The Intersection of Biology, Culture, and

Environment

Forces of Change Quick Overview – Global Warming and

Population Growth

Human Culture Influence on other species through direct

and indirect avenues

Outline of Lecture

Forces of Change

Global Warming Increase in avg. temp of

Earth’s atmosphere

Critical signal of change – melting of glaciers and other ice masses Melting of ice =

increase in sea levels

Example: Ice fields of Mt Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) have shrunk by 80% over the last century

Global Warming - Why be concerned? Temperature fluctuations Food supply, droughts, increase in sea

level, etc Somalia – recent drought; 7month long famine;

750,000 deaths (BBC source) Human Health – increase in vector-borne

infections (e.g. malaria and dengue fever) and food-borne infections; land loss; air quality

Forces of Change

Population Growth Impact on Disease

Forces of Change

Population Growth Influence on

biodiversity of the planet

Humans have long displayed other species – Extinction

Habitat degradation Logging; timber Agriculture Ecosystems are

being destroyed

Forces of Change

Human Culture

Primate Hunting ‘Bush meat’

Subsistence and Commercial

Vulnerability to hunters

Annamnn, 1992; 1996; Oates et al., 2000; Rose, 2002; Waltert et al., 2002; Story, 2005; Harwood, 2009;

“Between 1997 and mid-2005, more than 73,733 animals passed through the Malabo bushmeat market, including 11, 994 monkeys.”

Human Culture

Discuss with your group members how what you have learned in anthropology may help address these problems. In your discussion, provide specific examples (e.g. species, disease, geographical region, etc) to support your explanations.

Genetic disease (e.g., Sickle-Cell Anemia, Phenylketonuria (PKU) , etc…)

Infectious disease (e.g., AIDS, Malaria, Ebola, Cholera, etc…) Malnutrition Cultural Conflict (associated with religion, ethnicity, etc) Endangered species Destruction of natural resources Overpopulation

Activity: Worksheet #10