Post on 11-Jan-2016
transcript
If We Wear Out Our Planet,Where Will We Live?
The Big 8 Concerns:
Population Growth Air pollution The ozone Greenhouse effect
Water pollution Acid rain Solid waste Toxic waste
THE EARTH’S POPULATION
1830 1 billion
1950 2 billion
1990 4 billion
PROJECTED for 2050:10 billion
Air Pollution =Pollution source
+
Mountain and valley so winds can’t blow out
+
Temperature inversion
(Warm air, trapping cooler air)
TEMPERATURE INVERSION
SMOG = Ozone
Carbon monoxide
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide
Major Sources of Air Pollution
Burning of fossil fuels
Burning solid waste
Natural pollutants like forest fires
Air Pollution Risks:
Increased smog = decreased oxygen Breathing difficulties for people with:
Asthma COPD Congestive heart failure Emphysema
Imagine that the earth is 80” in diameter. It’s atmosphere would =
1/10”
ACID RAIN =Atmospheric pollutants
+Moisture in the air
Falls to earth as rain, sleet, snow or hail.
Effects of Acid Rain:
Acidified lakes and streams = no fish. Damaged trees. Toxic substances released into soil. Corrodes metals on buildings. Damages stone and paint on buildings. Damages monuments and cars.
What Can We Do? Cut back on driving: ride bike, use
public transportation, walk, car-pool, drive a fuel-efficient car
Keep car tuned up and well-maintained, use unleaded gas and keep tires inflated
Stay in speed limit.
No quick starts.
Don’t use air conditioning.
Don’t idle the car.
THE OZONE
A layer of gases,
10-30 miles above the earth’s surface,
which shield the planet from UV rays
Problem: the OZONE is thinning
Primary Cause: CFC’sChlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)are industrial chemicals used:
Coolants in refrigerators and home and car air conditioners
Foaming agents in some foam products Propellant in aerosol spray cans
(banned in 1978)
CFC’s
Rise into the atmosphere
and break down the
ozone layer.
REMEMBER:
The Ozone is:
Good up there Bad down here
The Effects: More UV rays = increase in skin cancer More UV rays = decrease in crop yields
(interferes with photosynthesis)
Change in weather patterns
What Can We Do?
Buy energy star appliances.
Dispose of old refrigerators, air conditioners and humidifiers wisely.
Have your car’s air conditioner checked and serviced by a
station that recycles CFC’s.
The Greenhouse Effect
The Good News: The greenhouse gases
include: carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane
Allow light in Trap heat to help
raise earth’s temp Natural process
The Bad News:
One of the Causes: O
Some of the Results: Florida’s coast,
battered by hurricanes
California fries
Kansas plains confront the fury of the skies
Global Warming =Melting Icecaps
Melting icecaps = rising sea levels
Miami, Fla. and New Orleans, La. would disappear
Every city on the U.S.Eastern seaboard would be inundated
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Run dishwasher with a full load, only. (Reduces carbon dioxide 200 lbs. Per year.)
Wash clothes in warm or cold water, not hot.(Reduces carbon dioxide by 500 lbs. per year.)
Turn down water heater to 120°.(Reduces carbon dioxide by 500 lbs. per year.)
SOLID WASTE
What’s in our garbage? Paper products: 38.9% by weight Yard waste: 14.6% Plastics: 9.5% by weight
18% of space Metals 7.6% Wood 7.0% Food 6.7% Glass 6.3%
ENDURING LITTER:Paper
2-4 weeks
Cotton Rag1-5 months
Rope
3-14 months
Wool Sock1 year
Bamboo Pole
1-3 years
Painted Wooden Stake
13 years
Tin Can100 years
Aluminum Can200-500 years
Undetermined
Glass Bottle
Plastic 6-packCover
450 years
Sanitary Landfills: A site that is not near
groundwater is selected.
Layers of solid waste are covered with dirt.
Grass and trees may be planted on top.
Little decomposition occurs.
Despite the liner, contaminants can leak into surrounding soil and groundwater.
What Can We Do?
Buy products with the least amount of packaging
Reuse paper and plastic bags
Avoid using foam or paper cups.
Recycle newspapers, glass, cans, paper and other recyclables. Take foam pellets to a recycling center.
Start a compost pile for your organic garbage.
When shopping, take along your own bag.
reduce, reuse, recycle
WATER
DRINKING WATER:Where does it come from?
1. Wells / ground water
2. Surface waterriverslakesstreamsponds
In Contra Costa County:
Water comes from the Sacramento – San Juaquin Delta
It’s transported in the Contra Costa Canal
Stored in reservoirs like Los Vaqueros
Treated by the Contra Costa Water District
POTENTIAL CONTAMINANTS:
• industrial wastewater
• urban and highway runoff
• agricultural runoff
Contaminants, continued:
• pesticides
• mine runoff
• grazing animals
What’s in your Drinking Water?
microbial contaminants: bacteria, viruses
inorganic contaminants: salts, metals pesticides and herbicides organic chemicals radioactive contaminants
What Can We Do?PRESERVE
Never put anything but clean water into a gutter or down a storm drain.
Use non-chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
Always recycle used motor oil. Use non-toxic cleaning alternatives. Clean up after your pet.
CONSERVE
Take showers, not baths Don’t let water run when you’re not using it. Run dishwashers and washing machines with a full load. Purchase water-efficient shower heads and toilets. Fix leaky faucets.
IS IT WORTH SAVING?