Sustainability & Conservation Obj: Discuss the importance of sustainability and conservation in relation to humans.

Ray Farm

Sustainable Living  Sustaining Life: The process of meeting the needs of living things. Includes providing food, water and shelter. These are called sustenance.  Sustainable Resource Use: The use of resources so they last a long time.  Sustainable Development: The use of development practices that benefit people without damaging the environment.

Sustainable Living  Sustainable Agriculture: The use of agricultural practices that assure the future production of crops and livestock.  Conservation: The wise use of natural resources.  Quality of Life: The degree of satisfaction people derive from their environment.

Design for the Environment  “Dfe” is the concept of including environmental considerations in manufacturing and construction. Both design and redesign of products and systems are included.

Design for the Environment  Business leaders are encouraged to consider the environment when making decisions about:  Product design -possible environmental impact?  Materials - using environmentally friendly materials?  Purchases - buying materials either recycled or recyclable, and produced with minimum environmental impact?

Life Needs 1. Food 2. Water 3. Air 4. Space 5. Shelter & Protection

Life Needs: Food  Material consumed and needed to carry out life processes  Nutrient is a substance needed for an organism to live and grow  Ex) Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins

Life Needs: Water  Essential for all of life’s processes  Humans need about 2 quarts per day

Life Needs: Air  All living things need some part of air to survive  Animals need oxygen & plants need carbon dioxide  Respiration is the process an organism uses to provide its cell with oxygen so energy can be released from digested foods  Plants provide oxygen for animals, and animals provide carbon dioxide for plants, thus the relationship is interdependent.

Life Needs: Space  All living organisms need and occupy space  Space is the area around an organism that is used for living  Territory is the area an animal used and protects as its own

Life Needs: Shelter & Protection  Organisms need protection from certain elements in the environment that can injure or destroy them  Some animals adapt, some hibernate and some migrate  Plants generally only grow in an environment that is suited to them

Roles of Humans  Humans have three major roles in maintaining the quality of the environment… 1. Users - humans use the resource to support life functions 2. Decision makers - humans decide which resources are used, and how they are used 3. Conservationists - humans can prevent waste. Humans should not be an abuser of the environment.

EPA at RTP lding.org/site/ncg/publi c/show_project.cfm?pr oject_id=120 Visit this site to learn more about how the EPA is at work in conserving in the RTP!

What is our future like?

The Environment as Home  Every living organism requires an environment that sustains life  Ecosystem: a natural environment has many ecosystems, which are all components of a particular environment  Habitat: the physical area where a plant or animal lives under natural conditions  Proper arrangement of 4 essential elements: food, water, shelter, and space

Energy Transfer  Ecosystems need energy to exist  Energy is the ability to be active and do work  An ecosystem has a complex process for transferring energy that originates from the sun to organisms, specifically from one organism to another  Food Chain is the ranking of species into successive levels where each feeds on the one below  Food Web is all the interconnected food chains of an ecosystem

Conservation VS. Preservation  Conservation: Wise use of a natural resource  Prevent unnecessary damage/loss  Preservation: Nonuse of a natural resource

Human Effects on the Environment  Can have positive & negative effects on environment  Symbiotic relationship  Different species of organisms live together and benefit each other  Debated issue  One problem…humans give little thought to the resources they use each day, including where the resource came from, and where it ends up

Planning Ahead  Humans must plan to preserve and protect our resources 1. Human Impact 2. Chemicals are not always bad 3. Maintaining Habitats 4. Abuse of Resources 5. Conservation Measures

Human Impact  Humans affect all natural resources  Often, we only consider the aesthetic benefits  Plants not only have aesthetic value, but keep hot areas cooler and provide shelter from winds as well

Chemicals are not always bad…  For example, fertilizer  Provides nutrients for plant growth  Problems come from overuse or misuse  One chemical that caused environmental problems is the insecticide DDT. The major problem with it was that it did not break down and, therefore; it accumulated in the food chains

Maintaining Habitats  The major affect humans have had on the environment has been habitat destruction  Resource most effected=wildlife  Some species can adapt to changes in their habitat

Abuse of Resources  When resources are abused, they are depleted

Conservation Measures  Many conservation measures have be put in place  Measures must be proven not only for conservation of the resource, but for economic and productive purposes as well  Example) Flow restrictor on a showerhead…saves $$ and conserves water

Developing Personal Beliefs About the Environment  How one feels about the environment is influenced by:  Age  Gender  Culture  Education  Other factors  Become properly and thoroughly informed from various sources

Human Population Growth  World population is “exploding”  More people being born, living longer, wanting more things  Increase in demand for life’s necessities  Currently 6.2 billion people  US=284 million people  NC=8,050,000 (11 th in the nation)

How does human population growth effect ecological systems and society? Read this article on global changes to learn more about the impacts that population growth is having on our world today.

Welcome to CURRENT EVENTS WEEK! Explore human population growth and the demand it is having on the environment and natural resources.

Issues 1. Desertification 2. Deforestation 3. Endangerment 4. Malnourishment/Hunger 5. Waste disposal 6. Atmospheric damage 7. Soil degradation

Current Events Week  Gallery Walk Thursday, December 20 1 st block  Must include a visual For example: 3 fold board, Powerpoint presentation, model, etc.