ISC 201 Man and

Environment
Final summary
 Definition
Science, Technology and Society

Is a system that greatly affects

the way of living of every
individual in this world
 SCIENCE
Is a system or body of knowledge,
which involves the theories, concepts
and principles of the procedure to be
applied
A way to answer questions & solve
problems
How we understand the world around
us
A way or process used to investigate
what is happening around you
It provides possible answers
 The scientific method
A scientist makes an
observation and asks
questions of some
phenomenon
Hypothesis: a
statement that tries to
explain the question
The hypothesis
generates predictions:
specific statements that
can be directly tested
The test results either
support or reject the
hypothesis
 TECHNOLOGY
Is the by-product or the outcome of
any scientific activity, which aims
either to construct, reconstruct or to
ruin a societal function.
Activities that apply the principles of
science and mechanics to the
solutions of a specific problem
 What is the difference
between Science and
Technology?
Technology is the application of
science;
Science  gaining knowledge
Technology  using knowledge
 Science vs. Technology
Deals with the Deals with how humans
natural world. modify, change, alter, or
control the natural world.
Is very concerned
Is very concerned with
with what is
what can or should be
(exists) in the designed, made, or
natural world. (i.e.: developed from natural
Biology, Chemistry, world materials and
Physics, Astronomy, substances to satisfy
Geology, etc.) human needs and wants
 Science vs. Technology
(Continued)
Is concerned with Is concerned with
processes that seek such processes
out the meaning of
the natural world that we use to
by “inquiry”, alter/change the
“discovering natural world such
what is”, as “Invention”,
“exploring”, and
using “the
Innovation”,
Scientific Practical
Method”. Problem Solving,
and Design.
 -electrical, magnetic, and
Michael Faraday

chemical, lays the foundation for the

electric generators and motors.
- anesthesia for
Horace Wells and William T. G. Morton

dentistry and surgery by using

Nitrous oxide- greenhouse gas
Ignaz Semmelweisintroduces the practice of
antiseptic prophylaxis
Louis Pasteur- pasteurization of milk

Felix Hoffmann synthesizes aspirin (and

heroin)
Elisha Otis invents the elevator safety brake
Alexander Graham Bell – telephone
Thomas Alva Edison – phonograph, incandescent
electric light, generators and electric
lamps, motion picture camera
Henry Ford - gasoline-powered automobile

Wilbur and Orville Wright achieve the first

successful airplane flight
Albert Einstein- the quantum nature of light
and other electromagnetic phenomena
 -arsenic compound effective against
Paul Ehrlich

syphilis
Leo Baekeland - Bakelite, plastics industry

Alexander Fleming -discovers penicillin

Francis Crick and James Watson-discover the structure

of DNA
WWI-‘the chemists’ war’ -role of
chemists in poison gas
WW2 – Radar, The jet engine, Plastics
(synthetic materials),Atom bomb
( nuclear energy- uranium
source)
What’s a natural resource?
Resource are things that have utility.

Natural resources are those that

are derived from the Earth and
biosphere or atmosphere and that
exist independently of human activity.
Those things that people come in
contact with that may be used to
perform any useful function.
Objects, materials, creatures, or
energy found in nature that can be
put to use by humans.
 Natural
Resources
Perpetual
Renewable
Non-
renewable
Potential
 Natural
Resources
Perpetual: Available forever
(in “human time” perspective) Inexhaustible on
a time scale of decades or centuries, even longer
Perpetual energy sources?
Solar Radiation
Heat energy from Earth’s
Wind interiorTides
Rivers (hydro)? perhaps...
Energy from surface phenomena such as
wind and water
 Natural
Resources
Renewable: Rate of replenishment
by natural processes ≥ Rate of
consumption
Renewable energy sources?

Wood* Other
biomass*
*but there’s a
catch...
 Natural
Resources
Non-renewable: Rate of
replenishment
by natural processes < Rate of
consumption
Non-renewable energy
sources?
Oil Natural Gas
Coal Nuclear
Geothermal -- a
Natural Resources
Potential resources are not resources
at present but may become resources
in the future, depending on cognitive,
technological, and economic
developments.

