1. Resources and Conservation

2. The Water Planet 71% of Earth is water Oceans:
Most saltwater
Oceans:
1. Help regulate and moderate Earth’s climate
2. Vital part of the water cycle
3. habitat

3. The Water Planet Freshwater = needed in order for humans to live
Less than 1% of water on Earth is useable fresh water
Drinking, cooking, bathing, growing food

4. Water Pollution Two types of water pollution sources 1. Point source
2. Nonpoint source

5. Point Source Pollution
Point source pollution = pollution that comes from a known and specific location
Factory pipes
Leaking landfill or storage tanks

6. Nonpoint source pollution
Nonpoint source pollution = pollution that does not have a specific point of origin
Runoff = water that flows over the land and does not seep into the ground
Can carry nonpoint source pollution (ex: oil from streets)
Pesticides from farms

7. What happens when water is polluted?
Damage body’s organs
Birth defects
Infectious diseases
Cancers
Kill organisms and ecosystems

8. The Atmosphere Nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, other gases
Maintains life on Earth
Oxygen essential for humans/animals
Part of oxygen/carbon cycles
During photosynthesis plants take in carbon dioxide from atmosphere and use it to make sugar
During respiration, organisms return carbon dioxide to atmosphere

9. The Atmosphere Protects Earth from damaging solar radiation
Ozone = protects Earth from 95% of UV radiation
Some greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor) help keep Earth warm

10. Air Pollution Burning of fossil fuels = major source of air pollution
Vehicles, coal and oil-burning power plants
Pollutants combine with water = acid precipitation

11. Air Pollution Burning of fossil fuels
Creates carbon dioxide = greenhouse gas
Amount has increased since industrialization
Global warming = unnatural warming of the lower atmosphere
Melting of glaciers --> rise in sea level and flooding

12. Air Pollution Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) = destroy ozone
More of sun’s UV radiation would reach Earth’s surface
Cataracts
Skin cancers

13. Land Resources Provides soil and forests, mineral and energy resources
Ex: lumber, petroleum, copper

14. Damage to Land Resources
Mining = destroys Earth’s surface and vegetation
Soil erosion
Creates pollution --> contaminates soil and water

15. Damage to Land Resources
Agriculture = farmers producing more food
Pumping for irrigation = depleting groundwater
Irrigation causes the build up of salts in soil (salinization) -->water evaporates--> salty crust --> can’t farm land anymore

16. Damage to Land Resources
Clear-cutting = removal of all trees in an area of a forest
Soil erosion
Destroys ecosystems
Disposal site = landfills, waste facilities
Old landfills leak wastes that get into soil and undergound water

17. Protecting Our Resources
Conservation = careful use of resources
Pollution prevention = stopping pollution from entering the environment

18. Clean Water Act
1972
Industries required to reduce or eliminate point source pollution into surface waters
Increase in sewage treatment plants
1990’s = 62% of US surface waters were safe for fishing and swimming

19. Safe Drinking Water Act
1974
Maximum contaminant levels of pollutants
Public water resources cleaner today

20. Clean Air Act
1970
Established standards of 6 pollutants known to cause health problems
Carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates
Low-sulfur coal, clean energy sources, hybrid cars, energy conservation

21. Protecting Land Resources
Preventing pollution
Managing land resources
Soil conservation = contour plowing, strip cropping
Selective cutting
Less pesticide use
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act = decreased illegal and unsafe dumping of hazardous waste