UNIT 17

WWK: The impact of humans on earths subsystems such as population growth, fossil

fuel burning, and use of fresh water.

-Dr. Chapman

Who knows all this crazy stuff??

Environmental Scientists use their knowledge of the natural science to protect the earth and its environments.

The find problems such as; pollution, fresh water shortage, and climate changes and try to fix them to keep us safe from global crisis.

These scientists go out to gather data to monitor the environment every day and work full time.

They cant solve all problems however, for example population growth.

Population Growth effecting the

environment? The worlds population has doubled during the last

half of the century climbing from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 5.9 billion in 1998.

Because there is more people we need more food so this caused the grain harvest to fall so it has dropped by 7% and is continuing to drop 0.5 a year according to the U.S Department of Agriculture.

It will cause deforestation to clear away for homes for more people. Getting rid of plant life will cause less CO2 to be absorbed leaving it hanging in the air and contaminating the air we breath.

Fossil Fuel burning does what?

86% of the energy used worldwide originates from fossil fuel combustion.

4.5 billion tones of C02 is released to the atmosphere each year and causing global warming to increase.

The burning of Fossil Fuels is one of the leading contributors of Global Warming.

Because of this we are experiencing global diming which could affect our climate in the living things in that environment.

Water will never run out…right?

WRONG! The average family of four uses over 400 GALLONS of water ever day. That’s enough water for 10 baths.

Over 70% of earths surface is covered by water. 97.5% of water is salt water the rest of the 2.5% is drinking water.

Rivers such as the Nile, the Yellow River, and the Colorado River show little water going into the ocean due to water stress.

Water tables are now falling on every continent, including the major food production regions.

The International Water Management Institute projects that a billion people will be living in countries facingabsolute water scarcity by 2025.

Is there hope?

By cutting back on the use of electricity, the combustion engine (WALK), deforestation, agribusiness, and wasteful lifestyles, fossil fuels can be reduced.

Turn off water while brushing your teeth. It will save over two gallons a minute! Which means if you are brushing your teeth correctly, you will save six gallons a day.

Save water and money by choosing efficient showerheads, dishwashers, and other appliances. Look for the WaterSense label.

Join the Environmental Scientists. Throw away trash correctly.

Vocabulary

Deforestation: A clear of forests and trees. Environmental Scientists: The branch of

science concerned with the physical, chemical, and biological conditions of the environment and their effect on organisms.

Global Dimming: A decreasing in the amount of sunlight reaching the surface of the earth, believed to be caused by pollution in the atmosphere.

K.S. / VIDEO

What is the percentage of water on earths surface and how much percentage is drinkable?

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTCZ9L834s

EXPLAIN THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE, INCLUDING HOW CARBON

EXISTS IN DIFFERENT FORMS WITHIN THE FIVE SUBSYSTEMS, AND HOW THESE FORMS AFFECT

LIFE.-Master chief Parks

Carbon Cycle

The carbon cycle is a biogeochemical cycle that moves through the atmosphere through the biotic and abiotic compartments of earth.

It is vital to life, but recently humans have caused a greater production in carbon into the atmosphere, also known as a carbon footprint, the chemicals and gases that contribute to the carbon cycle that humans produce are called human emmisions

How it exists in different forms

Carbon exists in the earth in different forms with in five different subsystems. The Carbon Cycle is a cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth. It exists in nonliving and living forms. It transfers from nonliving to living forms, and then returns back to nonliving.

Nonliving forms

The non-living environment includes substances that never were alive as well as carbon-bearing materials that remain after organisms die. Carbon is found in the non-living part of the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere as:

carbonate (CaCO3) rocks: limestone and coral dead organic matter, such as humus in soil fossil fuels from dead organic matter (coal, oil,

natural gas) carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air carbon dioxide dissolved in water to form HCO3

−

Living forms

Carbon enters living matter through autotrophs, which are organisms capable of making their own nutrients from inorganic materials.