Such as solid waste as an alternative

fuel or material source and
wastewater that is treated and used
in irrigation or for other purposes.
Renewable Resources

Are any resource

that cycles or can
be replaced within
a human life span.
Examples include:
water, crops,
wind, soil,
sunlight, animals,
etc…
a. Food and fiber – a. Soil – a mixture of
are renewable living organisms
agricultural and dirt.
resources that Even though it
can be harvested initially takes
or raised thousands of
indefinitely… years to form,
the rate at which
… unless their soil can
use exceeds the regenerate
rate they can be depends on the
replaced. climate of an
area.
a. Wind – caused by a. Water – constantly
the uneven renewed/replenishe
heating of the d by the water
Earth. Not only
renewable but cycle.
inexhaustible. However, fresh
water resources
d. Sun – light are somewhat
from the sun limited.
supports all the
life on Earth as The use and
we know it. Also quality of water
considered must be carefully
inexhaustible. (at monitored to
least for the next ensure future use.
5 billion years)
a. Biomass fuels – a. Geothermal
are organic energy – the heat
matter (wood, generated deep
plants, animal within the Earth.
residues, etc…) Fueled by the
that contain decay of
stored solar radioactive
energy. elements. Used
to heat water.
Used to supply
energy to 15% of
the world’s
supply.
Nonrenewable Resources
Any resource that cannot be
replaced during the time of a human
life span.

Took millions of years to form and

exist in fixed amounts in the Earth.

They need to be conserved before

they become depleted.
a. Ores – mineral Nonmetallic ores
deposits from include: salt, sand,
which valuable gravel, clay,
diamonds,
metals and gemstones, etc..
nonmetals can be
Currently there are
recovered for no metal mines in
profit. operation in PA.
The major
Metallic ores nonmetallic ores
include: gold, mined are coal,
silver, copper, limestone, granite,
aluminum, zinc, slate, sand, and
etc… gravel.
 b. Fossil Fuels
Are nonrenewable because they take
millions of years to form.

In developing countries, the fossil

fuels are fossilized wood, charcoal,
and peat.
In developed countries, the fossil
fuels are mainly coal, natural gas,
and oil.
i. Coal – the Lignite (brown coal) –
remains of about 70% carbon.
wetland plants Bituminous (soft
that have been coal) – about 85%
carbon.
compressed over
millions of years. Anthracite (hard
coal) – greatly than
Different types – 90% carbon. This is
Peat – about 50% the cleanest burning
carbon. The rest and least abundant.
is water and
contaminants.
Coal comes mainly from dead plants, like
trees, falling into swamps.
 PEAT

LIGNITE

BITMUNOUS

ANTHRACITE
ii. Petroleum and
Natural Gas – are Oil and gas
the remains of occur
mainly marine together and
organisms.
were formed
Typically found in from both
underground
formations called plants and
traps with the animals
natural gas
trapped on top being buried.
and oil on the
bottom.
 Alternative Energy Resources.
a. These are energy resources that are
more renewable or more
environmentally friendly in
comparison to fossil fuels.
b.

c. Currently include the following: solar,

wind, geothermal, hydropower,
nuclear, and biomass.
i. Solar energy –
can be used to
heat buildings
and water and
provide
electricity.

Passive solar
heating uses
large south facing
windows to
collect the sun’s
energy.
 Solar cells can collect and convert the
sun’s energy into electricity for
residential use.
Disadvantages
Doesn't work at night.
Very expensive to build solar power
stations.
Can be unreliable unless you're in a very
sunny place
ii. Wind – turns giant wind turbines that
produce electricity.

Disadvantages
The wind is not always predictable - some
days have no wind.
Suitable areas for wind farms are often near
the coast, where land is expensive.
Some people feel that covering the
landscape with these towers is ugly
Can kill birds.
Can affect television reception if you live
nearby.
Can be noisy.
iii. Hydropower – the
energy of water
stored behind dams
can be turned into
electricity.
A dam is built to trap
water, usually in a
river valley.
Water is allowed to
flow through tunnels
in the dam, to turn
turbines and thus
drive generators to
produce electricity.
i.Nuclear Power – uses the process of
fission to release energy to make
electricity.
Nuclear power is generated using
Uranium

Three Mile
Island
DISADVANTAGES
TIDAL POWER - ENERGY FROM THE
SEA
How it works: Tidal Barrages
These work rather like a hydro-electric
scheme
A huge dam (called a "barrage") is built
across a river estuary. When the tide
goes in and out, the water flows
through tunnels in the dam.
The ebb and flow of the tides can be
used to turn a turbine.
 DISADVANTAGES OF TIDAL
POWER
A barrage across an estuary is very
expensive to build, and affects a very
wide area. - the environment and birds.
There are few suitable sites for tidal
barrages.
Only provides power for around 10
hours each day, when the tide is
actually moving in or out.
Tidal energy is renewable. The tides will
continue to ebb and flow, and the
energy is there for free.
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IS ENERGY
FROM HEAT INSIDE THE EARTH.
 DISADVANTAGES
There are not many Sometimes a
places where you geothermal
can build a site may "run
geothermal power out of
station. steam",
Dangerous gases and perhaps for
minerals may come up several years.
from underground.

