Section 1 Environmental Problems Section 2 Environmental Solutions Environmental Problems and Solutions Chapter 15

Section 1 Environmental Problems

Section 2 Environmental Solutions

Environmental Problems and SolutionsChapter 15


Bellringer

What is the difference between a renewable resource and a nonrenewable resource? What nonrenewable resources do you use? Could you use a renewable resource in place of any of these nonrenewable resources?

Chapter 15

Objectives

• Explain how human activities can affect the environment.

• Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources.

• Describe the energy resources used by people today.

• Describe the impact of exotic species.

Chapter 15 Section 1 Environmental Problems

Objectives, continued

• Explain why human population growth has increased.

• Describe how habitat destruction affects biodiversity.

• Give two examples of how pollution affects humans.


Pollution• An unwanted change in the environment caused by

substances, such as wastes, or forms of energy, such as radiation, is called pollution. Anything that causes pollution is called a pollutant.

• Some pollutants are produced by natural events, such as volcanic eruptions. Many pollutants are human-made. Pollutants may harm plants, animals, and humans.

Pollution, continued

Chapter 15

• Garbage The average American throws away more trash than the average person in any other nation –– about 12 kg of trash a week. This trash often goes to a landfill.


Every year, Americans throw away 50 billion food and drink cans, 27 billion glass bottles and jars, and 65 million plastic and metal jar and can covers. More than 30% of our waste is packaging materials. Approximately 85% of our garbage is sent to a landfill.

•Landfills often contain medical waste, lead paint, and other hazardous wastes. Hazardous waste includes wastes that can catch fire, eat through metal, explode, or make people sick.

Pollution, continued• Chemicals People need and use many chemicals.

The same chemicals that help people may harm the environment.

• Fertilizers and pesticides may pollute water. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) may damage the ozone layer. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are poisonous and may cause cancer.

Runoff from industry and agriculture

Toxic waste dumped in oceans

• High-Powered Wastes Nuclear power plants provide electricity to many homes and businesses. The plants also produce radioactive wastes.

• Radioactive wastes can take thousands of years to become harmless.

• Gases Since the Industrial Revolution, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased, trapping heat around the Earth.


Chapter 15

• One effect of this “greenhouse” warming could be the melting of the polar ice caps. Coastal areas could flood as a result.


Projection of a 5 meter rise in sea level over S. Florida.

•Noise Some pollutants affect the senses. These pollutants include loud noises. Noise pollution affects your ability to hear and think clearly, and it may damage your hearing.

Greenhouse Effect


Resource Depletion

Chapter 15

• Some of Earth’s resources are renewable, but other resources are nonrenewable. A renewable resource is one that can be used over and over, or has an unlimited supply.

• A nonrenewable resource is one that cannot be replaced or that can be replaced only over thousands or millions of years. These resources will become more expensive as they become harder to find.


• Solar energy, wind energy, and certain trees are examples of renewable resources.

• Most energy resources that people use are nonrenewable.

Resource Depletion, continued

•Fossil fuels are nonrenewable energy resources that formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals.

Exotic Species• People may carry plant seeds, animals eggs, or

adult organisms with them as they move from one part of the world to another.

• An organism that makes a home for itself in a new place outside its native home is an exotic species. Exotic species often thrive in new places, and can become pests and compete with native species.

Exotic Cuban tree frog

Native green tree frog

Human Population Growth• Overpopulation happens when the number of

individuals becomes so large that the individuals can’t get the resources they need to survive. Some people argue that there may eventually be too many people on Earth.

Habitat Destruction

• When land is cleared for construction, crops, mines, or lumber, organisms that were living in the areas may be left without food and shelter. These organisms may die.

• An organism’s habitat is where it lives. Every habitat has a number and variety of organisms, or biodiversity. If a habitat is damaged or destroyed, biodiversity is lost.


• Forest Habitats Trees provide humans with oxygen, lumber, food, rubber, and paper. Deforestation is the clearing of forest lands for products, farming, and development.

• After deforestation, tropical rain forests do not return to their original diversity, and soils are often damaged.

Chapter 15

Habitat Destruction, continued


Habitat Destruction, continued

• Marine Habitats. Spilled oil pollutes both open waters and coastal habitats. In addition to oil, chemicals and plastics are sometimes dumped into marine habitats.

• An oil spill is an example of point-source pollution, or pollution that comes from one source.