Photoautotrophs are responsible for most of the conversion of carbon into organic nutrients. Photoautotrophs, primarily plants and algae, use light from the sun, carbon dioxide, and water to make organic carbon compounds (e.g., glucose).

Chemoautotrophs are bacteria and archaea that convert carbon from carbon dioxide into an organic form, but they get the energy for the reaction through oxidation of molecules rather than from sunlight

How it affects us

The different forms of carbon affect life, by being a vital part to life, just as oxygen is important to life, but the excessive amount of carbon in the atmosphere impact each reservoir. Excess carbon in the atmosphere warms the planet and helps plants on land grow more. Excess carbon in the ocean makes the water more acidic, putting marine life in danger. Carbon thrives for plant life, but in the hydrosphere it promotes decay and death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3SZKJVKRxQ

K.S.

What type of cycle is the carbon cycle

THE EARTH’S CHANGING SUBSYSTEMS

Professor Thomas

WWK

We will learn how changes in the earth’s subsystems impact humans.

subsystems

The earth has been around for 4.5 billion years and since the beginning of its existence it’s subsystems have been constantly changing and evolving.

-The earth has four major subsystems, the lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. These spheres work together as well as independently.

*Lithosphere: Land *Hydrosphere: Water and Ice *Atmosphere: Air and Weather *Biosphere: Living Organism

changes in the subsystems

Through natural process and cycles the subsystems of the earth are always changing.

*Some of these changes can include earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, flooding, and storm surges which can greatly impact humans.

the lithosphere

The lithosphere is the earth’s crust and upper mantle. It is also home to earthquakes, which are a result of sudden movements in the lithosphere. *Impact on Humans: Earthquakes cause great

destruction. They can destroy homes, buildings, and even whole towns, as well as take human life.

the hydrosphere

The earthquakes that occur in the lithosphere can lead to tsunamis in the hydrosphere, which consist of all the earth’s water. Tsunamis are large ocean waves. Impact on Humans: Like earthquakes,

tsunamis can cause great destruction, but they can also destroy whole communities economically. Especially beach communities relying greatly on tourism.

the atmosphere

The most significant change in the atmosphere has been the rising of temperature also know as global warming. * Impact on Humans: Global Warming has

increased the amount of heat wave inflicted deaths and illnesses. As well as, server

droughts which has caused food shortages. -Global Warming is also a result of

worsening air pollution qualities which has lead to an increase respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foxww-tMoNg

Kick Starter

How do earthquakes impact humans?

UNIT 17

Mr. Greer

WWKYou will know the empirical relationship between

atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and the average global temperature. (Yes, another PowerPoint presentation on global warming)

More Carbon and stuff

Emissions from the burning of fossil fuels have been causing an increase in carbon dioxide emissions.February historical levels

1959 - 316.381960 - 316.971961 - 317.71962 - 318.561963 - 319.081964 – 319.991965 - 320.441966 - 321.591967 - 322.51968 - 323.151969 - 324.421970 - 325.991971 - 326.681972 - 327.631973 - 329.561974 - 330.711975 - 331.411976 - 332.75

1977 - 333.231978 - 335.261979 - 336.651980 - 338.281981 - 340.511982 - 341.691983 - 342.871984 - 344.771985 - 346.061986 - 347.131987 - 348.71988 - 351.681989 - 353.241990 - 354.881991 - 355.681992 - 356.931993 - 357.271994 - 358.98

1995 - 360.791996 - 363.171997 - 364.091998 - 365.981999 - 368.982000 - 369.52001 - 371.492002 - 373.142003 - 375.622004 - 377.872005 - 379.762006 - 382.162007 - 383.812008 - 385.732009 - 387.422010 - 389.942011 - 391.822012 - 393.542013 - 396.8

More Temperatures and stuff

And Therefore

As Carbon Dioxide emissions increase, so does the average global temperature.

