Sharing the Planet: Humanity’s Greatest Challenge
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Transcript of Sharing the Planet: Humanity’s Greatest Challenge
Annual Science Lecture
Sharing the Planet:Humanity’s Greatest Challenge
Sir Mark Walport
Introduction: Dr Michael Dixon, Director, Natural History Museum
2 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
The Diversity of Life
Credit: Gilles San Martin
Credit: NEON ja/CC-BY-SA-2.5
3 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Sharing Our Genome:One Genetic Family
Credit: www.evogeneao.com
The regions that code for proteins are most similar
1 difference per 1000 base pairs between people
Person 1Person 2
2 differences per 100 base pairs between people and chimps
Person 1Chimp
40 differences per 100 base pairs between people and mice
Person 1Mouse
Small regions of similarity between people and nematode worms
Person 1Worm
4 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Genetic Conservation Between Species
Credit: Dee'lite/CC-BY-2.0
Credit: Eric Isselee/Shutterstock
Credit: Getty
Credit: Erik Jorgensen, University of Utah
Sharing Our Environment
5 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Credit: Ian Usher/CC-BY-SA-3.0
Credit: John Tann/CC-BY-2.0
6 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
• Photosynthesis began 2.5 billion years ago
• Cyanobacteria were first to evolve the capability
• Carboniferous forests evolved ~ 300 m years ago
Generating Our Atmosphere
Credit: Natural History Museum
Credit: Natural History Museum
7 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Sulfolobus acidocaldarius Credit: Brocken Inaglory/CC-BY-SA-3.0
Credit:Sufosys Biotec
8 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Inheriting Our Atmosphere
Red Beds
Banded Iron Formations
Human
s
2.0 1.5 1.0 0.52.5
10
1
0.10.01
0.1
1
CO
2 con
centratio
n (%
)
“gre
at o
xyge
natio
n”
Eukar
yote
cells
Fungi
Land
Plan
ts
Oxygen
Carbon Dioxide
Time (billion years before present)
Oxy
gen
co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
%)
Credit: Natural History Museum
PD
Credit: Andrew Watson, University of Exeter
Inheriting Our Energy
9 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Credit: Agencia Brasil/CC-BY-SA-3.0-BRCredit: Meredithw/CC-BY-SA-3.0
PD
Credit: Jack Versloot/CC-BY-2.0
11 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Our Relationship with Other Species
Credit: British Museum
12 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
•Wealthy and popular physician•Amassed one of the greatest collections of plants and animals of his time.•Oldest Collection in the Natural History Museum
Specimens from the CarolinasPreserved in Sir Hans Sloane’s collection
Classifying the World
Credit: Natural History Museum
Credit: Natural History Museum
13 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Carl Linnaeus18th Century Swedish Botanist
Leaf Forms from Linnaeus’s Systema Naturæ
Ordering the Natural World: Taxonomy
PD Credit: University of Otago, New Zealand
14 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Causing Extinction Credit: Mohammed Alnaser
1598-1662
Credit: Natural History Museum
15 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Mary Anning19th Century British Palaeontologist
Fossil of Plesiosaurus macrocephalusOne of Mary Anning’s discoveries
Discovering the Extinct
Credit: Natural History Museum Credit: N Natural History Museum
16 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Genomic Taxonomy:The Next Tool Box
Cupedidae
Carabidae: Harpalinae
Curculionoidea
StaphylinidaeBuprestidae
Byrrhoidea
Elateroidea
Cleroidea
Cerylonid Series
Tenebrionoidea
Chrysomeloidea
Cucujoidea
Beetles from canopy flogging in Borneo
17 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Discovering the Invisible
S. cerevisiae
Louis Pasteur19th Century French chemist
and microbiologist
PD
18 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Clostridium bacteria has been linked to gut ailments
• There are 10 times more bacterial cells your intestines than there are cells in your entire body (100 trillion)!
• This weighs about 1 kg.
•Sensitive to antibiotics, diet and surgery.
Sharing our Body
Credit: Dr David Phillips/Getty Images
19 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
The Yak Microbiome
MethanogensMethanobrevibacter
Reduce carbon content
MethanogensMethanobrevibacter
Reduce carbon content
Plant MaterialPlant Material
ProtozoaIsotricha intestinalis
Metabolise plant material
ProtozoaIsotricha intestinalis
Metabolise plant material Pectin-Fermenting Bacteria
Bacteroides ruminicolaBreaks down carbohydrates
Pectin-Fermenting BacteriaBacteroides ruminicola
Breaks down carbohydrates
CarbohydratesCarbohydrates
CO2, H2CO2, H2
MethaneMethane
Credit: Pongratz/CC-BY-SA-3.0
20 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
CholeraVibrio cholerae
Malaria ParasitePlasmodium falciparum
Influenza A virusOrthomyxoviridae
Our Deadliest Rivals
21 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Jumping Species
PATHOGEN ORIGINAL YEARHOST REPORTED
Ebola virus Bats 1977
Escherichia coli O157:H7 Cattle 1982
Borrelia burgdorferi Rodents 1982
SIV/HIV-1 Primates 1983
SIV/HIV-2 Primates 1986
Hendra virus Bats 1994
BSE/vCJD Cattle 1996
Australian bat lyssavirus Bats 1996
H5N1 influenza A Chickens 1997
Nipah virus Bats 1999
SARS coronavirus Palm civets 2003
Our Dance with Infectious Organisms
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Credit: josullivan.59/CC-BY-2.0
23 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Our Dance with Infectious Organisms: Spread of SARS
24 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Moving Species Around
Potato:DeliberateRats:ACCIDENTAL Credit: Guillaume BaviereCredit: Matthieu Aubry/CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0
25 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
For Food, Biocontrol and Aesthetics
Credit: Guillaume Baviere
Credit: Andreia Isleb
Credit: SMcGarnigle/CC-BY-2.0Credit: AFP Rob Elliott
26 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Aesthetics:Hydrangea in the Azores
Credit: Guillaume Baviere
