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CH 13
THE ENVIRONMENT:
OUR CHALLENGES
& RESPONSIBILITIES
Alberta Tar Sands
Soils
POPULATION GROWTH:
SUSTAINABILITY
Urbanization / ALR
FEEDING PEOPLE
70% of water = agriculture
1500 liters = 1 kg of wheat
1000 liters = 1 l of milk
16000liters = 1 kg of beef
Co2 = Oxygen
Soil
Fish
Moisture
EXPERTS = 2-50 BILLION??
PLUS – Deforestation
- transportation
- overgrazing / dust bowl
- urbanization
- Acid Rain
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
FARMING
Offshore Farming / Factory Farms
- Genetically Altered Seeds
- Needed for growing populations
Herbicides & Pesticides
- Ground Water
INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
Earth Summit - 1992
- Birth Defects / Cancer????
- Reduce resource consumption
Organic Farming
- Agenda 21 – Protect & Sustainable
- 90% of Canadian organics = Imported
- No Lead Gasoline
- Regulations – What is organic?
- No Radioactive Waste
100 Mile Challenges
- Replace Fossil Fuels
- Water
- local food reduces CO2 Emissions
Was it successful????
“Locavores”
THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY
• B.C. agriculture.
– Grain, cattle, dairy, fruit,
ginseng, wineries, tomatoes,
cucumbers, & organics.
• Agricultural Land Reserves.
• Fraser Valley.
• Okanagan.
• Multinational Corporations
• B.C. Salmon
FISHERIES
– 60% of total fish on west coast.
– Sockeye, pink, coho, chum, & spring.
• Dwindling stocks.
– Overfishing, spawning, habitat,
pollution.
– Quotas cut / 2010 record Runs??
• Sustainability Issues.
– First Nations.
– USA – Alaska.
– Fish Farming
- ATLANTIC COD
– - 1992 Moratorium
FORESTRY
• Sustained Yield Mgt.
A
– Allowable annual cut
B
C
• Clear-cut vs. Selective
Logging.
• Replanting/silviculture.
• Environmental
– Ecosystems
Clear-cut logging
vs.
Selective Logging
• Fish & wildlife.
• Watersheds.
• Ecotourism.
• Biodiversity / Co2 Production
(See animation)
Replanting &
Silviculture
PROTECTING B.C. FORESTS
• Biodiversity
• Co2 Removal
• Protected Areas Strategy (PAS)
– 12% of Prov. Lands
• Watersheds
• Great Bear Rainforest (Spirit Bear)
WATER FACTS
•
•
•
•
•
2.5% of world’s water is fresh
70% = Ice Caps / Glaciers
25% = Groundwater
0.3% = Lakes & Rivers
Surface & Ground water use has
trippled over last 50 years.
THREATS TO OUR WATER
-Ice caps melting.
-Increasing Population
-Increasing SOL
-Pollution – wastewater / sewage
-Over use of Aquifers
WATER
Canada uses 343 litres per day per
person. China uses 86 litres.
Uses include:
- human consumption.
- irrigation.
- transportation.
Canada has already established
- recreation.
hydroelectric deals with the USA.
-hydroelectricity.
- waste dumps.
The USA tried to sue Canada when we refused to sell water to them.
They felt it went against NAFTA. (Are we losing control??)
Should Canada sell water like other resources???
US water shortage ideas => reroute the Columbia River, icebergs Vegas
from the north, desalination. Decided on CONSERVATION. Grey Water
THE OZONE LAYER
MONTREAL PROTOCOL
-No CFCs by 2000 – By 2010 97% gone.
-CFCs replaced by HCFC – Phase out by 2030.
- - If done 100 years to rebuild ozone.
GREENHOUSE GASES
-CO2, Methane, etc. trap heat in atmosphere.
-Linked to Global Warming
-Canada = 7th in world for carbon emissions.
- Alberta Tar Sands – 5% of Can. Total (rising)
GLOBAL WARMING
-
CO2 in atmosphere up 30% since Ind. Rev.
Temperature up .74* C in 100 yrs.
Up .2* C every 10 yrs.
Are present regulations cutting it!!!???
TROPOSPHERE
Gases that regulate temperature &
Block UV rays (Skin Cancer).
CFCs are
destroying
this layer
WHY CARE?
“Serious and irreversible changes
due to human activity” Mountain Pine Beetle
Arctic Ice Melt
Sea Levels Rising
Ocean Currents
Changing Weather
Kelowna - 2009
Drought / Fires / Humans
Floods & Monsoons
POPULATION & ENVIRONMENT
B.C.’s population has shifted from interior to lower
mainland.
ISSUES:
- Loss of jobs in interior.
- urban sprawl.
- pollution.
- lack of water.
- sewage.
- loss of habitat.
- cost of living.
- decaying ‘inner core’.
- crime rates.
The Georgia Basin makes up 2.7% of B.C.’s
total area but accounts for 50% of its population.
TAKING ACTION
1992 EARTH SUMMIT – BRAZIL
Leaders could not agree on solutions to
GHG concentrations.
Led to Kyoto.
KYOTO 1997
Set average GHG emission targets of 5%
of 1990 levels by 2012 (Canada = 6%)
USA did not sign.
Canada has not met these goals.
- Provinces not on board
- Harper set his own goals but
continues to have worst
record of G8 Nations.
FAILURE??????
BALI ROAD MAP 2007
New timeline & goals set out.
Each country to take “Nationally
Appropriate Steps.”
STRONG ENOUGH?????
COPENHAGEN 2009
Again tried to finalize an agreement.
Developing Nations (China / India)
felt Developed nations shouldn’t
prevent their progress!!!
India trying to increase SOL
Obama offered $30 Billion to
developing nations to lower emissions
Other nations felt unfair & did not pass
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOURCES
WIND
PROS / CONS
TIDAL
RUN OF RIVER
SOLAR
GEOTHERMAL
HYDRO DAMS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE