Five of the World’s Most Critical Environmental Concerns

1. Five of the World’s Most Critical Environmental Concerns

2. Environmental Concern #1: Desertization Source: http://theroadtothehorizon.net/photo/desertification%20in%20China.jpg

3. What is desertization? The United Nations has defined the term as: “Land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas resulting from adverse human impact.” What do they mean by degradation? “Reduction in resource potential by water and wind erosion, sedimentation and siltation, reduction in the level of diversity in vegetation, crop yields, soil salinization, and sodication.” Source: (Hellden, 1991)

4. Background Information On Soil: • Soil is needed to feed the world. Without it, we would starve! • Soil is important because it is a limited natural resource which takes about 100 years to produce just one inch of topsoil • Soil consists of organic and inorganic material • The inorganic material is sand, silt, clay, gravel, and bedrock • Humus is the organic material (dead stuff) which provides the soil with needed nutrients • The ideal soil is loam which has a proportional amount of sand, silt, and clay • The soil ecosystem includes bugs and worms. These creatures are important because they dig tunnels for air and water to reach the root of the plant

5. Background Information On Soil: If an apple were the world and you cut it into 32 pieces, the peeling of the 1/32 piece of apple would be equivalent to the amount of topsoil present on earth.

6. Background Information On Desertization: • The Sahel of Africa is the most stricken region of the world • 35% of the world’s land surface is at risk • Each year, 21 million hectares of soil is turned almost useless or useless • This is a threat to the world’s economy

7. Causes of desertization: Human Actions • Population Growth – need for more food • Populations larger than the carrying capacity • Mismanagement of natural resources • Overgrazing • Deforestation and clearing of vegetation for pasture land • Increased number of livestock • Irrigation problems leading to salination of soil • Climatic change causing decrease in rainfall • Wind and water erosion Source: Le Houerou (1977)

8. Effects of desertization: • Droughts • Loss of topsoil – land degradation with desert like conditions • Decrease in rainfall and water • Dust storms increasing in number • Damaged economy – retail, travel, industry, worker absenteeism due to illnesses • Damages biodiversity within ecosystems • Destroys crops, trees, vegetation Source: (Brown)

9. Solutions for desertization: Establish greenbelts along the boarders of deserts: • Halts encroachment and affects microclimates of local areas • Helps with wind and soil erosion • Reduces soil temperature • Reduces run-off • Increases the organic material near the edges of desert, thus improving the soil’s nutrient content Cons – evidence does not support a high success rate, it is very expensive, and hard to manage Source: Le Houerou and Lundholm (1976)

10. Solutions for desertization: Water supply through desalinization: • Applicable for mineral and oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia Runoff Farming: • Planting near rain water catchments so irrigation is not needed Using agricultural and industrial by-products: • Take part of the herd to feed lot • Feed livestock by-product instead of allowing them to graze Source: Le Houerou and Lundholm (1976)

11. Solutions for desertization: Agricultural: • Better practices • Crop rotations • Plant legumes – source of protein and alternative to meat • Drip irrigation • Land use planning • Plant vegetation that minimizes erosion by maximizing vegetation cover on the land • Organic fertilizers Livestock: • Limit population size • Rotate graving sites • Move to an animal lower down on the food chain which uses less water and food Source: Le Houerou and Lundholm (1976)

12. Solutions for desertization: Successful Family Planning: • Decrease or at least stabilize the growth of the population Planning: • Consider land consolidation and sound land use practices • Inventory humans, cattle, land, water, vegetation, and natural resources to gather data • Use data to make plans for relief Source: Le Houerou (1977)

13. World map of desertization locations Source: http://colli239.fts.educ.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/800px-Desertification_map.png

14. Desertization Video Source:http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3332285257674477144#

15. Environmental Concern #2:Population Growth (Overcrowding) Source: http://candobetter.org/files/population.growth.gif

16. What is population growth and over crowding? When the number of births for the year is higher than the number of deaths. The result is a net increase of people.

