Download Environmental_Issues_edited

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80 million babies born every year
– Mostly in developing world, so less impact
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20% of population consume 85% world’s resources
– 20% is in Industrialized western countries
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If small fraction of developing world lived like developed world, Earth would quickly be
overwhelmed with pollution and waste
http://www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/gallery/life_sciences/footprint_mx_2005.swf
Your footprint!
http://www-popexpo.ined.fr/eMain.html
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Maintaining economic growth
without compromising the
environment.
Focus of the 1987 Bruntland
Commission (aka: UN
Commission on the State of
the Environment).
– Called on developed world
to reduce consumption &
practise sustainability
– Called on developing
world to reduce population
growth
Canadians look to gov’t to
take action, but gov’t and
international actions have not
been as successful as hoped
1992 Earth Summit in Rio De
Janeiro, Brazil produced
statement of action called
Agenda 21
– Intended to encourage
development of
sustainable world
economy
– Over 10 years later, little
progress has been made
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Value of fresh water underrated
– 3% of world’s water is fresh water
– Is enough to supply the world, but distribution is unequal.
• 78% of that locked in ice caps and glaciers
• Remainder is underground (ground water)
• Great Lakes = 18% world’s surface fresh water
Developed nations known for water waste and pollution
• Groundwater supply threatened by:
– Increasing population
– Diversions of surface supply
(agriculture)
• 40% world’s harvests come from irrigation
• USA, China & India facing reduced g.w.
supplies
– These three nations produce ½ the world’s food
• Last ½ 20th C, amount of irrigated land more
than doubled (over 250 million hectares)
– Farmers had better technologies to access
groundwater
» Access water in “Aquifers”
Threats to Water Quality and
Supply
• Groundwater
Depletion
– Over pumping of
aquifers
(underground
layer of waterpermeable rock)
which replenish
slowly reduces
the water table
(top of saturated
layer of porous
rock – ground
water)
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Water supply is cheap and reliable
Once depleted, takes long time to recharge
– North China Plain where most China’s food produced, water table
falling 1.5 m per year
– India’s water tables falling 1-3 m per year and could reduce India’s
harvest by 25%, making India more dependent on imported grain
– USA’s Ogallala Aquifer = world’s largest, supplies 1/5 USA’s
irrigated land. Filled over thousands of years by runoff from Rockies.
• In 50 years, reduced by 50%
• US gov’t allows “groundwater depletion” as tax write off for
farmers…so much for conservation!
• Lakes, Rivers & Coastal Waters
– Disposal for sewage & agricultural + industrial
waste
– Tanker accidents
– Municipal waste water=human waste,
detergents & solvents
– Farmers = herbicides & pesticides
– Industry=oil refinery, pulp mill & chemical
factory waste
Threats to Water Quality and
Supply in Canada
• Misuse
– 19% fresh water used for industry
– 9% for municipal / residential services
Threats to Water Quality and
Supply in Canada
• Contamination
– Oil tanker accidents
– Natural causes
– Dumping of waste
Threats to Water Quality and
Supply in Canada
• Contamination
– Industrial
• By-products of production in oil refineries, pulp
mills, nuclear reactors, and chemical factories
Threats to Water Quality and
Supply in Canada
• Contaminaton
– Municipal
Raw sewage,
detergents, and
solvents
Threats to Water Quality and
Supply in Canada
• Misuse
– 67% of accessible
surface water is
used by agriculture
– When farmers till
land, it loses
moisture – so land
is irrigated –
watered by artificial
means
• Current technology can =
sustainable water management
– Micro-dams
– More efficient rainwater
harvesting
– Reclaimed/recycled water
– De-salinated seawater
– Low energy sprinkler
systems
– Drip irrigation directing
water to roots
– High efficiency/low flow
toilets
– Taxes or user rates to
encourage water
conservation
Issue: Ozone Layer
• In the last 30 years, the Ozone Layer has
been getting thinner over the poles.
• The hole in the ozone layer is caused by too
many CFC’s – chlorofluorocarbons – in the
atmosphere.
