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Environmental Challenges

Environmental Challenges. Important dates for the environment. Today the earth is changing. Speed of environmental changes has increased dramatically over the past 20 years We have seen an increase in fire risk to the boreal forest, drought, flooding and severe storms.

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Environmental Challenges

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  1. Environmental Challenges

  2. Important dates for the environment

  3. Today the earth is changing • Speed of environmental changes has increased dramatically over the past 20 years • We have seen an increase in fire risk to the boreal forest, drought, flooding and severe storms. • Tropical disease has migrated pole ward. And a huge increase in skin cancer. • The natural environment has given way to human use as we over populate the planet.

  4. Canada’s Arctic • Sea ice is shrinking: • Leading to the potential extinction of polar bears • Low ice flow prevents them from hunting the seals • Arctic communities have sinking shorelines • Other nations are going after previously inaccessible resources • United States, Russia, Denmark and Norway want to tap the rich oil and natural gas deposits • Increased shipping in the Northwest passage • Counties are questioning our claim to sovereignty in the arctic.

  5. Growth and sustainability • Feeding the population • 70% of water is used in agriculture • Deforestation • Cleared for farmland • Cities expanding on previous farmland • Energy source • Genetically modified food • Garbage • Landfills are overflowing • Pollution is sinking in to ground water

  6. Water Basics • People • Require 1.8l of water a day • State of the worlds water: • 2.5% of worlds water is fresh of that 70% is in ice caps and glaciers. 0.3% is in lakes and rivers the rest is in ground water • Drainage basins • (watersheds) are areas that when water falls on the ground it will all move into the same river system. • Water table • is the level at which a person must dig down to reach the water. Wells take ground water and cause the water table to lower and well to dry up.

  7. Aquifers • are areas of porous material that are capable of supplying large amounts of ground water normally has flowing water under some pressure • Springs & artesian wells • are created if there is enough pressure behind the aquifer to push water to the surface with out using a pump.

  8. Water use today: • Industry • slowly being reduced due to new technology • Agriculture • by far the largest user of water for irrigation. • Domestic • amounts continue to rise and put huge strain on water supply in areas that are heavily populated.

  9. Conserving our water • Domestic conservation will reduce the load on water in populated areas • with new low flow fixtures, night time watering of plants, and common respect for water. • Raise the cost of water will reduce the waist of companies and businesses. • Save & reuse more drain water.

  10. Line & cap canals, to reduce seepage and evaporation.

  11. Build dams: • although they have huge environmental problems like: loss of habitat, pollution from decaying material or contamination for material in the ground. Destruction of fish hatching areas. They do increase recreational opportunities & limit flooding.

  12. Build desalinization plants: • currently cost is 10times that of traditional water supply so it is not practical for most areas.

  13. Water Use By Nations

  14. Water PollutionDegradation of water quality due to biological chemical and physical criteria. • Types of H2O pollution: • Oxygen demanding waste (sewer and dead waste)

  15. Pathogenic Organisms: (disease causing) micro organisms. Fecal coli form bacteria. • Nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) Cause algae to grow.

  16. Oil Exxon Valdez • Toxic substances: heavy metals, & hazardous chemicals

  17. Sediments: reduces quality of H2O • Thermal pollution: water coolant

  18. NONPOINT SOURCES Rural homes Cropland Urban streets Animal feedlot POINT SOURCES Suburban development Factory Wastewater treatment plant Point and Nonpoint Sources

  19. Treatment of pollution: • Buffer zones around rivers lakes and water sheds. • Sewage treatment facilities for sewage and city runoff. • Government regulations on shipping and manufacturing. • Education of public: waste disposal and product use.

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