CHAPTER 6THE ENVIRONMENT

Standard 2: Students know and understand the characteristics and structure of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with each other and their environment.

Concepts and skills to master:2. The size and persistence of populations

depend on their interactions with each other and on the abiotic factors in an ecosystem.

21st Century Skills and Readiness competencies:3. When the matter or energy flow in an

ecosystem is disturbed, there are measurable effects such as the eutrophication of water.

Vocabulary

Fossil fuel Acid rain Global warming Greenhouse effect Erosion Deforestation Biodiversity Extinction Recycling Ecotourism

Video: approximately 118 minutes

An Interconnected Planet

It is estimated that the human population will reach 10 billion before it stabilizes.

As humans are a part of the environment, they can affect the resilience of the environment.

Earth is an interconnected planet where we depend on the environment and the environment is affected by our actions.

World’s Biggest Garbage Dump (7:09)

Resources Renewable resources are

natural resources that can be replaced at the same rate they are used. Examples are water, solar energy, and trees.

Nonrenewable resources are formed at a rate much slower than the rate at which they are consumed. Examples are fossil fuels, coal and natural gas.

How are fossil fuels formed?

The Cost of Recycling (12:10)

The Environment and Health

Pollution and habitat destruction destroy the resources we need to live, such as the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

Quiz # 1.

Waterborne diseases (1:45)

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: AIR POLLUTION Air pollution causes

respiratory problems for people, results in acid rain, damages the ozone layer, and may affect global temperature.

Global warming is the gradual increase in the average global temperature.

Pollution control technicians (6:00)

Environmental Protection Agency (2:12)

Acid rain is precipitation

that has an unusually high concentration of sulfuric or nitric acids, caused by pollution.

The greenhouse effect is the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere by greenhouse gases such as CO2 and H2O.

Global warming is the gradual increase in the Earth’s average global temperature.

Energy and our environment (24:00)

Water Pollution

Water pollution can come from fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture, livestock farms, industrial waste, oil runoff from roads, septic tanks, and unlined landfills.

Water Quality (5:00)

Eutrophication The process

where excess nutrient (usually nitrates and phosphates through fertilizers or sewage) cause an increase (bloom) in phytoplankton (algae) in a water body.

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/estuaries/media/supp_estuar09b.html

Environmental effects of Eutrophication:Negative environmental effects include:

Toxic or inedible phytoplankton species Decreases in water transparency (increased

turbidity) Color, smell, and water treatment problems Dissolved oxygen depletion (When the algae

die, decomposers deplete the available oxygen during decomposition, which causes reductions in specific fish and other animal populations)

Increased incidences of fish kills Loss of desirable fish species Reductions in harvestable fish and shellfish

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur under eutrophic conditions. Although these organisms are not harmful in small quantities and exist naturally, they grow at rapid rates when eutrophication occurs. When fish and shellfish feed on HABs, they ingest toxins that the algae produce. If people eat this seafood, they can become sick.

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/pollution/media/supp_pol010c.html

Soil Damage Soil erosion happens

when topsoil is worn away and transferred to other places. It destroys fertile soil needed to produce food.

Roots from plants and trees help hold soil together and protect it from erosion.

Dust Bowl (6:00)

Soil Conservation Sustainable agricultural

practices can help conserve fertile soil. Terracing converts steep land to flat steps to stop gravity from eroding soil, and cover crops like soybeans, restore nutrients to the soil.

Crop rotation slows down nutrient depletion and contour plowing creates rows that act like a series of dams.

Soil Conservation (2:30)

Ecosystem Disruption Ecosystem disruption

can result in loss of biodiversity, food supplies, potential cures for diseases, and the balance of ecosystems that supports all life on Earth.

Over the last 50 years, ½ the rain forests have been cut down for timber, pastureland, or farmland in the process of deforestation.

Rain forest exploitation (19:06)

Biodiversity, Invasive Species, Extinction Biodiversity is the

variety of organisms in a given area.

Invasive species are nonnative species that are introduced to an ecosystem either intentionally or unintentionally.

Extinction is the death of every member of a species. Extinction is forever.

Quiz # 2.

Understanding Biodiversity (17:00)

Environmental Solutions Conservation

involves protecting existing natural habitats.

Rest0ration involves cleaning up and restoring damaged habitats.

Conservation/Resource Management (3:24)

Coastal Restoration (3:50)

Reduce Human Impact and Resource Use Reduce use of

resources, such as water and fossil fuels for energy.

Reuse goods like plastic bags and utensils, or better yet, use things that are not disposable.

Recycling saves energy—recycled aluminum uses 95% less energy than mining it out f the Earth and prevents pollution.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3:42)

Technology

Research and technology can protect our environment by providing cleaner energy sources, better ways to deal with waste, and improved methods for cleaning up pollution.

Hybrid cars and scrubbers that reduce sulfur emissions from industrial smokestacks are examples of helpful technology.

Researching solutions The cause of an environmental

problem must be identified before a solution can be found .

Using the scientific method, solutions include costs, risks and benefits of implementing a solution.

Mario Molina (born in Mexico City in 1943) is the scientist who researched CFCs and their effect on the ozone layer. His research convinced the nations of the world to limit the use of CFCs.

In 1995 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with CFCs. To learn more about him go to: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1995/molina-autobio.html

Mario Molina (5 min)

Environmental Awareness (chemical

use and the environment (19:00 minutes)

In 1962, biologist Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring made millions of people aware of the dangers of pesticides and led to the restriction on the use of the pesticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane).

To learn more: http://www.rachelcarson.org/

Quiz # 3

Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964)

Advocacy and Ecotourism

Education makes people more aware of environmental issues and shows people how they can help address such issues. Expressing support, or advocating, for efforts to protect the environment can help get more people involved in these efforts.Costa Rica Eco-Tourism (3:36)

Planning for the Future Opened as a "temporary

landfill" in 1947, The Fresh Kills Landfill covers 2200 acres, can be seen with the naked eye from space and is taller then the Statue of Liberty, at a height of 225 ft. It is situated on the western shore of Staten Island and is made up of four sections which contain fifty plus years of landfill, mostly in the form of household waste.

It was closed in 2001 but used after 9/11 to sort through debris.

Quiz # 4

Fresh KillsLandfill (3:38)