2010
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Ozone layer =thin layer 1550 Km above surface of
Earth
– O3=only gas that can
block UV rays from sun
• UV rays can cause
skin cancer
– Damages
plant and
animal
species
(plankton)
– Penetrates up
to 20 m into
ocean
– Depletion most evident
at N & S Poles, esp in
Spring
• 60% depleted
above Antarctica
• Why there?
Higher levels of
chlorine found
there will react to
destroy the Ozone!
• Chemicals, esp. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
cause 80% of damage
– Widely used since 1930s
• Coolants for fridges & air conditioners
• In foams, solvents & aerosol spray cans
• UN Environmental Program (UNEP) working to
phase out use of ozone depleting chemicals
– Montreal Protocol (1987): all industrial nations
agree to cut use of CFCs by 2000
• Amount of chemicals released increasing
• Only complete elimination of CFCs & recapture of
those in the atmosphere will halt damage to the
Ozone Layer
• Simple phasing out of CFCs = 100 yrs to reach
1980’s atmospheric condition
http://www.unep.fr/ozonaction/information/vi
deo/ozzy.htm#english
• Gases trap heat energy from sun
similar to a greenhouse
– Natural factors (volcanoes, meteor
impacts) have caused climate
change in past
• Since industrial Rev. burning
fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) =
more CO2 in atmosphere
• Causes rise in temperature 1-3
degrees by 2050 (slight
changes=profound impact)
The Greenhouse
Gas Effect
• The greenhouse effect is a natural process
by which some of the radiant heat from the
Sun is captured in the lower atmosphere of
the Earth, thus maintaining the temperature
of the Earth's surface.
The Greenhouse
Gas Effect
• The gases that help capture the heat, called
“greenhouse gases,” include water vapor,
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and
a variety of manufactured chemicals.
It starts with the Greenhouse effect
Human Causes
• KEY ACTIONS:
– Cars (burning gas/oil)
– Factory Emissions - this is a big one
– Deforestation of “the lungs of the earth”
The burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and
oil and clearing forests we have dramatically
increased the amount of carbon dioxide in
the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures
are rising.
Physical Effects of
Warming
• Melting ice caps – which adds freshwater to
ocean decreasing its salinity – affects ocean
currents.
• Melting permafrost – storage basin for
massive amounts of CO2 – tipping point.
Physical Effects of
Warming
• “Weird Weather” – increasing numbers of
storms, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes.
• Shifts in Climate Zones and Vegetation
Patterns.
Seeing the Changes
• The number of Category 4 and 5
hurricanes has almost doubled in the
last 30 years.
• Malaria has spread to higher altitudes
in places like the Colombian Andes,
7,000 feet above sea level.
Seeing the Changes
• The flow of ice from glaciers in
Greenland has more than doubled over
the past decade.
• At least 279 species of plants and
animals are already responding to
global warming, moving closer to the
poles.
Catastrophic Consequences
• Deaths from global warming will double in
just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.
• Global sea levels could rise by more than
20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in
Greenland and Antarctica, devastating
coastal areas worldwide.
Catastrophic Consequences
• Heat waves will be more frequent and more
intense.
• Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
• The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in
summer by 2050.
• More than a million species worldwide could
be driven to extinction by 2050.
• Displaced peoples – currently 25 million
environmental refugees.
• Destruction of property + infrastructure.
Problems
• Arctic sea ice shrinking & seasonal melt = weeks earlier
than in past
• Polar bears starving, need ice to hunt seals
– Bears’ birth rate & av. Weight has fallen
• Arctic communities face sinking shorelines as permafrost
melts
• Survival rate of BC’s spawning salmon 1/3rd what it was in
1990
– Warmer water temps deplete phytoplankton salmon eat, less
growth, smaller fish can’t survive swim upstream
– Ripple effect in ocean food chain if salmon stocks reduced
• Winter recreation areas economically impacted by warmer
winters
• Freak weather systems & devastating storms more likely
• More droughts and forest fires
Benefits
• Tree line could be extended further north and higher up
mountains
• Shorter growing seasons could benefit farmers
– Possibly offset by droughts
Climate Change
Agreements
• The Kyoto Protocol is an international
agreement under the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change
to cut greenhouse gas emissions that
cause climate change.