1993 Oil spill

Tampa Bay

336,000 gallons of #6 Oil spilled into Bay

•Nonpoint-source pollution also affects marine habitats. This kind of pollution comes from many sources, as when chemicals are washed from lawns and parking lots into streams, lakes, and oceans.

Effects on Humans

• Pollution and habitat destruction also affect humans. Sometimes, the effect is immediate, Sometimes, the damage is not apparent right away.

• Anything that harms other organisms may eventually harm people, too. Caring for the environment means being aware of what is happening now and looking ahead to the future.



Bellringer

Imagine that you have just finished reading a magazine. Write down at least two things you can do with the magazine that would be preferable to throwing it in the trash.

Write your responses in your science journal.

Chapter 15


• Explain how practicing conservation can affect the environment.

• Describe the three Rs.

• Explain how biodiversity can be maintained.

• List five environmental strategies.

Chapter 15

Objectives

Conservation

• One way to care for the Earth is conservation. Conservation is the preservation and wise use of natural resources.

• Conservation helps reduce waste and pollution. Conservation can help prevent habitat destruction.

• The three Rs describe three ways to conserve resources: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

Section 2 Environmental SolutionsChapter 15


Reduce• The best way to conserve Earth’s natural

resources is to use less of them.

• Reducing Waste and Pollution As much as one-third of the waste produced by some countries is packaging material. Products can be wrapped in less paper and plastic to reduce waste.


•Scientists are working to make biodegradable plastics. Biodegradable materials can be broken down by living organisms.

Reduce, continued

• Some organic farmers are using mulch, compost, and manure instead of synthetic chemicals.

• Reducing the Use of Nonrenewable Resources Some scientists are looking for sources of energy that can replace fossil fuels. In some parts of the world, solar energy can be used to power homes.

• Other renewable energy sources include wind, tides, and falling water.


• Reusing Products Many materials can be reused. For example, every time you reuse a plastic bag, one bag fewer needs to be made. Wood, bricks, and tile can be used again. Old tires cay become playground surfaces.

• Reusing Water Organisms can be used to clean water that has already been used. These organisms include plants and filter-feeding animals, such as clams.


Reuse

Recycle

• The recovery of valuable or useful materials from waste or scrap is called recycling.

• Recycling Trash Plastics, paper, aluminum, wood, glass, and cardboard are examples of materials that can be recycled.

• Recycling Resources Waste that can be burned can also be used to generate electricity. Electricity is generated in waste-to-energy plants.


Maintaining Biodiversity

• Protecting Species One way to maintain biodiversity is to protect individual species. The Endangered Species Act was designed to do that.

• Protecting Habitats Each organism is part of a huge, interconnected web of organisms. The entire web should be protected, habitat and all, not just individual species.


Environmental Strategies

• Reduce pollution.

• Reduce pesticide use.

• Protect habitats.

• Learn about local issues.

• Develop alternative energy sources.


Environmental Strategies, continued

• What You Can Do Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Protect the Earth. These are jobs for everyone. Children as well as adults can help clean up the Earth.

• The following slide offers some suggestions for how you can help.


Concept Mapping

Use the terms below to complete the concept map on the next slide.

conservationrenewable resourcesfossil fuelsaluminum

nonrenewable resourcessolar energyenvironmental solutions




Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

End of Chapter 15 Show

ResourcesChapter menu

FCAT

For the following questions, write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

Chapter 15 Standardized Test Preparation

1. At times during Earth’s history, mass extinction events have significantly decreased biodiversity. One large mass extinction occurred at the end of the Permian period approximately 251 million years ago. Geologic evidence suggests that major climate fluctuations occurred at that time and that the temperature may have changed drastically. Of the approximately 400 families of marine organisms that lived before the extinction even, about 200 families became extinct. Approximately what percentage of families of marine organisms survived the Permian extinction?


1. Approximately what percentage of families of marine organisms survived the Permian extinction?

Approximately 50% of the families of marine organisms survived the Permian extinction.


2. The sketch below shows a diagram of a septic system. Bacteria in the septic tank break down some but not all of the sewage.


Continued on next slide

Question 2, continued

2. Pouring chemicals such as paint products, pesticides, and petroleum products into a septic system is harmful to the environment. Which one of the following is a reason pouring chemicals into a septic system is harmful to the environment?

