Download Human Impact on the Environment

Human Impact on the Environment
Mr. Broughman
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Main Idea
• Humans impact the environment and the
environment impacts humans.
• How do ecological processes differ from
weather phenomena?
– Ecology deals with the earth’s surface, while
weather deals with the atmosphere
Physical and Ecological Processes
• These physical processes have an impact on humans’ lives
and on the environment around us:
– A. Earthquakes  Shifting of tectonic plates below the
earth’s surface; common along Pacific Ring of Fire
– B. Floods  Massive rainfall over a short period of time
– C. Volcanoes  Openings in the earth’s crust in which
pressure builds up, releasing ash, toxic gases, and lava
– D. Erosion  Washing away of soil, especially top
layers of soil
– E. Deposition  Adding layers of sediment to an area
(the opposite of erosion)
– F. Tsunami  Tidal wave typically caused by an
earthquake
Human Impact on the Environment
• A. Water Diversion/Management  Re-routing water to
provide for human needs
– 1. Aral Sea in Asia:
• Sea that has almost dried up due to overuse by
humans
– 2. Colorado River in the American Southwest
• River that has been dammed to create the Hoover
Dam
– 3. Aswan High Dam in Egypt
• Damming of the Nile River to create Lake Nasser for
electricity and to stop flooding
– 4. Canals (man-made rivers), reservoirs (storing water for
later use), irrigation (moving water, usually for agriculture)
Panama Canal Time Lapse
Human Impact on the Environment
• B. Landscape Changes  Changing the
physical features of an area
– 1. Terrace Farming in China and Southeast Asia
– 2. Polders in the Netherlands
– 3. Deforestation in Brazil, Africa, Asia
– 4. Desertification in Africa and Asia
– 5. Mountain-Top Removal in West Virginia
Planet in Peril - Brazilian Rainforest
Human Impact on the Environment
• Environmental Changes  Humans have the ability
to alter entire ecosystems
– A. Acid Rain  in Germany, Scandinavia, the U.S.
in which the pH of the water is changed due to
pollution
– B. Pollution
• Smog in Mexico City
• Nuclear Radiation at Chernobyl, Ukraine
• Oil Spills like the BP oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico
Chernobyl Nuclear Plant
Technology in the Environment
• How has technology influenced man’s ability
to interact with the environment?
– 1. Agriculture
– 2. Energy Use
– 3. Transportation
– 4. Automobiles
– 5. Airplanes
Agriculture
Energy Usage
Transportation
Automobiles
Airplanes