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The

Environment

ChapterFifteen

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2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Ecosystem

The interrelationships between all living thingsand the environment.

Emphasis is on interdependence of all things.

People, nature, and the earth form a delicatelybalanced system.

Ozone is a rare form of oxygen that is poisonousto human beings at ground level but isnecessary in the upper atmosphere to absorbthe deadly ultraviolet radiation of the sun.

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Environmental Pollution

Pollution is the harmfulalteration of ourenvironment by our ownactions.

Pollutants eitherunwanted by-products orour activities or theobnoxious residues ofthings we have made,used, and thrown away.

Air Pollution

Water Pollution Land Pollution

Global Warming

Noise Pollution

Aesthetic Damage

Norman R. Rowan/Stock Boston

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Types of Pollution

Air pollution Most air pollution is caused by the burning of fossil

fuels.

Water pollution

Organic sewage

Eutrophication

Infectious agents

Organic chemicals

Inorganic and miscellaneous chemicals

Sediments from land corrosion

Radioactive substances

Waste heat from power plants and industry

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Types of PollutionContinued

Land pollution Pesticides chemicals used to kill insects defined as

pests.

Herbicides chemicals used to kill plant life,

particularly weeds. Chemical wastes

Radioactive fallout

Acid rain

Garbage Global warming

Since the late 1800s the average global surfacetemperature has increased about 0.75 degrees C.

Most warming has occurred since 1950.

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Environmental Depletion

The Dwindling Natural Resources

No nation is self-sufficient in the modern

world. Energy Production and Consumption

Energy consumption per capita is higher in

the United States than it is in any other

country in the world.

Consumption is growing more rapidly than

production.

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Environmental Pollution

Problems Enforcement of air pollution standards has been

reducing the amount of pollutants released into the air.

In 2002, 34.3% of children under the age of 18 lived inan area that did not meet one or more of the air qualitystandards.

Sick building syndrome.

Presence of radon gas

Electromagnetic radiation

In 2000, 39% of rivers and streams; 45% of lakes,reservoirs, and ponds; 78% of the Great Lakesshoreline; and 14% of ocean shoreline were polluted.

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2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental Depletion

Over the course of human history, nearly half ofthe earths forests have been depleted, most ofwhich has occurred since 1970.

Energy use per capita is increasing in most ofthe developing nations.

In 1970, Americans drove their cars, vans,pickups, and SUVs 1.043 trillion miles; by 2004,the number rose to 2.72 trillion miles.

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The Physical Threat

Air pollution can cause or contribute to: Permanent lung damage in children

Fetal deaths

Infant mortality Respiratory illness

Cardiovascular disease

Skin problems, ulcers, and liver and kidney damage

Premature deaths

Asthma attacks Lung cancer

Exposure to toxic materials can also lead to sterility

The depleted ozone layer raises the risk of skin cancer

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Threat to the Ecological

Balance The lust for more affluence and unrestrained population

growth are ravaging the environment Paul Ehrlich.

A number of species of animals and plants havedisappeared.

People depend on biological diversity for the quality of

their lives.

Photosynthesis a natural process essential to life,

resulting in the production of oxygen and organic

materials.

Urbanization the increasing concentration of people

living in cities.

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Other Problems

The Economic Costs

Damage to livestock, trees, and crops

Death of wildlife Expense of pollution-control measures

Cost of medical care for those whose health is affected

Lost work time due to ill health

Expense of maintaining and refurbishing buildings andother structures that deteriorated because of pollution

Cost of restoring the quality of the air and of waterways.

Threat to World Peace

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Social Structural Factors

Population Growth Population growth accelerates the consumption of

earths natural resources.

Any given area on earth has a limited carryingcapacity.

Threshold effect

The Industrial Economy

The U.S. with about 4.6% of the worlds population,accounts for 22% of the worlds carbon dioxideemissions.

More than of all cars in the world are on U.S. roads.

The Politics of the Environment

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Social Psychological Factors

Attitudes and the Environment

Many people see the earth as a resource to be minedrather than as a trust to be cared for.

42% of Americans believe the government was doing

about the right amount or too much to protect the

environment.

Values and the Environment

Quantitative colossalism

Individualism