HUMAN ENVIRONMENT

Chapter 2

How Has the Earth Environment Changed over Time?

Plate Tectonics �

Division of the Earth’s crust into plates, which are in motion

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Recent Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions

Volcanic Eruptions

• Last 1 billion years
• Mass depletions: Loss of diversity from failure of new species to appear
• Mass extinctions: 5 total & 3 over last half-billion years
• Last mass extinction about 50 million yrs ago. Dinosaurs killed off, mammals began to thrive.
• Fragmentation of Pangaea
• 160–180 million years ago
• Current Ring of Fire is the last stage of the fragmentation.
• Next Supercontinent in 250 million years. -Name??
• Pictures from Mt. Saint Helen’s 1980
• Last major eruption in lower 48 states
• 57 people died, over 200 injured

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Yellowstone Supervolcano

• Supervolcano: An eruption that ejects about 240 cubic miles of material, about 2,450 times larger than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.�
• Approx. 20 supervolcano systems worldwide. Three in the U.S., another 3 in Central & South America, 15 on the ring of fire.�
• Yellowstone is one of the most famous, with three major eruptions in its recent geologic past.�
• Last super-eruption at Yellowstone: ~640,000 years ago. Erupts every 600,000-650,00 years. We are due!�
• No signs of imminent eruption — scientists monitor for warning signals. There will likely be years of decades of warning signs.�

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Glaciations

• Pleistocene (last 2 million years or so) marked by:
• Glaciations: Permanent ice stable and growing
• Interglaciation: Warming spell in which ice recedes
• Switches every 20,000 yrs.
• Emergence of humans (homo sapiens) during interglacial between 120,000 and 100,000 yrs ago
• Most recent glaciation: Wisconsin Glaciation
• Land bridge to N. America
• Great Lakes-Old Great Lake

Wisconsin Glaciation

Class Activity

• Groups of 2-4

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• What natural landscapes in this area were formed by the recent glaciations? Think about the natural landscape of places you have visited in the area.

Co2 Concentration and Temperature

����� Recent Glacial History �

• Holocene: Interglaciation that began 18,000 years ago.
• Little Ice Age
• A minor glaciation that began in the early 1300s
• Growing glaciers
• Effects on agricultural production
• Abandonment of Greenland and Iceland by Europeans
• Abandonment of Chung Ho’s voyages
• Black Death (bubonic plague)

Warming Phase

• Eruption of Tambora (1815) on Sumatra (Indonesia)
• Local pollution of land and water by ash and acid
• Ash and dust in atmosphere
• Cooling of temperatures worldwide: “Year without summer” (1816)
• Food shortages
• Warming again since about 1850

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How Have Humans Impacted Earth’s Ecosystem?

• Altering ecosystems
• All humans (over time) alter environments
• Impact greater with growth in population-last 500 years
• Specifically the last 200 years (1 Billion to nearly 8 Billion in pop)
• Environmental stress
• Cutting forests, emitting pollutants, spilling oil
• Burying toxic waste, dumping garbage in oceans
• Issues caused by these things: Future of water supplies, state of atmosphere, climate change, desertification, deforestation, soil degradation, and the disposal of industrial waste.

Major Factors Contributing to Environmental Change

• Population: every country contributes to environmental concerns differently-but all humans consume natural resources-like water & oxygen
• Technology: Industrial revolution improved our standard of living-but at what cost to the environment? Mining, logging, industrial waste.
• Transportation:
• Significant pollution-causing acid rain and global warming
• Energy demands such as oil-contributing to environmental concerns

Water- the essence of life

• A renewable resource (replenished as used)
• Water shortages: Depletion of water in aquifers (porous, water-holding rocks) at a rapid rate
• Causes of shortages
• Growing population
• Large population concentrations near small supplies- like southern California and Florida
• Agricultural and industrial use- more than 3/4 of the available water supply
• Shortages are causing problems all over the world.
• Approximately 97% of the water on earth is undrinkable!

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Hydrocycle

Precipitation Distribution

Effects of climatic cycles and human interference-diverting rivers and streams for agriculture & pesticide pollution

The Dying Aral Sea

Water and Israeli-Palestinian Relations

• Israel’s major water resources come from:
• Jordan River-Syria
• Aquifer under West Bank-Palestine
• Ground water in Israel is mostly undrinkable. People have to buy bottled water for consumption.
• 30 percent of flow to Sea of Galilee from Golan Heights
• Any land agreement between these groups will have to include water supply concerns

Class Activity

• Groups of 2-4
• Create a T-chart with government as the heading on one side and people as the heading on the other side. You can use bullet points to answer the following questions. Make sure everyone’s name is on it.
• What should government and people be doing to address the shortages of drinking water around the globe? Please think outside the box and come up with ethical, original, and creative, yet logical and reasonable, solutions.

