Sustainable Development

►Immediately: Read Earth Science Textbook, pages 11 – 16 and answer questions in the Earth Science Workbook, page 5-6, Section 1.3: Representing Earth’s Surface.

►Chapter 4 student notes

Chapter 3 – Sustainable

Development

How can I contribute to making human kind

compatible with life on Earth?

I. The Sustainable Development Ethic

A. An ethic that meets current global human needs without limiting the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

B. 3 basic components

1. Resources are limited and are not all meant for human consumption

2. Humans are a part of nature and are subject to natural laws

3. Human success is living in harmony with the natural world

C. Relies on reducing demand, recycling, conservation, and the wise use of resources (depending mainly on renewable resources)

II. Feeding the World: Sustainable Agriculture

A. As the world’s population continues to grow, people will have to find methods of producing foods that have a minimal impact on the environment

Ex. Regenerative farming – based on crop rotation, reduced soil erosion, integrated pest management, and a minimal use of soil additives

B. Methods

1. Crop rotation – changing the type of crop grown in the area on a regular cycle

a. Prevents soil from becoming depleted in mineral nutrients, especially nitrogen

b. Some crops such as legumes have bacteria in their roots that can convert the nitrogen in the air into a useable form, allowing the soil to become rich in nitrogen – by alternating legumes with other crops, farmers can limit/avoid the use of nitrogen fertilizers

2. Use of cover crops – non-food plants that are grown between growing seasons that hold the soil in place, thereby reducing erosion

3. Drip irrigation – delivers small quantities of water directly to the roots of plants, reducing erosion of the soil by flowing water

3. Drip irrigation – delivers small quantities of water directly to the roots of plants, reducing erosion of the soil by flowing water

Drip irrigation

4. Reduced tillage – tilling turns the soil over to bring lower layers to the surface; wastes water, uses energy, and increases soil erosion

5. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – use of natural predators of pest organisms in order to reduce the amount of pesticides delivered to crops

Review Questions

►What is sustainable development?

►The ability to have the resources we need and conserve resources for the next generation

Review Questions

►2. What strategies will have to be used in order to achieve sustainable development?

►Conservation, Recycling, and Wise use of Resources

Review Questions

►3. What are the goals of sustainable agriculture/ regenerative farming?

►To find the most productive methods of food production without harming the environment

Review Questions

►4. List 5 methods of regenerative farming.

►Crop Rotation►Cover Crops►Drip Irrigation►Reduced Tillage►IPM- Integrated Pest Management

III. Conservation

A. Conservation is a strategy to reduce the use of resources

through decreased demand and increased efficiency

B. Waste Reduction

►1. Reasons Needed: A. We live in a “disposable” society-

products are used once and then thrown away; the amount of waste generated by these disposable items is vast

Ex. – Newspapers, food and beverage containers, diapers, etc.

B. The amount of material and energy that humans waste is unique in the biosphere; No other species uses so many resources as inefficiently as humans

2. Source Reduction

►The lowering of the demand for a resource, resulting in a reduction in the amount of resource needed to satisfy that demand; decreases the amount of a resource taken from the environment in the first place

3. Reuse and Recycle

►Minimize the amount of material being thrown away by separating items that can be reused or recycled from the trash

C. Conserving Energy

►1. Improve Energy efficiency in homes and Building A. Insulate to reduce heat loss B. Turn heat/ AC down when not at home C. Take shorter showers

►D. Run washing machine and dishwashers only when full

►E. Wash clothes at lower temperatures►F. Install low flow showerheads and

toilets►G. Turn off lights and appliances when

not in use►H. Replace incandescent bulbs with

compact fluorescent►I. Purchase energy efficient appliances

2. Improve energy efficiency in automobiles

►A. Use mass transportation►B. Carpool►C. Keep engines properly tuned & tires

properly inflated►D. Purchase vehicles with more

efficient engines

Review Questions

►1. What is a “disposable” society? Name some examples.

►When we use items once and throw them away

►Examples- Newspapers, Diapers and fast food containers

Review Questions

►2. How does source reduction help to conserve resources?

►Decreasing the demand decreases the amount of resources taken from the environment

Review Question

►3. Name 3 things that you don’t do now that you are WILLING to do to help conserve energy.

IV. Recycling

►A. Recycling is reducing resource use by collecting usable waste materials and using them to produce new items; currently the US does NOT recycle nearly as much as most other developed nations

B. Benefits►1. Reduction in the amount of waste

produced and the resulting disposal problems

►2. Recovered waste is a good source of limited resources, such as steel and aluminum

►3. Recovering waste materials is often less polluting, cheaper and more energy efficient than taking new materials from the environment

►4. Prevent damage to the environment caused by the gathering of new resources

C. Recycled Materials:

►1. Paper- about 1/3 of the US’s paper waste is currently recycled

A. One of the easiest materials to recycle

B. Requires 75% less energy and uses 50% less water than producing paper from trees; also produces less toxic waste because it uses fewer chemicals

►C. Cannot be recycled forever - Cellulose fibers weaken with successive recycling, so fresh wood must be added

2. Minerals

►A. Glass and several different metals have been recycled for years

►Ex. Aluminum must be separated from Bauxite ore so producing aluminum requires large amounts of energy and water; recycling aluminum saves bauxite and fossil fuels, and reduces air and water pollution

►B. Other metals that are recycled in large quantities include iron and steel from junked cars and appliance, silver from photographic film and x-rays, copper from car radiators and telephone/utility cables, lead from car batteries and zinc from plumbing materials

►C. Motor Oil can be collected, cleaned and reused again; saves energy and prevents toxic elements such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, and benzene from polluting land and water

3. Plastics

a. Recycling plastics is more difficult than recycling other materials

i. Most plastics are made from petroleum, a complex organic molecule that does not break down easily

ii. There are many different kinds of plastics that cannot be recycled together

b. The amount of plastic being recycled is increasing; most plastics are now encoded with a number that indicates the kind of plastic from which a product is made, enabling the sorting of different types of plastics for recycling

c. Recovered plastics can be made into products such as bathtubs, containers, insulation, building materials, and synthetic fabrics

Review Questions 1. Name the 4 important benefits of recycling.