27 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Food and Resources:Rabbits in Australia
Credit: JJ Harrison/CC-BY-SA-3.0
PD
28 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Then Biocontrol:Introduction of Myxoma Virus
PD
PD
PD
29 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
SoybeanApple
Orange
Sugarcane
Sugar beet Alfalfa
Almond
Rice
Grape, Rye
Sorghum
Barley, Wheat
Onion
Lettuce
Strawberry
Peanut
Potato
Tobacco
Dry bean
Cotton
StrawberryCorn, dry bean, tomato
Sunflower
The Globalisation of Food Crops
Wild mustard plant(Brassica oleracea)
30 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Modifying Species:Diversify and Enhance
Strain Kohlrabi Kale Broccoli Brussels sprouts
Cabbage Cauliflower
Modified trait
Stem Leaves Flower buds and stem
Lateral leaf buds
Terminal leaf bud
Flower buds
31 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Grey Wolf
Pets: e.g. Corgi Pets: e.g. Poodle
Herding Dogs: e.g. Border Collie
Gun Dogs: e.g. English Pointer
Diversify and Enhance: Dogs
1 millionyears ago
100,000years ago Today10,000
years ago100
years ago1,000
years ago
Human Occupation of
New Environmental
Zones
Unequivocal Anthropogenic
Warming
England and Wales deforested90% 17%
Cities & the built
environment emerge
32 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Domestication of Fruits
Agriculture
Pasture and Plough
arrive in UK
The Practical Steam Engine
Modifying the Environment
Regular Fire Use
Complex Stone Tools
Future
33 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Subsistence Farming
Credit: Bombadier, flickr
Credit: Bombadier/CC-BY-2.0
The African Diaspora
34 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
35 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Intensive Farming
Credit: USDA
Credit: Farm Sanctuary
36 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Our Hunger for Resources: Cows and Badgers
37 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Our Hunger for Resources: Competing with Pests
Credit: kohlmann.sascha/CC-BY-SA-2.0
Credit: Jeff Kubina
Credit: iStockphoto
38 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Our Hunger for Resources: Collaborating with Bees
Credits: orangeaurochs, kirstyhall, Gudlyf, somebox and hankinsphoto.com
39 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Credit: Mark Walport
40 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Our Hunger for Resources:Disappearing Ecosystems
41 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet Credit: Arian Zwegers/CC-BY-2.0
Moynaq, The Aral Sea
42 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Agricultural Chemical Addiction:Coral Bleaching and Algal Blooms
Credit: USFWF PacificCredit: eutrophication&hypoxia/CC-BY-2.0
Credit: Oregon State University
Source: Kaplin 2009
Evidence From•Domesday Book•Soil Record•Climate Modelling
43 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Deforestation of Europe
England and Wales
deforested90% 17% tree cover
44 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
The Pace of Change Picks up:Industrialisation
Credit: Leonard Bentley
45 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Our Driver: Exponential Growth
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
-2000 -1000 0 1000 2000
Year
Wo
rld
Po
pu
lati
on
(M
illio
ns)
46 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Credit: NOAA
Credit: IPCC
The Atmosphere Catches Up
47 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Climate Disruption, not Climate Change
Source: Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (2013)
48 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Some we can do something about Some we can’t
A Stitch in Time: Enlightenment 2.0
Credit: James Cridland/CC-BY-2.0
Credit: Nick carson/CC-BY-SA-3.0
Credit: Eneas/CC-BY-2.0
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Credit: PD
Mitigate
Adapt
Suffer
Climate policy responses…
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Credit: Harvey McDaniel
Credit: Reuters
Credit: Ian Britton/CC-BY-NC-ND-3.0
50 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
The Push of Population
Credit: Julien Harneis/CC-BY-SA-2.0
Source: Population Reference Bureau 2009
51 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
The Solutions are Technological - Mitigate: Population Growth
Credit: Bryancalabro/CC-BY-SA-3.0
Credit: hddod/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0CC BY-SA 2.0 - Russ Ferriday
52 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Credit: Russ Ferriday/CC-BY-SA-2.0
Credit: Bidgee/CC-BY-SA-2.0
The Solutions are Technological – Diverse Energy Sources
Credit: Bellona
53 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Credit: Ian Britton/CC-BY-NC 2.0
Credit: Pieter van Marion/CC-BY-SA 2.0
Credit: Ludovic Hirlimann
Some of the Solutions are Technological – Reduce Energy
Demand
54 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
The Solutions are Technological - Adapt: Water Shortages
New Sanitation Value Chain
Credit: http://www.wsup.com/sharing/PracticeNote8.htm
55 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
The Solutions are Technological – Adapt: Transgenic Tailoring
Teosinte Zea mays
Selective Breeding • Millions of gene changes
• Chromosome doubling
• Extensive chromosome rearrangement/deletion
• Took >7,500 years
Means that these are highly“Genetically Modified”
Considered safe to eat.
Biotechnology
• Small amount of genetic material
• Accurately determined location
• Consequences rapidly tested
Means that these are slightly“Genetically Modified”
Food safety doubted.
Credit: Jill Farrant, University of Cape Town
56 Natural History Museum: Annual Science Lecture, Sharing the Planet
Minsmere, December 2013Credit: Mark Walport
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. We apologise for any errors or omissions in the included attributions and would be grateful if notified of
any corrections that should be incorporated in future versions of this slide set. We can be contacted through [email protected] .
@uksciencechiefwww.bis.gov.uk/go-science
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