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Summary ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES-human impact
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- Life Sciences
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- 12
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: human impact summary.
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ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIESHUMAN IMPACT
• Atmosphere & climate change
• Water availability
• Food security
• Loss of biodiversity
• Solid waste disposal
ATMOSPHERE: CARBON DIOXDE EMISSIONS
• Human population explosion-->more CO2 exhaled and produced
• Key contribution for increasing CO2 in the atmosphere-->BURNING FOSSIL
FUELS
• Increase in CO2-->increase in temperature-->contributes to global warming
• Released into the atmosphere by the following:
➢ Industry generates more electricity-->burning of more fossil fuels (coal,
oil and gas)
➢ Motor vehicles & aircraft-->burns petrol & diesel
➢ Wood-->burned for domestic use (burning of natural forests)
➢ Burning fuels such as coal, petrol and diesel
CARBON FOOTPRINT:
• Total amount of greenhouse gases (eg: carbon dioxide, methane & ozone)
produced in support of human activities over a year
• Generally expressed in tons of carbon dioxide (kg)
• Primary carbon footprint-->direct emissions you make
• Secondary carbon footprint-->indirect emission because of the decisions you
make an a consumer
DEFORESTATION:
• CONSEQUENCE: Permanent destructions of indigenous forests and
woodlands-->increase in CO2 and global warming (more floods, fires, droughts
& extreme weather conditions) and loss in biodiversity
, • Key contribution for increasing CO2 in the atmosphere-->photosynthesis is the
only natural way to remove CO2 (CO2 is a greenhouse gas)
• Forests are NB
▪ clean the air and release water in the form of water vapor
▪ CO2 sinks and storage
REASONS FOR DEFORESTATION:
▪ Increase in demand for land-->overpopulation, poverty and greed
▪ Commercial logging for building material, furniture making or paper
production
▪ Wood-->heating and cooking
▪ Building of roads-->transporting machinery and logs destroy large tracts of
forest
▪ IN SUMMARY: INDUSTRILAZATION, AGRICULTURAL, WOOD USED FOR
FUEL, TIMBER
GREENHOUSE EFFECT AND GLOBAL WARMING:
o Greenhouse effect-->natural warming of the surface of the earth
o Natural greenhouse gases-->Essential for life on earth (i.e.: Methane, Water
vapor, CO2)
o Natural greenhouse gases act like a blanket around the earth-->traps it and
gives us suitable temperatures to support life
o Burning fossil fuels increase the amount of greenhouse gases (i.e.: Carbon
dioxide and methane)
o Enhanced greenhouse effect-->increased amount of greenhouse gas traps
more infrared radiation-->increases the temperature on the earth’s surface--
>MORE GLOBAL WARMING (increase in the average temperature of Earth’s
surface)
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