The Biosphere: Today and Tomorrow โลกในสถานการณ์ปัจจุบัน และมุมมองในอนาคต

1. The Biosphere: Today and Tomorrow โลกในสถานการณ์ปัจจุบัน และมุมมองในอนาคต Outline The biosphere The land - Diminishing natural resources - Species extinction - Solid waste The water - Surface water pollution - Ground water pollution - Acid rain The atmosphere - Air pollution - Ozone depletion Overpopulation and environmental problems C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

2. KEY CONCEPTS Water is being polluted by multiple sources, causing physical or chemical changes that harm living and non-living things; prevention of this contamination is essential to ensure an safe water supply. The biosphere extends from the tops to the mountains to the depths of seas; it is all the parts of the Earth where biological activity occurs. A primary cause of air pollution is the combustion of fossil fuels; energy conservation measures and new energy technology are needed. Human beings need to work toward a sustainable society that uses nonfinite and renewable sources of fuel, recycle resource to the fullest extent and manage to forests to meet global needs while not compromising the ability of the future generations to survive. C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

3. 9,000 m. 7,500 m. Zone of most abundant life Sea level. Sea level. - 11,000 m. Biosphere Life on Earth is confined to a region called the biosphere, the global ecosystem in which all other ecosystems exist. Biosphere is often spoken of as the environment - general term for everything surrounding you. C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

4. THE LAND • Humans interact with the land and its inhabitants in many ways. Its natural resources are used. Wastes are produced that are filling and in some case polluting the land. Forests are cut down, stripping many species of their habitats and therefore their life. • Global human population increasing by two folds in the years 2030 • Food demand (agricultural production) rising • Resource declining C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

5. population number/ production agricultural production time Population increases exponentially where food production does arithmetically. C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

6. Diminishing Natural Resources Land provides Fossil fuels Nonrenewable Resources They formed at rate much slower than their consumption. Minerals, coal and oil are examples Is the nuclear power a safe and sound alternative? Minerals Foods Timber Water Renewable Resources They are those produced by natural systems that replace themselves quickly enough to keep up with consumption • Solar Power • Wind Power • Geothermal energy • Water Power C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

7. Alternative Power Sources Hoover Dam, producing electrical power Tidal Power Plant in the Bay of Fundy C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

8. Solar Power Modern Windmills in southern California C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

9. Mineral Resources • Minerals are inorganic substances that occur naturally within the Earth’s crust. • Common minerals mined: zinc, Lead, copper, aluminum, iron, gold, silver, mercury. • Once they are used, they are gone • Three R’s to save the mineral resources Reduce Reuse Recycle C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

10. Consumption of Mineral Resources (The Earth Report) Modern industrialized society require large amounts of minerals to sustain their high standard of living. The graph shows a number of major minerals and years they could last at current rate of consumption. C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

11. Deforestation • Paper makes up 40% of the house hold garbage. • Recycle your daily newspaper will save four trees every year. • Tropical rain forest deforestation is most severely in crisis. • Causes of deforestation • - open the new area for growing crops and making residential areas • - commercial logging without proper management C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

12. Example of tropical rain forest deforestation in Thailand Declination of mangrove area in Thailand from 1979 - 1996 C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

13. Example of tropical rain forest deforestation in Eastern Madagascar 1500 years ago 1950 1990 C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

14. Results from deforestation - reduce soil fertility and therefore reduce agricultural food production leading to starvation - green house effect and global warming C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

15. Species Extinction • 1,700,000 species of organisms classified • approximately 40,000,000 species exist • estimation of 1,000 species gone extinction each year, some of them yet never before classified • Causes of species extinction • habitat destruction - tropical deforestation responsible for 1/3 of extinction worldwide • pollution, fertilization, sewage and run-off destroying fragile marine habitats • exploitation of commercially valuable species • The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulates trade in live wildlife and products C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

16. In the 1960s, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) made recommendation to establishment of “a germ plasm bank” that stores seeds and genetic materials. C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

17. Zoos around the world are now responsible for preserving genetic diversity in endangered species. C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

18. Solid Waste • You produce garbage and trash 1/2 ton each year. • ~ 30,000,000 ton of solid waste is produced daily in Thailand alone. • What happen to your garbage? • Burnt in open air • open dumped • buried in landfill C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

19. Improper management of solid waste will lead to… • outbreak of diseases via insects and rodents • contamination of surface and ground waters • smell and odor causing respiratory problems • degradation of scenery C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU

20. To reduce solid waste, again Three Rs Reduce Reuse Recycle C. Poosuwan, ASAT-SU