Human Impacts on the ENV: Human Impacts on the ENV: Global Warming, Ozone Depletion, & Acid Rain

A. “First World” Pollution 1.people have always transformed the Earth’s land, water, & air 2.Human industrial actions the past 250 years, though, have accelerated the process 3.U.S. disproportionately consumes 1/4 th of world’s energy & generates 1/4 th of the pollutants

Industry creates a landscape, not for beauty, but for profit and utility

B. “Third World” Issues 1.In the periphery, over 2 billion people live without clean water or sewers 2.1 billion live in cities with unsafe sulfur dioxide levels 3.What about the growing economies of the “BRIC” countries (Brazil, Russia, India & China)?

Industrial Landscape, Lanzhou, China onpost.com/2014/0 1/16/beijing-air- pollution_n_ html onpost.com/2014/0 1/16/beijing-air- pollution_n_ html

“Asian Brown Haze” Over Northern India

C. Resource Depletion 1.Energy resources –Nonrenewable fossil fuels: petroleum, natural gas, coal 2.Mineral & metal resources –gemstones, copper, iron, bauxite, diamonds, gold –“3 T’s”: tin, tantalum, tungsten

D. Energy Resources ’s: coal supplanted wood as leading energy source –U.S.: main energy resource is coal- burning power plants 2.Petroleum became important with diffusion of automobiles –almost all transportation systems operate on petroleum products 3.Natural gas heats millions of homes today

Coal Reserves The U.S., Russia, China, & India have the largest reserves of coal

Petroleum Reserves 2/3 of the world’s known petroleum reserves are in the Middle East… Saudi Arabia has over 1/4 th of world reserves

Natural Gas Reserves Russia has the world’s largest natural gas reserves. Iran & other Mid-Eastern countries have large reserves, but the U.S. has relatively little.

E. Uneven Distribution of Fossil Fuels 1.The global distribution of fossil fuels: –some regions have abundant reserves –Core countries consumption majority of fossil fuels –major cause of global instability in the world

The U.S., with about 5% of world population, consumes about 25% of world energy.

F. Pollution 1.Air pollution –global, regional, & local 2. Water pollution –sources –wastewater 3. Land pollution –solid waste –toxic pollutants

G. Air Pollution 1.concentration of particulate matter in the air: human or natural events 2.most common air pollutants: burning of fossil fuels like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons 3.3 human activities generate most air pollution: motor vehicles, industry, & power plants

4. The “Greenhouse Effect” –caused by burning of fossil fuels –chemical composition of the air is being altered –leads to Global Warming

A vast blanket of pollution being called the "Asian Brown Haze"

S.E. Asia (left) E. Russia (right)

Global Temperatures, 1880–2000 Annual mean temperatures have increased more than 0.5 C since 1880

5. Ozone Depletion –The stratosphere contains a concentration of ozone gas –absorbs UV rays from the Sun… –chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) destroy ozone layer

6. Effects of Acid Rain –Industrialized, densely populated regions in Europe & eastern U.S. are especially affected by acid rain –caused by burning fossil fuels mixing w/ oxygen & rain –Acid precipitation damages lakes: killing fish & plants (Over 90 lakes in Adirondack Mts. of New York devoid of fish life by In E. Canada, 50,000 lakes impacted…)

Effects of Acid Rain

Acid Deposition Due to prevailing winds, the highest sulfate deposit levels in North America lie east of the emission sources. Deposit levels in Germany are higher than in the U.S.