Geothermal energy is renewable. The

energy keeps on coming, so long as we
don't pump too much cold water down
and cool the rocks too much.
 BIOMASS - ENERGY FROM
ORGANIC MATERIALS
Sugar cane can be used to make
alcohol, which can be burned to
generate power
Other solid wastes, can be burned to
provide heat, or used to make steam
for a power station
We can use rubbish, animal
manure, woodchips, seaweed,
corn stalks and other waste
 Advantages
It makes sense to use waste
materials where we can.
The fuel tends to be cheap.
Less demand on the
Earth's resources.
 Disadvantages
Collecting the waste in sufficient
quantities can be difficult.
We burn the fuel, so it makes
pollution.
Some waste materials are not available
all year round.
Biomass is renewable, as we're going to
carry on making waste products. We can
always plant and grow more sugar cane
and more trees, so those are renewable
too.
Other Resources
B. Minerals
1. Most widely used are the
metals
a. Fe, Cu, Al, Mg, Pb, Zn,
Sn, (Iron, Copper,
Aluminum, Magnesium,
Lead, and Tin)
Mineral Resources
 Mineral Resources
As with energy resources,
mineral resources are NOT
uniformly distributed around
the world…
Minerals are either metallic or
nonmetallic
Weight-wise, 90% of minerals that
humans use are nonmetallic!!
Metallic minerals have other,
economic-based value…
 Nonmetallic Minerals
90% of nonmetallic mineral extraction is
used for: Building materials
Building stones / large stones
Coarse gravel
Fine sand

Nonmetallic minerals are also used for

fertilizer : Phosphorous Potassium
Calcium Sulfur
Gemstones
A small percentage of nonmetallic
minerals in weight, these minerals
have high value
 Metallic Minerals
Metallic minerals:
Contain properties that are valuable
for making
machinery, vehicles, weapons, and
other essential elements of an
industrialized society…
Ferrous (metals) - IRON
Refers to iron ore and other alloys
used in the production of iron and
steel
Nonferrous (metals) - ALUMINUM
Used to make products other than
iron and steel
 Ferrous
Why is iron such a valuable
resource?

Good conductor of both heat

and electricity
Attracted by a magnet and
able to be magnetized
Malleable into all sorts of
useful shapes
 Nonferrous
Why is aluminum such a
valuable resource?
Light and Strong
Non-magnetic
Resistant to corrosion
Huge supply
As well as being malleable,
ductile, and a decent conductor…
 What is pollution?
A pollutant is a “chemical out of
place”
“Any substance introduced into the
environment that adversely affects
the usefulness of a resource”
• Generated by nature or humans
Natural : forest fires, pollen, dust storm
Manmade (Unnatural); coal, wood and
other fuels used in cars, homes, and
factories for energy
Effects of Air Pollution on Plants
Interferes with photosynthesis,
carbohydrate production
Damage to leaf tissue, needles and
fruit
Reduction in growth rate or
suppression of growth
Increased susceptibility to disease,
pests, and adverse
weather
It reduces crop yields and makes fruit
smaller, lighter and less nutritious
Primary and Secondary Pollutants

Primary Pollutants
– Those emitted directly into
the air
Secondary Pollutants
– Produced through reactions
between primary pollutants and
natural atmospheric compounds
(and often sunlight)
 Primary
Pollutants
CO CO2 Secondary
Pollutants
SO2 NO NO2
Most SO3
hydrocarbons
Most suspended HNO3H2SO4
particles H2O2 O3 PANs
Most NO3− and SO42−
salts
Source Natur Stationa
s al ry