17. Background Information: People need a certain amounts of natural resources to live a life that in adequate: • Land • Fresh water • Food • Energy • Material resources There is a limited supply of natural resources and problems arise when and where there is a shortage of these Take a second to review the change in the size of the world’s population

18. Background Information: Population Size of the World: 1800 – 900 million 1950 – 2.5 billion 1970 – 3.7 billion 1990 – 5.3 billion 2010 – 6.8 billion 2030 – 8.2 billion (est.) 2050 – 9.3 billion (est.)

19. Causes of population growth and over crowding: • Death rate decreased while birth rate increased • Better medicine (vaccines, antibiotics, health care, immunizations) and better nutrition • Clean water available to more people • Increased food productivity • Increase in fertility rate • Better sanitation = less disease • Higher standard of living • Able to supply needs and demands of population Source: (Kinder, 1998)

20. Effects of population growth and over crowding: Land Use: • Increase in food consumption means more land for crops and cattle • Overgrazing damaging the soil – worst case scenario would be desertization • Higher crop yields but near the ceiling for production • Deforestation to create farmland and grazing areas to feed the growing numbers • Increase in CO2 emissions adding to global warming which is causing heat waves and droughts which damage the crops and the land

21. Effects of population growth and over crowding: Water Use: • Higher demand • 70% of all fresh water is used in irrigation to make food • Increase in use of water to accommodate the demand in food production • Aquifers are being drained quicker than they can refill • Pollution from agriculture has damaged the aquatic biomes

22. Effects of population growth and over crowding: Pollution: • Use of fertilizers and pesticides which runoff and damage aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems Higher crop yields • Deforestation to create farmland and grazing areas to feed the growing numbers – takes away oxygen producers • Increase in CO2 emissions adding to global warming • Increase in methane from landfills and animals • CFCs used in refrigerators are more harmful than CO2

23. Solutions for population growth and over crowding: Increase productivity in agriculture: • multiple cropping – allows for overlapping so the land doesn’t sit still • intercropping – grow two crops at the same time with nitrogen rich plants like peanuts and legumes mixed in with nitrogen dependent crops • Seed bed transplanting – allows for multiple crops to be produced in shorter time • Land reform – shift cattle ranches into farms • Better irrigation practices – less water to yield same amount • Grow crops that require less water • Genetically modified plants • Move from meat to high protein plants = less water required

24. Solutions for population growth and over crowding: Third World Countries • Equal rights for women – right to choose number of children they have • Economic development – bring them out of poverty where social status is based on earnings instead of the number of children they gave birth to • Education – better income and learn about birth control • Education + better economy = lower birth rate In General • Legislation or tax incentives for having fewer children • Foreign aid – educate and provide birth control Source:http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/populationgrowth.htm

25. Population Growth Video Source: http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_on_global_population_growth.html

26. Environmental Concern #3: Global Warming/Climate Change Source: http://westorlandonews.com/wpcontent/uploads/2009/12/global_warming.jpg

27. What is global warming and climate change? Global warming is the increase in temperature in the earth’s atmosphere and oceans due to the increase in greenhouse gases, caused by pollutants. It should also be noted that the amount of sunlight that reaches the earth from the sun in manipulated. Climate change is a change in the patterns of temperatures, seasons, humidity, precipitation, and wind. (Easton, T. 2010)

28. Causes of global warming and climate change: Human Influences: • Humans – we emit greenhouse causes with our cars, factories, and with the use of electricity. • Methane – landfills, livestock • Nitrous oxides from fertilizers • Depletion of forests • CFC’s and HCFC’s – used in refrigeration and are more potent that carbon dioxides

29. Effects of global warming and climate change: Because so many systems are tied to climate, a change in climate can affect many related aspects of where and how people, plants and animals live, such as food production, availability and use of water, and health risks. • Predicted 0.5-1.0 degree increase in temperature over next few decades • Increased production of ozone (5%-10% by 2050) due to increased temperature, combined with primary emissions, sunlight, and air mass stagnation events • Increase in wildfires • Water concerns – drought, waterborne diseases, harmful increase in blue-green algae, melting of the polar ice caps • Increase in sea levels – flooding, damage to city infrastructures • Extreme weather events – more frequent hurricanes, cold weather fronts, floods, heat waves (English et al., 2009)

