by which the earth traps infrared rays Lets see how this works! (Greenhouse effect - real player) Some Effects of Global Warming are and could be: ~ increase in global temperatures - Avg. global temps. likely to increase by between 1.4 and 5.8 degrees Celsius (2.5o and 10.4o F) by the year 2100. ~ loss of shoreline and coastal ecosystems ~More severe weather - storms, drought ~ melting of the glaciers and polar ice caps ~ rise in overall sea level ~Ecosystems may not be able to adapt fast enough leading to extinction or take over where they once did not live

6. Noise!! This pollutant affects the senses! ~Affects your ability to hear and think clearly ~ may permanently damage your hearing ~ need to wear ear protection when in a noisy environment for long periods of time!

7. Resource Depletion 2 Types of resources ~Renewable and Non-renewable Renewable resourcescan be used over and over again or has an unlimited supply ~these can be reused or replenished within our lifetime ~EX: Water, sunlight, wind, geothermal, some species of trees Non-renewable resources ~cannot be replaced or can be replaced but not for thousands or millions of years ~EX: minerals, fossil fuels like oil and coal and natural gas, tropical forests

8. Exotic Species Northern snakehead Invasive species - non-native species that reproduce rapidly due to lack of predators. ~ often overcrowd native species and overtake the habitat thus destroying or changing the ecosystem ex: zebra mussles - in Lake Erie - have pushed some species to near extinction! They take over the ecosystem by not having natural predators and pushing out the native species EX: Killer Bees- originally from Africa and very aggressive! Why introduced? Imported and bred with European honey bees to increase honey production Impact: More aggressive than European honeybees; negative impact on honey production industry Let's see a little about this species...(real player - killer bees) Interested in other invasive species? This is a great topic to do some extra credit!

9. Habitat Destruction Habitat - where something lives! Everything needs a place to live, so when the habitats are polluted or changed, some things may lose their home! Biodiversity - the number and variety of org. in a certain habitat ~ the more biodiversity a habitat has, the more resilient it is when catastrophes happen Forest habitats - high biodiversity ~supplies planet with oxygen, food and shelter ~we use the trees for building supplies and paper. ~today we replenish the trees we cut down! ~ can have bad effects if we aren't responsible when we use this resource ... many plants and animals will be lost if the forest is not respected and replaced! Marine habitats - high biodiversity ~habitat loss comes from: * oil spills * chemicals from land run-off * plastics dumped into the ocean

10. Environmental Solutions! 21-2 As our population grows, we will need more food, space, transportation, and waste disposal! ~ so what does this mean for our Earth?? If we don't use our resources wisely; we will continue to pollute our environment! More natural habitats will be lost Many species may die out (including us!)

11. Conservation! Conservation - the preservation and wise use of natural resources Things you can conserve: ~ fuel ~ water ~ energy ~ waste products ~ food ~ natural resources! So how do we go about DOING conservation? ~ the 3 R's of course! *Reduce *Reuse *Recycle 1.) Reduce: ~ use less of the earth's resources! ~ about 1/3 of waste from some countries is from packaging material! * we can use less to package things * we can use biodegradable packaging! - biodegradable = able to be broken down by living organisms * we can use organic fertilizer - not chemicals *we can use renewable resources like solar energy, wind, water to power things

12. 2.) Reuse: ~using something again or re-purposing it! Things you can reuse: ~ Products: * plastic bags - use at the grocery store! * bottles - refill with a drink! * building materials - new houses etc. * old tires - playground mulch Here is a great website for creative ideas on how to re-use things! Check it out! http://www.squidoo.com/reuse-everything paper dress You can reuse the rain water! ~ get a rain barrel and use the water collected to water your plants, your lawn, or wash your car!

13. 3.) Recycle!! Recycle - recovery of materials from waste So many things can be recycled! What are some things that you can think of? Wood Cardboard Aluminum Glass Paper By recycling these things, we can save so much energy and material! Some interesting facts: Recycling newspaper can save about 1 million trees a week! Recycling aluminum cans saves 95% of the energy needed to make Al from ore! Glass can be recycled many times and be made into new things!

14. What else can we do?? Help maintain How does this help? EX: If there are only a few species in the ecosystem, it would not take much to bring about the downfall of that ecosystem! The more species there are in the ecosystem, the more likely that system is to recover from the loss of one species Protect the species that are here! Endangered Species Act:designed to protect species that are on the verge of extinction against people hunting them or destroying their habitat. Some animals on the list are: http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/ten-most-endangered-animals Ivory-Billed Woodpecker This bird's habitat was severely disrupted by logging and humans hunted it for it's feathers #1 Let's learn a little bit about the world's most endangered animal... (real player - ivory billed woodpecker) Ivory-Billed Woodpecker #2 Amur leopard This beautiful cat is on the list and only about 40 are left in the wild!! Habitat destruction due to logging, road building, civilization encroachment and poaching have decimated this cat's numbers. Amur leopard Let's see a bit about this cat! (real player - amur leopard) #3 TheJavan rhinoceros(Rhinoceros sondaicus) is the most endangered of the world’s five rhinoceros species, with an estimated 40-60 animals remaining on the western tip of the Island of Java (Indonesia) in Ujung Kulon National Park. Javan rhinoceros It has been hunted to near-extinction for its horn, which is used to make Asian folk medicines. Let's see a clip on this rhino! ( real player ) #4 GREATER BAMBOO LEMUR This Lemur is from Madagascar! Almost all of them are disappearing very quickly due to habitat loss and illegal hunting Greater Bamboo Lemur Shall we take a look at this adorable creature?(real player) The Northern Right Whale is the most endangered of all the world’s whale species. The right whale got its name because whalers considered it the “right” whale to kill, as it not only was full of valuable whale oil, but it floated after it was dead, which made it easy to handle and process. #5 Northern Right Whale Although now protected, global climate change and fishing nets still pose a threat to this species! Let's learn a bit more about this whale! (real player) Others on this list include: 6Western Lowland Gorilla Disease and illegal hunting are taking an alarming toll on this gentle giant of a primate 7Leatherback Sea Turtle The population of the world’s largest turtle is dropping at an alarming rate 8Siberian (or Amur) Tiger The world’s biggest cat weighs as much as 300 kilos (660 pounds) 9Chinese Giant Salamander Humans are eating the world’s largest amphibian into extinction 10Kakapo Parrot So few of these flightless parrots remain that the survivors all have names Plus . . . Two Important Species From the Previous List Mountain Gorilla Their habitat is shrinking, and fewer than 700 remain Hawaiian Monk Seal Scientists don’t know why this seal’s population keeps declining Great opportunity forextra credit here!! Research an endangered species! Tell me why it made the list, how many are left in the world, what caused its decline, where is it found, what is being done to restore the numbers or protect it? Give some good background info on your animal (or plant!) ~ Due by test day! ~ 10 pts~ Protection of habitats are just as important! Without proper habitats, plants and animals cannot survive! We must protect the entire environment for it to be healthy!

15. Environmental Strategies EPA - environmental protection agency * government org. that helps protect the environment * keeps people informed about environ. laws * helps enforce those laws What you can do: ~ Reduce Pollution ~Reduce pesticide use ~ Protect habitats ~learn about local environmental issues ~ Develop alternative energy sources What else can you think of?