1. Th. Nov. 11 Two possible extra credit events (probably the last):
NH Astronomical Society: Objects in the Night Sky. Tues. Nov. 16, 6:30-8 pm, MH102
River of Words Opening: Thursday, November 18, at 6:30 pm in Pierce Hall
Other due dates:
Final projects – Paper is due Dec. 1 or 3
Presentation last week of lab Dec. 8 or 10
Exam 3 is during finals week –
12:15 Lecture: Sun. Dec. 12, 3:15 pm
1:40 Lecture: Mon. Dec. 13, 1 pm

2. Time to choose classes! ES102 – Same lecture times; Labs:
ES Wed :50 Koning
ES Wed. 2-3:50 Singleton
ES Wed. 4-5:50 Singleton
ES Fri :50 Koning
ES Fri. 12-1:50 Rolke

3. Environmental classes for Freshmen
ES/BI214 Coastal Ecology – 3 credits, meets 6 times during the semester, goes to Cape Cod May $800 course fee!
ES210 Evolution of Env. Thought – Harris – Tu, Th 10:50-12:05
ES240 Creating Sustainable Communities – Koning – Tu, Th 9:25-10:40
Other options for upperclass students – Wildlife Conservation, Evol. Biol.

4. “Environmental Estrogens”
=Endocrine disruptors
Male fish producing eggs…
Mutant frogs…
Declining sperm counts…
What is causing it?
Question for Environmental Health and Toxicology specialists
Connects to many environmental problems

5. Agriculture Global food supply and demand Soils Impacts of agriculture
Sustainable agriculture

6. How do environmental estrogens relate to the topic of agriculture?
Some pesticides act like hormones
Fertilizers can combine with soil to create estrogen-like chemicals
People who are undernourished are more susceptible to the diseases caused by env. estrogens

7. What are the problems with global, industrial agriculture?
Conversion of habitat to farms
Pesticide and fertilizer pollution
Farms produce greenhouse gases
Loss of soil fertility
All of the above

8. A. Global food supply & demand
15% of people in the world are chronically undernourished (<2200 cal/day); Down from 60% in 1960!
Pop. Has increased by 1.7% per yr, food prodn has increased by 2.2% per yr (last 45 yrs.)

10. Why did food production increase?
“Green Revolution” – 1950’s – post WWII
Industrial agriculture:
Machinery to plant, cultivate, harvest
Chemical fertilizers
Chemical pesticides – kill weeds, insects

11. How does pop. Growth in China encourage habitat destruction in Brazil?
Many Chinese are migrating to Brazil and building homes
China imports a lot of Brazilian wood
China imports a lot of Brazilian soybeans
China imports a lot of Brazilian beef

12. Most of world food calories (>60%) come from wheat, rice and corn
Malnutrition = not the right mix of foods – still a problem ; kills 10 million children per yr 1
Most of world food calories (>60%) come from wheat, rice and corn
Food security=having access to the right mix of foods 1

13. Thursday Nov. 23
Paper for Final project due the week after break!

14. How can we make agriculture more SUSTAINABLE?
Sustainable agriculture=
maintains soil, keeps water clean, protects habitat, produces healthy food, allows farmers to make a living?

15. D. Solutions from sustainable agriculture
To control erosion:
Minimize cultivation/tilling
Plow with the contours – reduce water runoff
Strip-farming – plants strips of soil-holding crops
Low-till farming – leave the corn stalks, plant new crop

16. D. Solutions from sustainable agriculture
To control erosion: Protect soil with:
Cover crops=plants that cover more of soil
Mulch=dead stuff (leaves, corn stalks, etc.)

17. “No-till agriculture” means
Not plowing the land to remove the weeds or old crops
Not leaving any weeds in the field
Not planting crops on glacial till soils
Cultivating the soil as much as possible

18. How does a cover crop prevent erosion?
It protects the soil from the energy of the rain/wind
It shades the soil from the sun
It has roots that hold soil together
All of the above
Only 1 and 2
Only 1 and 3

19. D. Solutions from sustainable agriculture
2. Fertilizers:
Use organic fertilizers, manure – less likely to dissolve in water
Let fields “rest” – build soil
Plant nitrogen fixing crops
Only about 5% of farms in US use manure for fertilizer

20. D. Solutions from sustainable agriculture
2. Fertilizers
Plant several crops, not monoculture
Only fertilize at right time
Protect waterways with vegetated filter strips

21. How does a vegetated filter strip prevent water pollution?
Plant absorb the pollution thru roots
Plants prevent water from getting into the stream
Plants slow down the water, soil drops out
All of the above

22. Planting a variety of crops keeps soil more fertile because…
Different crop plants use different kinds of nutrients
Different crop plants attract different insects
Different crop plants can become fertilizer resistant
All of the above

23. D. Solutions from sustainable agriculture
3. Pests: Integrated pest management
Rotate crops – don’t plant same crop in same place – insects build up if you do
Plant mix of crops – attract beneficial insects
Check often for pests, quickly use organic/low impact pesticides before pest population explodes
Weeds – remove mechanically, use mulch
Organic – no artificial chemicals used, no GMOs
Parisitoid wasp eggs on Tomato hornworm

24. How do beneficial insects reduce water pollution?
Add nutrients to the soil, reduce the need for fertilizers
Help soil resist erosion
Kill insects that eat crops, so need less pesticides
All of the above

25. Can organic farming feed the world?
Yes!

26. D. Solutions from sustainable agriculture
4. Low-input, sustainable agriculture = farmer spends less on pesticides and fertilizers
Smaller scale, higher yields most of the time
More profit to farmer
But organic food
can be more expensive

27. D. Solutions from sustainable agriculture
5. Local farming
Our food comes from an average of 1500 miles away – problems with this?
Use of fossil fuels to transport it! Causes climate change, pollution, other problems
Reduce ecological footprint of food - Buy local!
Farmer’s markets
Community-supported agriculture
Support family farms – people more likely to care about the land
Why is ORGANIC not necessarily SUSTAINABLE?
If the organic food is from far away!

28. D. Solutions from sustainable agriculture
6. Eat lower on the food chain
Takes less energy, land to grow veggies, fruit, than animal products (lower ecological footprint)
7. Eliminate CAFOs
Grass-fed beef, free-range chickens: Less cruel, healthier for us and them
Only buy hormone-free, antibiotic-free meats

29. Which food choice is likely to have the LEAST negative impact on the environment?
Organic, local beef
Organic, local vegetables
Organic fruit grown in New Zealand
Beef from a CAFO
Grass-fed, organic beef from Russia

30. For further reading:
The Omnivore’s Dilemma By Michael Pollan

31. Disadvantages:
Soil erosion
Fertilizer, pesticide pollution
Overuse of water
Loss of small family farms
Dependence on fossil fuels
Destruction of ecosystems
Loss of wildlife
Transportation impacts – global climate change!
Taste, health
Inhumane treatment of animals?
MODERN AGRICULTURE
Advantages:
High yield
Large profits
Larger scale of operations/agribusiness corporations
Research and innovations – new crop varieties, methods
Reliable food supply
Variety of food choices
Cheaper food!