30. Effects of global warming and climate change: Because so many systems are tied to climate, a change in climate can affect many related aspects of where and how people, plants and animals live, such as food production, availability and use of water, and health risks. • More allergies and respiratory illnesses due to increase in production of plant biomass (pollens could show a 320% increase by 2050) • Disease and premature deaths • Environmental infectious diseases – range of diseases can spread to larger range (West Nile, Lyme, valley fever, dengue fever and human hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome • Heat vulnerability – poor, children, elderly, health patients, infants, and the socially isolated are at a higher risk (English et al., 2009)

31. Global Warming Simulation Video: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-impacts-interactive

32. Source: Alberni Environmental Coalition, http://www.portaec.net/library/energy/government_solutions_to_global_w.html Steps to address global warming and climate change: You • Use energy efficient light bulbs • Replace air filters frequently • Purchase energy efficient appliances • Use less energy when cooking, cleaning, etc… • Buy local, fresh, organic, and farther down the food chain items • Carpool or limit trips • Switch to green power • Plant a tree • Reduce waste • Buy items with the least amount of packaging Government • Use less fossil fuels • Switch to technologies that use fewer harmful emissions • Create legislation for all to follow on the local, state, national, and world level • Create more and better technology that is energy efficient • Develop clean, renewable, and safe energy • Move from coal, oil and gas by switching to natural gas • Address population growth • Push towards fewer cattle ranches and educate people to eat lower down the food chain to reduce methane gas levels

33. Global Warming Video Video: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/global-warming-environment/global-warming-101.html

34. Al Gore Video:Causes of global warming and what you can do? Video: http://www.ted.com/talks/al_gore_on_averting_climate_crisis.html

35. Environmental Concern #4: Energy Resources Source: http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/imgLib/20080722_energy_crisis_3.jpg population growth and over crowding

36. What are our energy resources? The United States is fossil fuel (oil, coal, and natural gas) dependent.

37. Who are the top exporters of oil to the United States? Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html

38. Causes of our energy crisis: • Overconsumption – population growth • Dependency on fossil fuels • Inability to switch to cleaner renewable energy source • The incentive to change energy resources is not economically advantageous at this point • Cost of new technologies are high • Cost of fossil fuels are low • Lobbyist (i.e. oil companies) slow progress within government • Not acknowledging the problem – irresponsibly avoiding the issue

39. Effects of our energy crisis: • Global warming – caused by the use of current fuel source • Climate change • Dependence on fossil fuels from other countries • Beginning to look into other options – clean fuel • Innovations in science and technology • Some states in the United States are starting to take the lead in energy reform – California

40. Who is and isn’t doing their part in trying to help with improving energy efficiency? The key state-specific rankings in the 2010 ACEEE Scorecard are as follows: The four most-improved states – Utah (tied for #12, up 11 spots from 2009), Arizona (#18, up 11 spots), New Mexico (#22, up eight spots), and Alaska (#37, up eight spots) – climbed at least eight spots since the 2009 Scorecard In general, the Southwest region demonstrated considerable progress from 2009 to 2010. California retained its #1 ranking for the fourth year in a row, outpacing all other states in its level of investment in energy efficiency across all sectors of its economy. The balance of the top 10 states: Massachusetts (#2, holding steady) ; Oregon (#3, up from #4); New York (#4, up from #5); Vermont (#5, up from #6); Washington (#6, up from #7); Rhode Island (#7, up from #9); Connecticut (tied for #8, down from #3); Minnesota (tied for #8, holding steady); and Maine (#10, holding steady). The 10 states with the most room for improvement in the Scorecard Louisiana (#42, down one spot); Missouri (tied for #43, down two spots); Oklahoma (tied for #43, down four spots); West Virginia (tied for #43, up two spots); Kansas (#46, down seven spots); Nebraska (#47, holding steady); Wyoming (#48, up three spots); Alabama (#49, down one spot); Mississippi (#50, down one spot); and North Dakota (#51, down two spots). Source: http://www.aceee.org/press/2010/10/state-energy-efficiency-scorecard

