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