Chemistry Basics• Elements a unique type of atom• There are 92 natural elements occurring

on earth• The study of elements needed for life is

called organic chemistry or biochemistry• The essential elements for life are MACRO

Carbon Hydrogen Magnesium Oxygen for carbohydratesNitrogen Amino Acids and proteinsPhosphorus ATP and ADPPotassium enzymesSulfur amino acids and proteinsCalcium membrane functionchlorophyll and enzymes

Bio-geochemical Cycles

• Bio-geochemical cycle refers to the elements that move from geosphere to biosphere and back to geosphere.

• Each cycle may have a corresponding link in the atmosphere and hydrosphere

• Most important 4 are the following:Carbon cycleNitrogen cyclePhosphorus cycleWater cycle

The Carbon Cycle• Carbon is an essential element for all

life• Carbon is the 4th most abundant

element in the universe.• It is the element that anchors all life.• All organic compounds contain Carbon• The Carbon cycle begins in the

atmosphere as CO2.

Two Cycles:Long Term and Short term

Long Term Geological• Geological cycle begins

with the birth of earth.• Initial carbon came with

the earth and meteors.• Carbon was present in

atmosphere as C02 through volcanism.

• Carbon combined with elements in earth’s crust to create minerals like calcium carbonate.

• Carbon erodes from this storage into oceans.

Short Term Cycle• Starts at CO2 in the

atmosphere• Plants photosynthesis

to convert carbon into carbohydrates

• Consumer’s eat • Both plants and

animals use energy through cellular respiration and return carbon to the air

• Decay returns carbon to the ocean and soil.

How Industry Influences Carbon Cycle

Fossil Fuels• Fossil fuels are old plants

and animals that have decayed after millions of years.

• The carbon comes from the organisms that died

• Coal is a type of fossil fuel just from plants

• The carbon is a long term storage.

• Releasing the carbon puts it back in the atmosphere

What We Burn the Most

Where Does CO2 Come From

Carbon Yearly and Seasonal

The US and Greenhouse Emissions

• Greenhouse gases emitted by the United States are from the following :– Carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil fuels,

respiration

– Methane (CH4) from cows, landfills, melting permafrost

– Nitrous oxide (N2O) from fossil fuels, volcanoes

– Water vapor (H2O) natural steam / evaporation.

The Transportation & Industry Sectors Emit the Greatest

Amount

Greenhouse Emission per Country

Greenhouse Gas Emission

Carbon • When analyzing the carbon

cycle scientists refer to the storage and release as either a sink or source.

• Source: where carbon is given off/emitted

• Sink: where carbon is stored– Short term sinks = animals,

plants, top soil– Long term = deep ocean,

rainforest, deep soils and rocks, fossils

Balancing Carbon: Sources vs. Sinks

Sources ways it gets into atmosphere

• Natural sources:– Forest fires– Volcanoes– Respiration

• Anthropogenic Sources:– Transportation– Slash and burn – Deforestation– Energy usage– Warming planet

• From ocean• From rocks

Sinks places to store

• Forests• Grasslands• Ocean especially

deep oceans• Deep in forest soils

Major Components of the Atmosphere

• Nitrogen• Oxygen• Carbon dioxide• Argon• Methane• Water vapor• Nitrogen oxide• Sulfur oxide• Atmospheric dust

How the Atmosphere Influences Climate

• The atmosphere acts as a protective bubble surrounding our planet

• Protects against gamma rays and X rays• Protects us from large temperature

changes with the green house gases• Also causes our sky to be blue by

refracting sunlight• Causes the water cycle

Green House Effect

Methane in Permafrost & Ocean Acidification

Too many

carbon sources!

Ocean Acidification• Ocean acidification happens when

atmosphere CO2 is dissolved in the seawater, increasing the acidity (lower pH)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7933589.stm

What’s the big deal?

• Increased ocean acidity causes countless problems for marine plants and animals.

• It is particularly influential on shellfish and corals because they are losing the ability to create the exoskeletons they live in with increasing ocean acidity.

http://www.epa.gov/climate/climatechange/kids/impacts/signs/acidity.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7933589.stm

Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification

Video on ocean acidification Guided notes to go along

3.This raises the hydrogen ion concentration in the water, and limits organisms' access to carbonate ions, which are needed to form hard parts

1.Up to one half of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released by burning fossil fuels over the past 200 years has been absorbed by the world's oceans

2.Absorbed CO2 in seawater (H2O) forms carbonic acid (H2CO3), lowering the water's pH level and making it more acidic

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7933589.stm

Methane• What is it?

– Methane is an odorless, colorless flammable gas. It is used primarily as fuel to make heat and light. It is also used to manufacture organic chemicals. Methane can be formed by the decay of natural materials and is common in landfills, marshes, septic systems and sewers.

Where does it come from?

NaturalWetlands (very little to no oxygen)

Anaerobic Decomposition

VegetationTermitesOceans

LivestockDomesticated livestock dump large quantities of methane into the atmosphere.20% of global methane emissions

IndustrialAnnual emissions around 320 million tonsBurning of oil, coal, natural gas, biomass.Waste & landfills

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Methane?topic=49554

Wetland Anaerobic Decomposition

Livestock

Industrial/Anthropogenic

Story of Stuff• http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff

/

Permafrost & Methane• Below the permafrost at the poles, anaerobic

decomposition releases methane that remains trapped underneath the frozen permafrost.

