Maintaining Biodiversity

1. Maintaining Biodiversity The Web of Life

2. What is Biodiversity? • Biodiversity is the variety of life: • the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, • their genes and the ecosystems of which they are a part.

3. Biodiversity gives us: Ecosystem Services -- What Nature Does for Us Every Day • transfer of energy from sunlight to plants and its distribution throughout food webs; • storage, release, and distribution of carbon - an essential building block of all life forms--by forests, oceans, and the atmosphere;

4. cycling of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, between air, water, soil, and living organisms; • water cycle, which purifies and distributes Earth's fresh water; and • oxygen cycle, through which plants and animals exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen.

5. Food • 90% of the world's food is derived from only 15 species of plants • humans use only about 150 species of plants for food, out of 80,000 potentially edible plants.  • Because we depend on such a narrow range of plants, our ability to produce and sustain food crops is important for human survival.

6. Medicine • Approximately 1 in 5 prescription drugs in the US come from plants. • potential hidden within the natural world is largely untapped--only 1% of the plant species in rainforests have been tested for their possible pharmaceutical value, and other ecosystems have been largely unexplored as well.  • Out of the top 150 prescription drugs, 118 originally came from living creatures, mostly plants.

7. Raw Materials • clothing, household goods, and cosmetics. • forests produce pulp for paper products • wood for construction of homes and furniture.

8. Natural Beauty • nature is beautiful and valued for its aesthetic appeal • brings pleasure to our lives and enriches the human experience • When describing "quality of life," many people mention access to nature and to open space • Biodiversity = full tapestry of nature • It’s loss makes us poorer – for ourselves & future generations

9. Stability • Many parts of the natural world prevent or slow rapid change • Eg Forests prevent erosion and also prevent heavy rains from turning into floods • Our current infrastructure & crops dependent on stability • If conditions change, have to: move crops, develop new strains, rebuild roads, buildings, bridges, repair flood damage

10. Community of Life • Mohawk saying: "In our every deliberation, we should consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."  • Responsible stewardship = value in nature beyond health, economics, or food. • spiritual or symbolic significance of humans' place in an intact natural community. • worth preserving for its own sake

11. Development vs Conservation

12. Economic Benefits of Conservation • Healthy environment = healthy economy • biodiversity provides between $3-$33 trillion dollars to the global economy, or upwards of 11% of world GDP • US: In 1995 alone, visitors to national wildlife parks contributed $401 million to local businesses in communities surrounding them.

13. Economic Cost of Development • Polluted air and water increase illness + reduce productivity - in people + ecosystems • Lost pollinators either cannot be replaced or can be replaced only at a high cost. • Degraded wetlands and forests lose their capacity to filter and store water – need to build expensive water treatment plants instead • availability of clean water from the Delaware-Catskill watershed saved New York City an estimated $6 to $8 billion in construction costs for a water filtration plant.

14. Solutions? • 3 Rs Reduce the amount and toxicity of trash you discard Reuse containers and products; repair what is broken or give it to someone who can repair it Recycle as much as possible, which includes buying products with recycled content

15. Clean Energy • Solar - Photovoltaic (solar cell) systemsProducing electricity directly from sunlight. - Concentrating solar systemsUsing the sun's heat to produce electricity - Passive solar heating and daylightingUsing solar energy to heat and light buildings - Solar hot waterHeating water with solar energy - Solar process heat and space heating and coolingIndustrial and commercial uses of the sun's heat

16. Wind • Windmills • Wind turbines - mounted on a tower to capture the most energy - 100 feet or more - can take advantage of the faster and less turbulent wind

17. Biomass • wood, plants, residues from agriculture/ forestry • potential to greatly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions • every time a new plant grows, carbon dioxide is actually removed from the atmosphere

18. Biofuels - releasing the sugars that make up starch and cellulose in plants — can be used to make antifreeze, plastics, glues, artificial sweeteners, and gel for toothpaste - biomass heated with oxygen = biosynthesis gas (used to make plastics and acids, which can be used in making photographic films, textiles, and synthetic fabrics) - biomass heated without oxygen = pyrolysis oil . Phenol can be extracted from pyrolysis oil - make wood adhesives, molded plastic, and foam insulation

19. Biopower The use of biomass to generate electricity There are six major types of biopower systems: direct-fired, cofiring, gasification, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, and small, modular.

20. Geothermal Energy • Geothermal electricity productionGenerating electricity from the earth's heat. • Geothermal direct useProducing heat directly from hot water within the earth. • Geothermal heat pumpsUsing the shallow ground to heat and cool buildings.

21. Hydroelectric Power • Dam : Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. • Pumped Storage Plant: stores power • A small or micro-hydroelectric power system can produce enough electricity for a home, farm, or ranch.

22. Hydrogen Energy • simplest element • most plentiful in the universe • found in water & organic compounds • high in energy, yet an engine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost no pollution • Hydrogen fuel cells power the shuttle's electrical systems, producing a clean byproduct—pure water, which the crew drinks

23. Ocean Energy • thermal energy from the sun's heat • mechanical energy from the tides and waves • Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth's surface, making them the world's largest solar collectors • sun's heat warms the surface water a lot more than the deep ocean water, and this temperature difference creates thermal energy • Just a small portion of the heat trapped in the ocean could power the world

24. Online Forum • “Singapore is not doing enough to save the environment. What do you think?” • Please go online to write your comments on this issue. • At the end of 2 weeks, you will be able to vote on your favourite posting.