Atmosphere

• A thin layer of air lying directly above the lands and oceans
• Holds in oxygen
• Shield from UV rays
• Controls temperatures
• Carries moisture from oceans and maintains our water supplies
• Natural impacts-volcanic eruptions & comets
• Human impacts-Global Warming and Acid Rain from industrial pollution

Climate Change

1. Average yearly temperatures are expected to increase about 2 degrees over the next 50 years, a huge unnatural increase.
2. Greenhouse gases-including CO2 and methane- are increasing at a rate of 2% per decade. There is no question this will have an effect on the environment-but exactly what will remain to be seen.
3. Effects
1. Glacial melt-which would raise sea levels greatly
2. Altering the hydrocycle-causing water supply issues
3. Stronger and more dangerous storms, focusing on hurricanes.
4. On average-intensified seasons (rainfall in spring, droughts in summer, snowfall in winter)

Carbon Dioxide Levels

Using Ice Cores in Antarctica�

Carbon Dioxide Levels

800,000 YA to present�

Annual Average Temperature

Sources of Carbon Dioxide 2017 �

Carbon Dioxide Emission

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Carbon Dioxide Emission

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Carbon Dioxide Emission 2017

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Carbon Dioxide Predictions

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Class Activity

• Groups of 2-3
• Based on what you have read, predict some of the consequences of atmospheric and climate change.

-How will our world be different in 50 years if we continue down this road?

-How will your life be different in 50 years if we continue down this road??

���� Natural Disaster Hotspots

Acid Rain

• Forms when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas).
• Also formed by other industrial pollutants and building corrosion. It is most prevalent in highly industrialized areas.
• Washed out of the atmosphere with rain-forming fog (smog).
• Negative effects:
• Harms ecosystems for plants and animals-affecting the food chain.
• Harmful to water supplies, such as freshwater lakes and rivers.
• Harmful to the underground aquifers-human drinking supplies.
• Positive Action:
• Governments have put organizations in place to regulate industry and place strict controls on factory emissions.

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The Land

• Deforestation: Effect on oxygen cycle. Forests still being destroyed at an alarming rate of 1% a year. Has slowed in last 10 years since the UN became involved.
• Soil erosion: Soil not having enough time to rebound. Called the ‘quiet crisis”. World population explosion placing strains on the agricultural industry. Soil is a renewable resource.
• Waste disposal:
• Sanitary landfills filling up
• Ocean Dumping
• Exporting waste to Africa

and other 3^rd world nations.

• Problem of disposal

and confinement

of toxic and

radioactive wastes-which is

very dangerous.

Plastic

• Tons of plastic used everyday.
• 1 million plastic water bottles sold every MINUTE.
• Recycling is good, but can’t keep up with production.
• Only 10% of all plastic recycled.
• Horrible for environment
• Some never biodegrades
• Filling up garbage dumps and floating in ocean

Biodiversity

• Short for Biological Diversity. Refers to the diversity of all aspects of life on earth.
• There is a loss of biodiversity because species are threatened or quite concentrated.
• Trophic Cascade, everything is affected by loss of biodiversity. Wolves in Yellowstone
• Extinction is a natural process, but has been accelerated by humans.
• Species with a small range most impacted.
• Hard to know for certain exactly how the loss of biodiversity will affect the future of the earth.

SOLUTIONS!!

Alternative Energy

• Know as “clean” renewable energy sources. The future of the industrialized world depends on developing AE.
• Europe has spent over a billion dollars researching and investing in alternative energy-going back 30 years.

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Wind Energy Facility in Palm Springs California

Alternative Energy for Commercial and Residential Power

• Wind: Dependent upon place and location, but works well in specific locations. Expensive upfront costs, fairly cheap to maintain. No known way to create reserves.
• Solar: Dependent upon location. Could be substantial if we could figure a way to harness it-battery packs. Most is absorbed or reflected by the atmosphere. Expensive upfront costs, fairly cheap to maintain.
• Hydro: Water power from damming rivers. Very costly up front, but cheap to maintain. Also dependent on location. Can be very harmful to ecosystem.
• Geothermal: Using the heat produced by the earth’s inner core. Can be used as a secondary source. Good for individual residences.
• Tidal: Using underwater currents (similar to hydro) to power turbines that produce energy. Costly up-front and depends on location. Harmful to ecosystem.
• Other Forms: There are many forms of energy, but some of the best options are still in development.

