Environment is:
A source for food supply
A major source of medicines
An energy source
A source of recreation
Natural resource for industrial
products
In order to determine the extent of
environmental exposure to a
chemical, it is necessary to evaluate
that chemical’s environmental fate.
While the amount and frequency of a
chemical’s release, as well as the
environmental medium — air, water, or
soil — into which it’s released are
important
considerations, environmental fate is
determined by what happens after the
chemical has been released into the
environment.
One thing which sets us aside
from other species is our
tendency to leave visible scars
and remains after we have
pillaged the Earth's resources.
Even satellite pictures of the
Amazon reveal the damage
that the industrial exploitation
of natural resources can
inflict.
Since 1990, yearly emissions of carbon dioxide have gone up by about 6 billion metric tons worldwide, Almost all of that increase is due to human activities.
Carbon dioxide takes 100 years to disperse in the atmosphere. Even if emissions are stopped today, we will still feel the effects for years to come.
During the 20th century alone, the average surface temperature of the world has increased by 1.2 to 1.4°F.
The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment has
concluded that in the past 50 years, the average
temperatures of Alaska, eastern Russia and
western Canada have increased as much as 7°F.
This rise is almost twice the global average.
The World Health Organization blames 150,000 deaths per year
on the effects of global warming including extreme
weather, drought, heat waves, decreased food production and
the increased spread of diseases like malaria
Continuing a trend of warming over the past few years, NASA scientists
say 2011 was the ninth warmest year in terms of average global
temperatures since 1980.
As global warming, the ice is disappearing gradually. The annual migrations of them
are turned into a and time, distance, the deep and even the race against disaster
Sea levels have risen between 4-8 inches worldwide during the last century, and
experts predict they could rise as much 2 feet in the next 100 years.
The livelihoods of nearly one billion people in some
100 countries are threatened by desertification
Desertification contributes to internal displacement
and international migration of people.
About 25 per cent of the Earth’s land, or 3.6 billion
hectares, is decertified.
By the 2050s, 50 per cent of agricultural land in Latin
America will be subject to desertification.
At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global
warming, migrating north to escape rising temperatures.
♣ Up to 90% of West Africa’s coastal
rainforests have disappeared since 1900.
♣ In South Asia, about 88% of the rainforests
have been lost.
♣ Amazon Rainforest with the highest tropical
deforestation rate between 2000 and 2005.
♣ Brazil has lost 90–95% of its Mata Atlântica
forest..
♣ Madagascar has lost 90% of its eastern
rainforests.
Between 1852 to 1947 about half
of the Earth's mature tropical
forests have been destroyed.
It’s predicted that by 2030, 80%
will have been lost.
Scientists estimate that all tropical
forests will be gone by the middle of
the 21st century
Deforestation
Deforestation cause damage to
habitat, biodiversity loss and
aridity.
It has adverse impacts on
atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Deforested regions typically
incur significant adverse soil
erosion and frequently degrade
into wasteland.
Overpopulation
The IAP has stated that many environmental problems, are aggravated by the population expansion..
Year Billion
1804 1
1927 2
1959 3
1974 4
1987 5
1999 6
2011 7
The population is expected to
reach between 8 and 10.5
billion between the year 2040,
and 2050..
Steve Jones: "Humans are 10,000
times more common than we
should be".
Disaster is a sudden, calamitous event bringing great
damage, loss, and destruction and devastation to life
and property. The damage caused by disasters is
immeasurable and varies with the geographical
location, climate and the type of the earth
surface/degree of vulnerability. This influences the
mental, socio-economic, political and cultural state of
the affected area.
Disaster
Phillipines: the Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption
The 2004 Asian earthquake and tsunami
The 1925 Ellington, Missouri tornado
The Love Canal chemical waste dump, USA
The Three Mile Island, USA: The nuclear nightmare
The 1952 London smog disaster
Plastic bottles take 700 years to begin composting
90% of the cost of bottled water is due to the bottle itself
80% of plastic bottles are not recycled
38 million plastic bottles go to the dump per year in America from bottled water.
24 million gallons of oil are needed to produce a billion plastic bottles
Each year, more than 26 billion bottles are thrown away (less then 15% are recycled)
Studies have shown that chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, can leach into bottled water over time.
According to the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 784 extinctions
have been recorded since the year 1500 (to the
year 2004).
Global warming and industrial pollution threaten to wipe out
almost a third of frog and toad species worldwide
“Water and air , the two essential fluids on which all life depends on have
become global garbage cans”
says; Jacques Cousteau
33% of Chinese people live in such polluted cities, that the air they
breath is equivalent to 2 cigarette packs per day.
Polluted drinking waters are a problem for about half of the world’s population. currently 450million people face water stress. By 2025 it
may increase between 2.6 to 3.1 billion people.
Large hog farms emit hydrogen sulfide, a gas that most often causes flu-like
symptoms in humans, but at high concentrations can lead to brain damage.
1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage ,storm water, and industrial waste are discharged into US waters annually.
1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage ,storm water, and industrial waste are discharged into US waters annually.
Asian rivers are the most polluted in the world, they have 3times as many bacteria from human waste as the global average and 20times more lead than rivers in
industrialized countries
40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are too polluted for
fishing, swimming, or aquatic life.
Coral reefs are highly sensitive to small changes in water temperature. Scientists say
if current CO2 emission trends continue, the world's coral reefs could be virtually
destroyed by 2050.
In the U.S. 41% of all insecticides are used on corn. Of these, 80% are used to treat
a pest that could be controlled simply by rotating a different crop for just one year.
Prevent pollution
(air, water, noise)
Protect and respect the world's
natural, cultural, indigenous and
historical heritage
Support environmental
education and training.
Use water, energy and other
resources efficiently to reduce
waste.
Overpopulation.
More than 10 million trees
replanted in Tanzanian forests.
protect 250.000 acres of
rainforests, an area 300times
bigger than central park.
Forests, jungles, trees, plants…
Produce the Oxygen we breathe.
They are the lungs of the Earth
If we destroy them, we destroy ourselves.
Parks are one way of protecting ecosystem for future.
Ex: Yellowstone, widely held to be the first national park in the world.
USA has 54 national parks.
Green technology is
environmentally friendly and
is created and used in a way
that conserves natural
resources and the
environment.
The Nichols Bridge way extends over the
world's largest green roof to Millennium Park
People can find ways to lower human effects on ecosystem:
Ex1: Fish ladders are like artificial river rapids.
Repair of ecosystem
Ex2: when mines are dug ,the land is
damaged. in this case reclamation or
phytoremidiation is practiced.
recycling takes less energy than
making products from raw
materials.
ex1; when 1glass bottle is
recycled the energy saved could
light a 100 watt bulb for four
hours
ex2.: aluminum is made from bauxite ,which is mined from earth’s crust by
taking a lot of electricity . When you throw away a drink can of aluminum
without recycling ,you waste as much energy as it takes to run a television
for about three hours.
Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969
Earth Day 2012 – the 42nd
Anniversary
more than one billion people around the globe will participate in Earth Day 2012 and help Mobilize the Earth™. People of all nationalities and backgrounds will voice their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection.
is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key
concepts:
the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to
which overriding priority should be given; and
the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social
organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs."
Sustainable development
“A proverb says; take care of small things, big things
will fall in place”
the ways leading to pollutions are small things
which if continues make the fate of our planet
unavailable for a healthy life.
“ There is enough in the world for everyone’s
need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”
-Mahatma Gandhi