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Transcript
Environmental Challenges 1.4 Environmental Challenges Many early humans believed the earth had unlimited natural resources Huge forests and oceans, fertile soil for crops to grow, diversity of wildlife Today, people are using resources faster than they can be replenished Pollution and overuse are harming many of the world’s ecosystems Ecosystems An ecosystem is all the living and nonliving things found in an area When part of an ecosystem is harmed, the entire system is affected Protecting ecosystems and creating sustainable societies are the goals of environmental sciences Sustainable Society A society is a group of people who share a common culture A sustainable society is a society where current needs are met while preserving natural resources and systems for future generations Major Environmental Challenges Global affects the whole world; such as rising temperatures Regional affects several places in a certain area; such as an oil spill near a coast Local affects specific areas; such as polluting a local lake or trash littering in a nearby park Categories of Environmental Challenges Population Issues Resource Use Pollution and Climate Change Biodiversity Unequal Division of Resources Population Issues In 2007, more than 6.4 billion people lived on the earth Each year, that population increases by 85 million people By 2050, the population will exceed 9 billion (China and India exceed 1 billion each) Increase in population puts pressure on the environment Resource Use Population growth is directly connected to overconsumption Overconsumption is using more resources than can be replaced When people use natural resources, they consume them Water, air, wood, food, coal, oil, gas, minerals, and metals Pollution and Climate Change The use of resources produces waste Burning trash, chemical spills, overflowing dumps, etc. Cannot always see waste, but may see the harmful effects that it causes (health problems for humans and animals) Amount of pollution has increased with human population (Industrial Revolution) Pollution and Climate Change Global temperatures are rising Global Warming is an increase in Earth’s average surface temperature Partly caused by increased amounts of carbon dioxide escaping into the air Biodiversity Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth It includes all living things on the planet Many species have already become extinct Today, many more species and ecosystems are in danger Unequal Division of Resources Earth’s natural resources are not spread out evenly Some countries have many, while others have few Some countries have larger populations than others This leads to some countries having more wealth per person than others Values Scientists do not tell people what to do Decisions about environment often involve values A value is what is important to a person Values are shaped by people’s view Values play an important role in creating a sustainable global society They help people decide what to do Vocabulary Diversity Ecosystem Sustainable Society Overconsumption Global Warming Biodiversity