Natural Resources Renewable: Naturally replaced in a fairly short time. Ex. Sunlight, wind, trees...

Natural Resources

Renewable: Naturally replaced in a fairly short time. Ex. Sunlight, wind, trees

Nonrenewable: Not replaceable. Formation takes to long to be useful. Ex. Coal, oil, soil

Land and Soil Resources

-It takes about 200 years to produce 1 cm of top soil.

How do we lose good rich top soil?

Erosion by wind

http://www.weru.ksu.edu/vids/

Erosion: Loss of topsoil due to wind/water

Erosion by water

Depletion: The loss of nutrients from the soil. It is washed away and/or

blown away. Also, growing the same crop in a field, year after year, will

deplete the nutrients in the soil.

Soil Conservation Methods1. Terracing:

Steps carved into a hillside, to slow the flow of water

2. Windbreaks:Trees planted around a field to slow the wind.

3. Nutrient Management

Adding nutrients, like nitrogen, back into the soil.

* Commercial fertilizers* Manure* Crop Rotation

4. Contour Farming

Plowing across a hill, instead of up and down. Slows flow of water.

5. Strip CroppingPlanting a low cover crop between taller crops

6. Crop Rotation

Planting a nitrogen producing crop (beans, peas, alfalfa, clover) one year, then a nitrogen using crop the next (corn, wheat, etc).

7. Preventing Overgrazing

Moving animals from one pasture to another so that they do not ruin a pasture.

Pasture on right has been grazed for 3 weeks. Pasture on left has been “resting”

1. Litter Garbage disposed of in improper places

2. Hazardous WastesChemical wastes that are toxic, flammable, and/or react dangerously with other chemicals

Air as a resource

A. Composition

1. 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% Carbon Dioxide and other gases

B. POLLUTION

1. Caused by burning fossil fuels, which give off Nitrogen, Sulfur Gas, and other emissions

2. Smog = SMoke + fOG

3. Temperature Inversion: Flip-flopping of layers of air. Cool air with pollutants gets trapped under warm air and can’t rise.

WARM air

WARM airCOLD air

COLD air

4. Acid Rain: When water vapor in the air mixes with Nitrogen compounds and Sulfur to make Nitric and Sulfuric Acid.

5. Green House Effect: Trapping heat close to the earth, due to the build-up of certain gasses in the atmosphere. Leads to Global Warming

C. PROTECTION

1. EPA: The Environmental Protection Agency controls and regulates the quality of soil, air and water.2. Catalytic Converters: A part of an engine that controls car emissions.3. Scrubbers: devices in smoke stacks to filter factory emissions.

The Earth’s Water Supply

-97% of the Earth’s water is salt water

-3% is fresh water but 2.75% is frozen and not available for drinking.

Water as a resource

Water is a renewable resource!The Water Cycle:

Water issues:

-Drought: A period of less rain than normal.People have to limit water use. Farmers have toirrigate crops. ($$$$)-Floods: A period of too much rain. Affects low lying areas. Damages land and buildings…..($$$$$)

-Water PollutionMost water pollution is the result of humanactivities.Types:1)Sewage: Dirty water and human wastes washed down sinks, toilets and shower drains.*Must be treated to kill disease causing bacteria. (Sewage treatment plants. $$$$)

Example of sewage treatment plant:

We have to stop this: Untreated sewage pumped directly into lakes,Rivers and the ocean.

Sewer diver! Has to fix pumps at treatment facilities. How’dyou like to do this for a living?

2) Agricultural Wastes:-Fertilizer and pesticides from lawns and farms.-New York State passed a new law in 2010 that regulates the use of lawn fertilizer. The intent is to reduce the unnecessary use of phosphorus which promotes the growth of algae and aquatic weeds in water bodies like Conesus Lake. The new law became effective January 1, 2012.

FYI:

3) Industry and Mining-Factories and mines can produce chemicaland metal wastes.-This harms living things in the water.-Humans drink the water and eat water livingorganisms that were exposed to these pollutions.-We are exposed to them.

Mining runoff containing lead……very bad.

Mining wastes in industrial runoff can contain mercury. Bad!!!

Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over a period of months or years. Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Children under the age of 6 are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal.

Mercury in any form is poisonous, with mercury toxicity most commonly affecting the neurologic, gastrointestinal (GI) and kidneysystems. Poisoning can result from mercury vapor inhalation, mercury ingestion, mercury injection, and absorption of mercury through the skin. Mercury is still found in many industries, including in battery, thermometer, and barometer manufacturing. Mercury can also be found in fungicides used in the agricultural industry. Before 1990, paints contained mercury as an anti-mildew agent. In medicine, mercury is used in dental amalgams and various antiseptic agents.

“Mad as a hatter" is a colloquial phrase used in conversation to refer to a crazy person. In 18th and 19th century England mercury was used in the production of felt, which was used in the manufacturing of hats common of the time. People who worked in these hat factories were exposed daily to trace amounts of the metal, which accumulated within their bodies over time, causing some workers to develop dementia caused by mercury poisoning (called mad hatter syndrome). Thus, the phrase became popular as a way to refer to someone who was perceived as insane.

4) Sediment: Erosion of soil puts sediment inthe water. It can decrease the sunlight thatallows water plants and algae to grow. It canalso cover up food sources, nesting sites andthe eggs of organisms.5) Oil and Gasoline: Oils spills ruin beaches,kill birds and fish and take years to clean up.Gasoline when spilled or leaked from tanks canpollute ground water…..like a well.

6) Heat: Warm water from industries and powerplants can change the temperature of water, killing plants and animals living in the area.

What can we do about decreasing all types of pollution?1)Stop littering!2)Pick up trash!3)Decrease energy usage! Carpool, insulate, shut off electrical devices when not in use.4)The three R’s: Reduce, reuse and recycle!

It starts with you!!!

A. FOSSIL FUELS as ResourcesProducts of decayed plants and animals that are preserved in the Earth’s crust.1. Types

a. Petroleum (oil): Liquid fossil fuelb. Natural Gas: gasc. Coal: solid2. Main source of energy for

industry, transportation, and homes3. The US uses almost 30% of all fossil fuels produced in the world.

B. Alternative Energy Sources

1. Solar: energy from the sun (passive & active)

2. Hydroelectric: energy from moving water. Used to produce electricity.

3.Wind Energy: using wind turbines to generate electricity.

4. Geothermal Energy: Using heat in the earth to generate heat and/or electricity.

5. Nuclear Energy: The energy located in the nucleus of an atom.

a. Nuclear Fission:

Atoms of Uranium are SPLIT to release the energy.

b. The energy heats water into steam, which then generates electricity.c. Problems: radioactive wastes and expensived. Nuclear Fusion: The COMBINING of HYDROGEN atoms. Produces more energy than fission, no nuclear wastes, BUT, not a reality yet!