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Kyoto Protocol
– Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6% of our 1990 levels
by 2012
- Solutions include phasing out coal plants, expanding renewable energy
sources and public
transit, and creating new efficiency standards for vehicles and buildings.
– Canada among top emitters of greenhouse gases, and despite
Kyoto our levels are increasing
USA withdrew from Kyoto in 2001
Kyoto Targets
• Canada initially signed on, but the US
refused to a long-term commitment.
• Canada recently pulled out of Kyoto (Dec.
2011) and now does not have a pollution
reduction plan.
Arguments against Kyoto
• Concerned that meeting
goals will involve high
costs to businesses and
government and possible
loss of jobs
• Provincial governments
must regulate polluting
industries despite the fact
that the federal
government signed the
agreement without
consulting the provinces
• Some argue not enough
evidence that global
warming to blame for
climate change
Kyoto & Canada
• 2006 - Canada's
greenhouse gas
emissions were up
by 24%
• far from the
government's
commitment to meet
a target 6% below
the 1990 levels
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Many sustainable sources of energy
– Wind turbines, solar power, tidal power, ground source energy, geothermal power
Greenpeace believes wind power could provide 10% world’s electricity needs in next 20
years
New hydrogen or methanol fuel cells could be adapted for cars, buses, homes and
industries
Cause: Fossil fuel burning in addition to smelting of various ores
releases sulphur dioxides, nitric oxides, nitrogen dioxides. Mostly
industrial in origin.
Effects: Global hydrological cycle becomes acidic. Plant and animals
are stunted, killed, or deformed.
Crops can fail, and the global amount of fresh water is diminished due to
acidification.
Human Health Effects: From increase in colds, flues, and respiratory
infection, to increases in breast and colon cancer. Also, problems
associated with loss of fresh water supply. Acid and toxins enter the
human system through any food or drink related to water.
Areas of Focus: While primarily focused on industrial areas, some areas
have been ravaged by acid rain. The Great Lakes have lost much of
their original life due to acid rain. The Eastern Seaboard of the
United States, and many parts of Europe rate high.
Animation:
http://www.emu.dk/gsk/fag/fys/ckf/fase1/1fokv/syrer_og_baser/syrere
gn_animation.swf
Which areas are affected by Acid Rain?
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Only 11% of land area on Earth can be used to grow crops
Desertification: land turning to desert
- Overgrazing of cattle & livestock
- Removal of trees for firewood
- Years of drought (i.e. Sahara Desert – Sahel area, Africa since 1970s).
- Poor farming techniques = irrigation has made soils too salty to grow crops.
- Removal of native vegetation so nutrients/soils are washed away = erosion.
- Agricultural chemical / pesticide dependence = seep in groundwater, contaminate crops, kill
insects, harm workers.
http://www.unep.org/wed/2006/english/Information_Material/WED2006_animation.swf
Lake Chad,
Chad, Africa
Lake Chad in
a 2001
satellite
image, with
the actual
lake in blue.
The lake has
shrunk by
95% since the
1960s.
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Increasing use of pesticides & herbicides
– Controls incects & kills weeds
– Leads to toxic soils & residues in foods
Agri Chemicals can seep into groundwater and streams
– Harmful to farm workers (less protection for
workers in developing nations)
Insects needed in agriculture killed by pesticides too
(ladybugs, honeybees)
Increased interest in organically grown foods, people
willing to pay higher $$
Issue: GMOs
• Genetically Modified (GM) Foods are foods
produced from Genetically Modified
Organisms (GMO) that have had their DNA
altered through genetic engineering.
Genetically Modified Foods
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Altered by splicing in another organism’s gene
(+)Some more resistant to disease or pests
(+)Require fewer pesticides
(+)Promises to increase yields
(-)Controversial, consumers resistant
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CDN gov’t approved 50 GM foods since 1994, including corn, canola, soybeans, squash,
potatoes and cotton
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75% of all processed foods made with corn, soy or canola products
• Not required to label GM foods
http://www.krafty.org/flash/
Issue: Deforestation
• To “deforest” means to cut down trees –
“reforestation” is the act of planting trees to
replace the ones cut down.