41. Solutions for our energy crisis: • Wind energy – uses wind to create energy • Nuclear energy • Photovoltaic or solar panels – converting light into energy • Geothermal – using energy stored within the earth • Hydrogen fuel cells - automobiles • Hydropower – uses water to produce energy • Biomass – turning garbage, waste, cow manure etc. into electricity by burning it to heat water which turns a turbine that creates electricity • Natural gas • Conservation

42. Video: News Report on Energy Summit from Abu Dhabi Video: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?play=1&video=1004555244

43. Environmental Concern #5: Water Source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/2414908852_ca23fb6afd_m.jpg

44. What is the water crisis about? If you look at all of the water on the earth, only 3% in drinkable and the other 97% is salt water. Of the 3%, only 1% is easy to access. How does the world use water? Agriculture = 70% Industry 20% Domestic use = 10% Population growth has caused water withdrawals to triple over the last 50 years. We are now consuming water from aquifers quicker than it can replenish itself. The largest consumers are India, China, US, Pakistan, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Mexico, and Russia. By 2030, 47% of the world population will live in a high water stress area. Water is expected to become the next oil crisis. Source: Stockholm International Water Institute

45. Background Information: • Humans need ½ gallon of water each day for basic survival, yet Australians and Americans consume 100 gallons per day. (Bloch, M. 2010) • Australia is in its worst drought ever, the population is expecting to jump from 22 million to 36 million people by 2050, and they are spending $13.2 billion on a desalination project. The taxpayers will spend 33% more on water to pay for the costs. • China and the United States face similar problems in the future and are increasing the number of potential desalination projects. • Saudi Arabia was the leader but the plant in Tianjin, China will push them ahead of the Saudis. • Potable water in the US costs about $0.50 per 1,000 liters and in Germany it cost $1.91 per 1,000 liters. • The cost for treating US sewage so it can be released into rivers and streams ranges from $0.30-$0.55 per 1,000 liters. • Parts of the world currently facing a crisis: Northern Africa, India, Australia, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East Sources: (Onishi, N. 2010)

46. Causes of the water crisis: Agriculture = 70% Industry 20% Domestic use = 10% Food production – draining rivers for irrigation, agriculture, and animals that consume large quantities of water. Source: Stockholm International Water Institute

47. Causes of the water crisis: • Salination of ground water due to poor irrigation where salts are pushed through soil and into aquifers or seawater encroaches into aquifers. • Fertilizer runoff and chemical pollution from agriculture • Overconsumption and wasteful use • Population growth • Decrease in rainfall • Rise in temperature • Evaporation rates • Soil quality • Vegetation types • Water runoff Source: Stockholm International Water Institute (Hun-Dorris, 2004) (Pimentel et al., 2004)

48. Effects of water crisis: • Severely effects the biodiversity of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems • Examples: • Drainage of more than half of all US wetlands, which is the home of 45% of all federally threatened and endangered species • In 2002, about 33,000 salmon died due to the increased use of the Klamath River as the water was used for irrigation • 90% of the infectious diseases are transmitted from polluted water • Under-production of crops = food shortages • One billion people do not have adequate drinking water Sources: (Pimentel et al., 2004)

49. Solutions to the water crisis: • Develop strategies for food and nutritional security for all countries which are linked to a water resource management system • Implement a pricing strategy for water that better reflects its value • Improve, upgrade, and invest in water infrastructure for better efficiency • Educate by building awareness • More research in water productivity increase in agriculture Source: Stockholm International Water Institute

50. Solutions to the water crisis: • Pollution treatment and prevention plans • Develop the concept and application of benefit sharing of water use, including the socio-economic and environmental effects • Water catchments or artificial recharge where rain water is put back into aquifers • Desalination plants – does make ocean water accessible but at the cost of emitting more CO2 into the atmosphere • Desalinizing brackish water costs $0.25-$0.65 per 1,000 liters • Desalinizing sea water costs $0.75-$3.00 per 1,000 liters Sources: Stockholm International Water Institute (Hun-Dorris, 2004) (Pimentel et al., 2004)