Elaborate please

Carbon-dioxide is a Greenhouse Gas as the sun radiates thermal energy to the earth, greenhouse gasses trap a percentage of the radiation which would normally leave the earth, and keep it on the earth, causing it to warm up more.

In Conclusion

Global Warming.

La Video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJpj8UUMTaI

K.S.

What’s one thing you learned from this PowerPoint? Like you didn’t already know about global warming?

WWK: EVALUATE HOW THE USE OF WATER, NUCLEAR, AND OTHER RESOURCES AFFECT EARTH’S

SUBSYSTEMS(Warning: Greenhouse Gasses and Global Warming are in fact included in this power point and we are sorry that you

have to suffer through another one of these. But don’t just tune it out because you think you know it because there are a lot of things on this power point that you might not know and WILL be on the test. You have been warned.)

Mr. Dr. Professor-in-chief Rodriguez

Fossil Fuel Energy

Fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource that we all know and have grown fond of using. It comes from over 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous period and is made up of decomposed bodies of plants and animals from back then(before the age of dinosaurs).

Quick fact- Large amounts of the energy during a rocket launch is wasted, and burns a lot of the fossil fuels, causing a lot of

greenhouse gasses to be launched directly into the atmosphere.

The three types of fossil fuels are oil, natural gas, and coal. Oil can be refined into gasoline or can be burned as it is to release energy. Natural gas is a carbon and hydrogen compound that is lighter than air, and is burned, or heated as well. Coal is the last one and is a graphite-like material that is burned for energy and has high concentrations of carbon.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is made into electricity by two processes, which are nuclear fusion, the process of adding neutrons to an atom by combining some atoms nuclei at high speeds to add neutrons, and nuclear fission, which is the breaking apart of neutrons by splitting an atom apart.

Q.F.- Uranium is the only atom that we use for nuclear energy.

Nuclear energy is an extremely powerful way to create energy and is 20% of the U.S.’s energy, with a little more than 100 power plants. Nuclear energy is also a none renewable resource, as it can’t use the used up atoms again.

Water Energy

Water is one of the renewable resources that we can use for energy. The movement of water as it flows through a watermill or a dam can cause electricity by connecting it to a generator that uses friction to create and store electricity. This electricity is known as Hydroelectricity because of it’s use of water.

Q.F- Dams supply of energy can be drastically affected by a stream’s flow.

The Colorado River has a famous dam known as the Hoover Dam, that was created with the help of the 31st president Herbert Hoover, that can have a 3% reduction of electricity, with only a reduction of 1% in the flow of the dam.

Wind Energy

Wind energy is another renewable resource, as it is able to replenish itself daily and change. A windmill generates electricity in a similar way as watermills do. They take the kinetic energy from the wind, pushing the blades, and that kinetic energy gets turned into electricity because of the generator.

Q.F.- In 2011, the empire state building “went green” and started being powered 100% on wind energy. In 2012, the

UNT Apogee stadium started doing the same thing.

Wind energy isn’t really considered by most people as effective because of how little electricity it produces. Because of this,

people rely on other sources of energy. Wind power is currently producing only 1% of

Earth’s electricity.

Impact on the Earth’s subsystems

“But what does it all mean, Basil?”

Fossil Fuel consumption can lead to the occurrences of Global Warming as it puts incredible amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Not only this but it can also cause acid rain, which is precipitation that contains harmful chemicals, to fall. Nuclear energy can be just as bad. The chemical used for nuclear fusion and fission, Uranium, becomes highly radioactive and can damage the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. These both seem to be the highest used source of energy though, so they are more commonly used.

Impact Cont.

Water energy can also harm the ecosystem. With the slowing of stream flow to push the blades of the generators in the dams, there can be a massive effect on the ecosystems

of aquatic life, as well as down stream flooding. Wind energy is the only form of energy that has no drastic effect on the

Earth.

K.S.

What element is used in the process of Nuclear Fusion? Fission?

Vid-Time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsZITSeQFR0&feature=player_embedded