• Tropical forests are being cleared around the
world to make room for farming, mineral
deposits and logging practices.
Deforestation
• The permanent loss of old growth
forests
• Has a drastic effect on the world:
Forests are important to the recycling
of carbon dioxide, and the release of
oxygen into the atmosphere
Sadly all of the world’s forests are under attack…
Deforestation Effects
• Nearby bodies of water
because soil no longer
covered by forest - it becomes
stripped away by rain or snow
• after a tropical rainforest is
cleared, the nutrients in the
soil are exhausted; soil itself
is eroded
• Washed-out soil raises
riverbeds, which leads to
flooding, clogs reservoirs, and
shortens life of dams
• Also contributes to formation
of new islands, which
depletes coastal fisheries
• Many insect, animal, and
plant species have become
extinct or endangered due to
deforestation
• 20% Earth’s land cover = temperate &
northern forests
• Canada has ¼ of world’s temperate & boreal
(northern) coniferous forests and virtually all
the world’s old growth red and white pine
– These forests used primarily for logging and
recreation
– Que & ON: nearly 1/5 of the forests damaged by
dams, diversions & industrial development
• Along with acid rain and climate change, boreal forest
may not last another 50 years (Global warming a huge
threat)
– In Northern Ontario, average temps up 1.5% in the 1990s.
Accelerated evaporation from forest by 50%. Massive fires
eliminated large portions of forest
» Key habitat for numerous species
• Western Mountain region: 14% of
Canada’s forested land, produces 40%
of its marketable timber
– Largest segment of BC’s economy
– Sustainability concerns:
• Old growth watersheds require careful
stewardship
• “Brazil of the North” according to
Greenpeace and Sierra Club
What are the environmental
effects of Mining?
Mining = The process or business of extracting ore or minerals
from the ground (i.e. gold, silver, copper, coal, diamonds, iron, asbestos).
Mining
• Environmental issues include erosion,
formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity,
and contamination of soil, groundwater and
surface water by chemicals from mining
processes.
Alberta Oil Sands
(aka Tar Sands)
• In just a few years, Alberta oil sands
development has made the province the
greatest economic power in Canada.
• As the price of oil has risen, activity in the
oil fields has also increased.
Alberta Oil Sands: Challenges
• With this growth have come new threats to
the environment and new challenges to
Canada in its attempt to rein in the emissions
that contribute to climate change.
• This resource extraction has turned Alberta’s
oil industry into Canada’s largest emitter of
greenhouse gases.
Alberta Oil Sands:
The Damage
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3,000 square kilometres of pristine boreal forest dug up and
destroyed, along with its wetlands and muskeg = habitat for
animals is lost and the animals are dying.
• The reduction in the flow of the Athabasca River by the
removal of over 300 cubic metres of water annually and the
consequent reduction in available water for other human
activities, such as agriculture and habitat for animals.
Possible Solutions
“GET R.E.A.L”
The following acronym can be used to organize information when answering
government exam questions that focus on solutions and or management
strategies to environmental problems.
R. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
E. Educate people about the dangers or consequences of the problems
A. Alternatives. Provide people with alternatives to help solve problems
L. Legislate laws to enforce rules that would help to solve the problem at
hand
EXAMPLE:
Using your understanding of geography solutions that would help slow down
global warming that is currently threading northern ecosystems.
R. Reduce the number of cars on the road. This would limit the amount
of CO2 in the atmosphere. Reuse and Recycle solid waste and other
garbage from private house holds and industries. This would also limit
the amount of greenhouse gases emitted.
E. Educate citizens about the dangers of global warming like increased
violent storms and rising sea levels that would impact their lives.
Having an understanding of the dangers of global warming might
change people’s behaviour to slow down this process.
A. Provide alternatives like public transportation for people to use to
limit the amount of cars on the road and the amount CO2 emitted.
Development of alternative energy sources like wind and solar power
would decrease CO2.
L. Legislate laws that require industries to find alternative energy
sources. Legislate and enforce laws to decrease the number of cars
on the road by providing tax incentives to people. (Carbon Tax)