1.Reduces waste

2.Reduces energy consumption

3.Saves natural resources

4.Keeps us from using fossil fuels

2. Why can’t paper be recycled over and over again?

Because the cellulose fibers break down after awhile.

3. What are some of the most important environmental benefits to recycling minerals?

It means we don’t have to mine for new minerals

4. Why are plastics the most difficult materials to recycle?

Because they are made from fossil fuels which can be difficult to break down.

V. Conserving Biodiversity

A. Biodiversity, the variety of species in an ecosystem, is currently threatened by the increasing size of the human population

1. Species endangerment occurs when a species’ numbers fall so low that the population is in imminent danger of extinction

2. Earth is currently experiencing a “mass extinction” – this is different from other mass extinctions in that this one is caused by the activities of one species…humans

B. Importance of Biodiversity

1. New genetic material – raw material for biological evolution, also important for development of new crop plants

2. Natural chemicals in medicines and other industrial products

3. Aesthetic value – the beauty of life on Earth

Giant Anteater

Aardvark

Slender loris

Green ring tailed possum from tropics

Long beaked echidna

Rough green snake

Amazon pink river dolphin

Mekong river dolphin (Cambodia)

Christmas

Iguana

C. Reasons for Biodiversity Loss

1. Habitat destruction – destroying all or part of an ecosystem that an organism needs to survive

a. Deforestation – cutting down forests for development and agriculture

Deforestation in Borneo

b. Draining / altering wetlands for use as resorts, marinas, and farmland

c. Diverting water – changing the course of rivers by using dams can alter and damage aquatic habitats

d. Pollution - introduction of toxins can damage or kill a living community

2. Alien species – Non-native species introduced to an area by humans Ex. Kudzu – Japanese vine that can overtake huge areas of land in the U.S. due to lack of natural predators

3. Pesticide Use – chemicals can move up food chains, causing harm to large predators

• Ex. Bald eagles consumed fish that had consumed smaller organisms affected by the pesticide DDT – this caused the eagle’s egg shells to become fragile so baby eagles could not survive

D. Protecting Biodiversity

1. The Endangered Species Act (1973) – requires the government to make a list of all endangered species and protect that species as well as its habitat

African wildcat

http://lolosad.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/white_tiger_6.jpg

2. Captive Breeding / Reintroduction - only focuses on the preservation of an individual species; saving a species while allowing the destruction of its habitat is short-sighted and futile

Red Panda

3. Establishing preserves – an area of land or water set aside for the protection of the ecosystem in that area

a. Includes national parks and wilderness areas

Elk in Yellowstone

b. Must be large enough to allow viable populations of organisms to survive and breed (over 1,000)

c. Corridors between protective areas must be established to accommodate migratory species

Review Questions 1. Why is Earth’s current mass extinction different from previous mass extinctions?

Because this time it is caused by humans and could be preventable.

2. Name 3 reasons that it’s important to protect biodiversity.

1.Increased genetic material

2.Chemicals for medical discoveries

3.Aesthetic value

3. What is the main reason for our current loss of biodiversity? Give 2 examples.

Increase in human population.

Ex: Draining wetlands

Pollution

4. What do you think is the best way to protect biodiversity?

Stop destroying habitats!!

VI. Protecting the Environment

A. Local Policies

1. Occur at the city or state level

2. Most often include issues related to pollution, land management, and the quality of health Ex. Bond issues to improve a sewage treatment system

B. Federal policies

1. Occur at the national level

2. Federal government must intervene on behalf of the people when the actions of one state affect the quality of life in another state

4. Examples of Federal Legislation:

a. Clean Air Act

b. Clean Water Act

c. Endangered Species Act

3. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for managing and investigating environmental concerns so that effective federal legislation may be developed

C. International Policies

1. Occur when policies are developed by cooperating nations

2. Often, differences of opinion exist between the developed nations who have already achieved wealth, and the developing nations

3. Examples of International Policies:

a. Kyoto Protocol – calls for a reduction in greenhouse gases to slow global warming

b. Montreal Protocol – calls for a ban in CFC’s and other ozone depleting substances

c. CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; regulates trade in all endangered species

The Sun’s energy passes through the car’s windshield.

This energy (heat) is trapped inside the car and cannot pass back through the windshield, causing the inside of the car to warm up.

Example of the Greenhouse Effect

Review Questions 1. If you are concerned about an environmental issue affecting your community, where would you start when trying to resolve the problem?

City or state government

2. What agency is responsible for enforcing federal environmental policies?

EPA

3. Why do you think that the examples of International policies were addressed at that level?

Because all nations must cooperate to make a global difference.

Coatimundi of Costa Rica