Bio Fuels: Alternative Energy for Petroleum-Machinery and Transportation

• Ethanol Fuel: Burns clean, low carbon emissions. But NOT a good solution. It eats into the food supply, we destroy forests to grow it, and we use fertilizer/pesticides to grow it.
• Used cooking oil: No carbon emission. Good overall solution, but limited. Must convert a regular gasoline engine-costly. Not enough of it for everyone. Smells a little funky, like french fries.
• Animal Waste/Plant waste: Limited carbon emission. But expensive. Not enough of it to really make an impact. Would need to be used in certain areas or industries as a supplement.
• Algae Fuel : Great solution for diesel and jet fuel. No increase in carbon emissions, grows quickly, no pollution to water or land and can even be used as a natural filter. Still expense and not an easy process. But believed to be the best bio fuel option.
• Developing options: Maybe we can produce gasoline in a lab?

Kuwait-A Case Study

• 80% of citizens have jobs related to oil. Gov provides free housing, education, & health care-plus a stipend for each child born.
• Currently using oil revenue to invest in desalination-converting salt water to fresh water. World will need more fresh water soon.
• Case study of a country looking to the future.

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Another Alternative Energy for Transportation-Electric

• There are many electric car companies out there, not just Tesla. Many of the traditional car companies are also making an electric line of vehicles, including American car companies.
• Many are now producing multiple types of vehicles, including all wheel SUVs.
• The source of electricity must come from wind or solar for carbon free emissions.

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Class Activity

Groups of 2-4. Please create a Google Doc and put everyone’s name on it.

• Which alternative energy source for coal will most impact our future? Why do you believe this?

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• Which alternative energy source for petroleum will most impact our future? Why do you believe this?

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• Which alternative energy resource for coal will least impact our future? Why do you believe this?

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• Which alternative energy resource for petroleum will least impact our future? Why do you believe this?

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The Case for Switching from Fossil Fuels to Alternative Energy

1. Fossil Fuels are limited in supply. They will run out and we will need alternatives. The quicker we make the transition, the longer our supply of fossil fuels will last.
2. Pollution in the form of CO2 and other harmful gasses. Causes climate change and acid rain, among other environmental concerns.
3. Take money, power, and influence away from volatile middle east countries.
4. Limit the use of soldiers (U.S. military fatalities) to secure foreign oil.
5. Create jobs in the United States.

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How Are Humans Responding to Environmental Change?

• Environmental problems not confined to United States, it is a Global concern.
• Corporations spend millions to fight environmental restrictions-less costly than the restrictions.
• Often times things are not done because democracies are slow to act due to elections and political turn-over.
• Politicians fighting over the need for regulations, some bought by lobbyists.
• Change means altering the current standard of living, spending money, and making sacrifices. People not willing to sacrifice.

Global Climate Change Policies

• First convention in 1990. 137 countries agreed that the rate of global warming is a concern for all mankind.
• 1997-Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change:
• Goal was to be practical based on the country.
• Cutting CO2 emissions by up to 20%.
• Cutting Greenhouse gasses by up to 8%.
• No regulations set for less developed countries. Voluntary adherence would be funded by richer nations.
• Bill Clinton agreed to the Kyoto Protocol.
• 2001-George W. Bush refused to continue following Kyoto Protocol
• In 2004-24% of all CO2 emissions comes from US.
• China also refused Kyoto-second largest CO2 emitter at the time, now #1 as of 2008.

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Global Climate Change Policies

• 2009-Copenhagen-new agreement on CO2 emissions.
• Not legally binding. Signed by 138 countries.
• Very much focused on coal and gas
• Obama administration agreed to new regulations.
• Set new regulations on the transportation and electricity sectors.
• Initially, US and China were still working to prevent legislation from being passed, as was leaked as part of the WikiLeaks scandal late 2010.
• 2015-Paris Climate Accords:
• US joined the Paris Climate Accords under the Obama Admin in 2015.
• Obama reversed course from 2009 and passed a lot of environmental protection policies as our economy improved.
• The Trump admin then pulled out of the agreement in 2017. Didn’t go into effect until December 2020. All but 3 countries agreed to PCA.
• President Biden opted back into the PCA in January of 2021.
• Inconsistency in the White House has created chaos for our government’s Climate Change policies.

Recent Developments (aka Current Events) in Climate Change

• 2023 broke the record for the hottest year on record, that was set in 2022.
• The UK is phasing out coal plants by 2035. The US has said they have to capture and clean their carbon emissions or shut down by 2039.
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Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Country

Carbon Dioxide Changes