Transcript IV_Humans_Alter_the_Biosphere_new

IV. Humans Alter the Biosphere
In many ways that aren’t too bright…..
A. Food Production Causes Land Pollution
1. Agriculture (man-made monocultures) that
must be maintained by a high energy input in
fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides
2. Agro-Corporations have altered Food Production
Confined Animal Feed Operations
a) Cafos are cruel to the confined animals
b)
Large amounts of antibiotics are
needed to keep the animals alive in
such close proximity. This leads to
antibiotics in meat and drug resistant
bacteria.
c) Large Agro-businesses have
crushed family farms
d) Huge amounts of animal excrement
pollute ground water and streams
CAFOs in Ohio are transporting animal waste and dumping it in Henry Co.
The Meatrix
B. An Urban ecosystem’s largest product is trash.
Each day Americans throw away enough trash
to fill up the Lucas Oil Stadium 3X
1. Existing landfills
are running out of
space. Buster’s
landfill is filling up
fast
2. Most communities
reject plans for
new landfills
3.
Landfills are not just holes in the ground.
a) Ground water must be monitored and protected from
contamination
b) Gasses must be collected or flared
c) Toxic leachate must be collected and treated
d) Landfills are breeding grounds for disease organisms
4. Incinerators reduce trash volume but they pollute
the air. Further, the ash that remains is high in
toxins.
5. Toxic Waste Disposal
a) Transport, handling and
disposal of toxic waste is
expensive and can lead to
illegal disposal
b)
Abandon Salt
mines have
been proposed
for long term
storage but
transport and c) Nuclear waste is currently
being stored at its production
political
problems exist. site creating the potential for
environmental disasters
C. Water Pollution
1. Fertilizer runoff increases Eutrophicationincrease in the nutrients in water
a) Eutrophication results in
Algal Blooms (rapid
increase of algae
populations)
b) When the algae die,
decomposers use up
large quantities of
oxygen to break them
down
c) Aquatic organisms die
from lack of oxygen
2. Pesticide run off
accumulates in
the water supply
resulting in
Biological
Magnificationthe build up of
toxins as you
move up the food
chain
3. Our Fresh Water Supply is Limited
a) Of the 7 billion people on earth, 1.1 billion do not
have access to safe, clean drinking water.
(www.charitywater.org)
b) While the average American uses 150 gallons of
water per day, those in developing countries cannot
find five. (www.charitywater.org)
c) California has about 20 years of water left in the
state. Maude Barlow, author of Blue Covenant and co-author of Blue
Gold,
d) Water is a $400 billion dollar global industry; the
third largest behind electricity and oil.
CBS News.
4. Our Water is Contaminated
a) In a scientific study in which more than 1,000
bottles of 103 brands of water were tested, about
one-third of the bottles contained synthetic
organic chemicals, bacteria, and arsenic. National
Resources Defense Council,
b) There are over 116,000 human-made chemicals
that are finding their way into public water supply
systems. William Marks, author of Water Voices from Around the World
c) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
currently does not regulate 51 known water
contaminants. (www.foodandwaterwatch.org)
d) From 500,000 to 7,000,000 people get sick per
year from drinking tap water. Erik Olson, Deputy Staff
Director of Barbara Boxer’s Environmental and Public Works
Committee (EPW)
For Love of Water
D. Air Pollution
1. Burning Fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas)
pollutes the air by releasing nitrous & sulfur
oxides, particulate, hydrocarbons
a) Particulates (soot) builds up
and covers buildings and
neighborhoods and can
cause respiratory problems
b) Sulfur and nitrogen oxides
combined with atmospheric
moisture and cause acid
rain
1) Acid rain destroys forests,
lakes and streams by lowering
the pH
2) Few living things can tolerate a
pH below 5
C. Hydrocarbons can cause theG reenhouse
Effect by preventing heat from dissipating
back into space
1) As a result, global temperature could rise and melt
polar ice caps cause flooding. A large portion of the
world’s population could be displaced.
2) Planetary weather patterns could be disrupted
affecting agriculture
3) Data indicates atmospheric CO2 has
been increasing for the past 50 years
Red Indicates CO2 Emissions
2. Fossil Fuels are non-renewable and highly polluting.
World oil supplies could be depleted by 2050
3. Smoke stack scrubbers can reduce polluting
emissions but they are expensive and produce
toxic ash
4. Energy Production is the leading cause of ecological disasters
E. Habitat Destruction
1. As man clears more area for expanding cities and
agriculture, wildlife, both plants and animals, lose their
habitat
Loss of Habitat
a) loss of feeding and
breeding grounds can
result in extinction
b) Extinction- the
elimination of a
species from the
biosphere forever
c) If a species is
endangered it is near
extinction and if it is
threatened it is near
to being endangered
The Sinking Ark
2. Nearly all medicines
were derived from a
plant,fungus, bacteria or
animal species
3. If we destroy many
species, we may lose
the genetic material we
need to cure cancer or
AIDS.
What dominant
feature of our
society is
pathologically
driving
humanity’s head
long charge to
destruction?
F. Possible Solutions
If we don’t do the impossible, we will face the unthinkable.
Petra Kelly founder of the German Green Party
1. Natural fertilizers (garbage, manure) and
crop rotation with legumes can reduce our
dependence on chemical fertilizers
2. Biological controls (InCide, predator
species, phermone traps and sterile male
techniques) can lower or eliminate our need
for pesticides
3. Recycling (metals, glass and paper) will
reduce the speed we are using up landfill
space. G arbage can be composted to
provide fertilizer.
4. Alternate Energy Sources (nuclear,
hydroelectric, solar, geothermal, wind,
waves) can reduce our use of fossil fuel
5. Participate! Be a part of the solution!