• As global temperatures continue to rise, more and more of this permafrost is melting, allowing that once trapped methane to escape into the atmosphere.

Methane pockets (hydrates) below the permafrost are locked up unless the permafrost is perforated, releasing the methane.

Permafrost Melting & Drunken Trees

Because the Permafrost is melting, these “Drunken Trees” don’t have frozen ground to grow their roots into. This causes heaving and thawing which makes the trees lose stability, making them look “drunken”

Solutions• Use the methane as a fuel source

– Problem: too many rivers/lakes for efficiency

• Increase the amount of grazing herbivores on the permafrost– This would keep the forest young and therefore

allow more of the ice/snow covered ground to show. The light color of the ice/snow covered ground has a high reflective quality so it would reflect more sunlight, decreasing the temperature and keeping the permafrost frozen.

What’s the Big Picture?Carbon Reduction

Solutions • Reducing CO2 and CH4 emissions

benefits: •The environment •The economy•Society

• Practices that benefit all three of these are said to be sustainable.

Sustainable Development

• “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” – Our Common Future

Three Parts of Sustainability

Healthy EnvironmentHealthy EconomyHealthy Society

From: http://www.sustainablemeasures.com

Is this Sustainable?

http://www.chrisjordan.com/

Going to a GameHow do sport games impact…

•Environment? •Economy?

•Society?

• Can this activity be done without causing damage in one of these three areas?

• Can this activity be done so that people in the future will have the same opportunities to do this activity?

Is it Sustainable?

• Can this activity be done without causing damage in one of these three areas?

• Can this activity be done so that people in the future will have the same opportunities to do this activity?

DrivingHow does driving impact the…•Environment? •Economy? •Society?

Is it Sustainable? Activity

Get into groups of 2 or 3 and pick up the following:–Large piece of paper–Bold Marker (not permanent)–Green sheet with chart

Individual activities School activities

Government actions Business products/services

Is it Sustainable?Part One

1. With your group, choose one activity from each category on the “Green sheet”. Circle them if you want.

2. Under each activity, describe if this activity is or is not socially, economically, and/or environmentally sustainable.

• Each group will share their answers to the questions above.

Individual activities-Owning/using a cell phone -Driving above the speed limit-Eating at McDonald’s for

breakfast-Drinking bottled water at

lunch-Shopping at the Saturday

farmer’s market

School activities- Hosting a Friday night high school football game

- Going on a class field trip to the zoo

- Buying recycled paper for copiers

- Selling soft drinks in vending machines

- Allowing students to drive off-campus for lunch

Government actions- Offering curbside trash pick-

up- Raising the fee to ride

public transportation - Building an energy efficient

courthouse- Building sidewalks to the

local high school from neighboring suburbs

Business products/services- Making computers- Producing organic cotton T-

shirts- Building a 5,000 sq ft. house

in the suburbs- Building a restaurant on a

vacant lot- Home delivery of a daily

newspaper- Raising pasture-fed beef to

sell to consumers

Sustainability Scale

Can something that is unsustainable be altered to become more sustainable?

• Chances are, each activity had a weakness in one of the three sustainability areas: Economy, Society, Environment

1.Below your first descriptions from part one, explain how that activity can be changed to satisfy all of the areas of sustainability.

(Example: Maybe it was environmentally sound but lacked a social grasp or didn’t help the economy, etc.)

Is it Sustainable?Part Two

Activity 3: Hidden EnergyEveryday Items have Carbon Footprints

Hidden Energy:

Secondary Carbon Footprints

• With your group, choose an object from the classroom (any object)

• Use the flip-side of the poster paper to draw/diagram the materials used to make, market, utilize and dispose of this object.

Hidden Energy

• Consider the following as you observethis object:– Raw materials– Manufacturing– Packaging, transport, and storage– Marketing (advertising execs, air time)– Use/Lifespan – Disposal

Hidden Energy

• Finally, indicate the steps on your diagram that use energy and result in CO2 and/or CH4 emissions.

Hidden Energy

1. Now, view your object from the perspective of the manufacturer and answer the following question: a) How can the carbon footprint of your

object be reduced?

2. Answer the same question but view your object from the perspective of the consumer: a) How can the carbon footprint of your

object be reduced?

Hidden Energy In the News

• “Wal-Mart asks Suppliers to Rate Energy Use” The Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2007

• 25 – 30 companies that supply products such as DVDs, toothpaste, soap, milk, beer, vacuum cleaners, and soda will be asked to measure the amount of energy used to manufacture their products.

• The company wants to cut packaging waste, increase fuel efficiency, and eventually operate entirely on renewable energy.

What does it all come down to?

• What can people do to reduce carbon footprints, both individually and globally?

Acknowledgements

ERP StaffChristie Hinson, Civic Education Consortium, UNC

Terri Buckner, Office of Sustainability, UNC

Z. Smith Reynolds FoundationDana Haine, Science EducatorEnvironmental Resource Program, UNC Institute for the Environmentdhaine@unc.edu (919) 843-5735