A. Groundwater gets contaminated.

B. Bacteria get into surrounding soil.

C. Bacteria thrive on toxic chemicals.

D. Groundwater no longer drains properly.



2. Pouring chemicals such as paint products, pesticides, and petroleum products into a septic system is harmful to the environment. Which one of the following is a reason pouring chemicals into a septic system is harmful to the environment?

A. Groundwater gets contaminated.

B. Bacteria get into surrounding soil.

C. Bacteria thrive on toxic chemicals.

D. Groundwater no longer drains properly.


3. Some of Earth’s resources are renewable. Some are nonrenewable. What is a nonrenewable resource?

F. A nonrenewable resource is one that can be used over and over again. It typically has an unlimited supply and will never run out.

G. A nonrenewable resource is typically plentiful on Earth. It will probably never run out, or it will take millions of years for it to be depleted.

H. A nonrenewable resource can last forever. It typically took thousands or millions of years to be created. It is plentiful on earth and it might run out, but it can be replaced quickly.

I. A nonrenewable resource cannot last forever. It typically took thousands or millions of years to be created. It may seem to be plentiful on Earth, but it may run out and cannot be replaced quickly.


3. Some of Earth’s resources are renewable. Some are nonrenewable. What is a nonrenewable resource?

F. A nonrenewable resource is one that can be used over and over again. It typically has an unlimited supply and will never run out.

G. A nonrenewable resource is typically plentiful on Earth. It will probably never run out, or it will take millions of years for it to be depleted.

H. A nonrenewable resource can last forever. It typically took thousands or millions of years to be created. It is plentiful on earth and it might run out, but it can be replaced quickly.

I. A nonrenewable resource cannot last forever. It typically took thousands or millions of years to be created. It may seem to be plentiful on Earth, but it may run out and cannot be replaced quickly.


4. According to a recent report of the Energy Information Administration, an agency of the United States government, the world will never run out of crude oil. The report contends that producing crude oil will eventually be too expensive, and lower cost alternatives will replace crude oil as a source of energy sometime within the next 25 to 125 years. The timing of when crude oil will be replaced as a source of energy depends on the growth of demand for crude oil, but also on the development of alternative sources and technology. Hydrogen-fed fuel cells are one alternative. Sources of the hydrogen used in these cells include natural gas and organic compounds. Other alternative sources of energy include wind energy and solar energy.


Continued on next slide


4. Which sources of energy mentioned are renewable resources, and which are nonrenewable resources?

A. Crude oil, natural gas, organic compounds, wind energy, and solar energy are all nonrenewable resources.

B. Crude oil, natural gas, and organic compounds are renewable resources. Wind energy and solar energy are nonrenewable resources.

C. Crude oil and natural gas are renewable resources. Organic compounds , wind energy and solar energy are nonrenewable resources.

D. Crude oil and natural gas are nonrenewable resources. Organic compounds , wind energy and solar energy are renewable resources.



4. Which sources of energy mentioned are renewable resources, and which are nonrenewable resources?

A. Crude oil, natural gas, organic compounds, wind energy, and solar energy are all nonrenewable resources.

B. Crude oil, natural gas, and organic compounds are renewable resources. Wind energy and solar energy are nonrenewable resources.

C. Crude oil and natural gas are renewable resources. Organic compounds , wind energy and solar energy are nonrenewable resources.

D. Crude oil and natural gas are nonrenewable resources. Organic compounds , wind energy and solar energy are renewable resources.


5. Populations of the tiger salamander of northern Florida are declining due to loss of habitat. This loss of habitat causes tiger salamanders to be killed as they cross roads in developed areas. What is the most effective way to protect remaining populations of tiger salamanders?

F. by developing new salamander habitat in other parts of the state.

G. by transporting salamanders to new breeding sites in nearby states

H. by engineering new varieties of salamanders that do not cross roads the Gulf of Mexico.

I. by maintaining migration corridors between ponds and breeding sites


5. Populations of the tiger salamander of northern Florida are declining due to loss of habitat. This loss of habitat causes tiger salamanders to be killed as they cross roads in developed areas. What is the most effective way to protect remaining populations of tiger salamanders?

F. by developing new salamander habitat in other parts of the state.

G. by transporting salamanders to new breeding sites in nearby states

H. by engineering new varieties of salamanders that do not cross roads the Gulf of Mexico.

I. by maintaining migration corridors between ponds and breeding sites



Section 1 Environmental ProblemsChapter 15


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Section 1 Environmental Problems Section 2 Environmental Solutions Environmental Problems and Solutions Chapter 15