The Environment
Download
Report
Transcript The Environment
National Geographic Video: State of the Earth -
Climate
Environment
What is it?
The natural environment encompasses all living &
and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth
Presidential Policies & the Environment
T. Roosevelt
John Muir & Conservation efforts of National Parks
Newlands Reclamation Act 1902
Allowed the federal gov’t to create irrigation projects to make
dry lands productive
Yellowstone National Park (1872)
Grand Canyon (1919)
LBJ’s “Great Society”
L. B. Johnson
Wilderness Preservation Act (1964)
Protected 9.1 million acres of nat’l forest from
development
Water Quality Act (1965)
Required states to clean up rivers & lakes
LBJ continued
Clean Air Act Amendments (1965)
Established exhaust emission standards for cars
Air Quality Act (1967)
Set guidelines on air pollution & increased federal gov’ts
power to enforce clean air standards
Nixon’s Policies
R. Nixon
Silent Spring (1962)
Rachel Carson published;
warned of the harmful
effects of chemicals on the
natural world
Led to Earth Day
demonstrations
Clean Air Act (1970)
Regulated levels of air
pollution
EPA established (1970)
Environmental Protection Agency
The White House and Congress established the EPA
in response to the growing public demand for cleaner
water, air and land.
Task of the EPA:
Repair the damage already done to the natural environment
Establish new criteria to guide Americans in making a
cleaner environment a reality.
EPA continued…
EPA leads the nation's environmental science,
research, education and assessment efforts
The mission of the EPA is to protect human health and
the environment.
Carter’s Policies
J. Carter
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
Protected more than 100 million acres of land & doubled
the size of the nation’s park & wildlife refuge system
Carter continued…
3-Mile Island
Love Canal, NY
Environmental disaster
Long-buried chemicals
began seeping up
through the ground
Exposure was linked to
high rates of birth
defects
To Do:
In your opinion, which president did the most for the
environment? Justify/defend your answer.
Consider: Theodore Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson,
Richard Nixon, or Jimmy Carter
IPCC
The U.N. formed a group of scientists called the
International Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC.
The IPCC meets every few years to review the latest
scientific findings & write a report summarizing all
that is known about global warming.
Each report represents a consensus, or agreement,
among hundreds of leading scientists.
To Do: Why is it important that an international group
of scientists meet to discuss environmental issues?
Explain.
Environmental Issues
Climate change
Global warming
Global dimming
Fossil fuels
Sea level rise
Greenhouse gas
Ocean acidification
Conservation
Species extinction
Pollinator decline
Coral bleaching
Poaching
Endangered species
Energy
Energy conservation
Renewable energy
Efficient energy use
Environmental
Degradation
Habitat destruction
To Do:
Of the 4 environmental
issues listed, which one do
you think we should be most
concerned with & why?
Issues continued…
Genetic engineering
Genetic pollution
Genetically modified food
controversies
Intensive farming
Overgrazing
Irrigation
Environmental effects of meat
production
Overpopulation
Burial
Land degradation
Desertification
Soil, Soil conservation, Soil
Erosion, Soil Contamination, Soil
salinization
Land use
Urban sprawl
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat destruction
Nuclear Issues
Nuclear power
Radioactive waste
To Do:
Of these 6 issues, which one do
you think is most concerning &
why?
Issues continued…
Ozone Depletion
Pollution
Water pollution
Acid Rain
Marine pollution
Ocean dumping
Oil spills
Ocean acidification
Wastewater
Air pollution
Smog
Indoor air quality
Resource Depletion
Exploitation of natural resources (overconsumerism)
Fishing; Bottom trawling; Illegal &
unregulated fishing; Shark finning;
Whaling
Logging / Clearcutting / Deforestation
Mining
Toxins
Chlorofluorocarbons
DDT
Dioxin
Heavy metals
Herbicides
Pesticides
Toxic waste
GROUP PROJECT
In assigned groups, you will research one of the
following topics.
Acid Rain
Air Pollution
Global Warming
Animal/Species Extinction
Deforestation
Ozone Depletion
Ocean Issues (pick 1 issue or all 3)
sea water rising, oil spills, wastewater, & pollution
TO DO
Research
Each group member needs to
research for your topic
If you don’t have a cell phone w/
Internet access, print your research
No Wikipedia
Consider
World Wildlife Federation
(WWF)
National Geographic
IPCC
EPA
Poster – bring your own!
Title
At least 5 Visuals (pictures,
charts, graphs, etc.)
Background (5 W’s & How)
Current Info & Research
Changes in Policies, Future
Implications,
Recommendations
Presentation
Each group will present
their topic to the class