Mobil
e

Fig. 18-4, p.
 Air Pollution

Global Local

Industr Natural Industr Natural

ial ial

Gaseous Marshla Gaseous Landfills

emissio nds
n
Thermal Forests Thermal Gaseous
What Are the Major Outdoor Air
Pollutants? (1)
Carbon oxides
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Sources
Human health and environmental
impact
 CO
Colorless, odorless, tasteless gas
Produced as a result of incomplete combustion

2C + O2 → 2CO (insufficient O 2 )
2CO + O 2 → 2CO 2 (sufficient O 2 )

Hazards - CO gets locked on

hemoglobin in blood and stays on
250 x longer than O2, leading to
hypoxia
What Are the Major Outdoor Air
Pollutants? (2)
Nitrogen oxides (NO) and nitric acid
(HNO3)
Sources
Acid deposition
Photochemical smog
Human health and environmental impact

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfuric

acid (H2SO4)
Sources
Human health and environmental impact
What Are the Major Outdoor Air
Pollutants? (3)
Particulates
Suspended particulate matter
(SPM)
Fine
Ultrafine

Sources

Human health and environmental

impact
What Are the Major Outdoor Air
Pollutants? (4)
Ozone (O3)
Sources
Human and environmental impact

Volatile organic compounds

(VOCs)
Hydrocarbons and terpenes
Sources
Human and environmental impact
 Ozone: Good Up High - Bad
Nearby
Ground level ozone is formed via a chemical
reaction

VOCs come primarily from vegetation and

industrial sources.
NOx comes from automobiles, trucks, buses, and
power plants.
Ozone pollution is a concern primarily during the
summer months when the weather conditions to
form it (lots of sun and hot temperatures)
Chemical Reactions That Form
Major Outdoor Air Pollutants
 Ozone: Good Up High - Bad
Nearby
Ground level ozone is formed via a chemical
reaction

VOCs come primarily from vegetation and

industrial sources.
NOx comes from automobiles, trucks, buses, and
power plants.
Ozone pollution is a concern primarily during the
summer months when the weather conditions to
form it (lots of sun and hot temperatures)
 Acid Rain
Normal rain water
(pH 5.7)
Acid rain (pH 4 –
5.4)
 Causes of Acid Rain
Sulphur dioxide
-burning of fossil fuels in power
stations, heavy industries & motor
vehicles
Process
sulphur dioxide+oxygen sulphur
trioxide
sulphur trioxide+water sulphuric
acid
sulphur dioxide+water sulphurous
acid
 Causes of Acid Rain
Nitrogen oxides
-burning of fossil fuels in motor
vehicles & power stations

Process
nitrogen + oxygen 
nitrogen
monoxide
dioxide

nitrogen + water
+ oxygen  nitric acid
dioxide
 Effects of Acid Rain
Damage to building,
statues and monuments
( for those with marble
and metals like iron)

Human respiratory diseases

(bronchitis & asthma)
 Effects of Acid Rain
Damage tree foliage
- more susceptible to
diseases, insects & drought

Increase the acidity of soil

-affect the growth of trees & crops
when the soil pH < 4.5, most
valuable
nutrients are rapidly lost and
bacterial
activities will be greatly reduced
 Effects of Acid Rain
Induce the release of
aluminium ions from soil
particles
-damage the roots of trees
& kill aquatic organisms
-Impairs gill function make
fish suffocate.
 Effect of Acid Rain
Cause irritation to our
respiratory system and eyes

Acidify lakes
- Increased acidity
moderately toxic mercury
compounds in lake-bottom
sediment are converted
into methylmercury
Normal
condition

Smog
formation
 Thermal inversion occurs when a layer of
warm air settles over a layer of cooler air that
lies near the ground. The warm air holds
down the cool air and prevents pollutants
from rising and scattering.

Normal
conditions

Thermal inversion
conditions

diagrams copyright of
www.discoverchemistry.com)
 Thermal Pollution
Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the
temperature of a natural body of water
caused by human influence.
A common cause of thermal pollution is the
use of water as a coolant by power plants
and industrial manufacturers
Elevated water temperatures decreases
oxygen levels (which can kill fish) and affects
ecosystem composition
Thermal pollution can also be caused by the
release of very cold water from the base of
reservoirs into warmer rivers.
Thermal pollution is a temperature change in natural
water bodies caused by human influence. The
temperature change can be upwards or
downwards. In the Northern Hemisphere, a
common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water
as a coolant, especially in power plants. Water used as
a coolant is returned to the natural
environment at a higher temperature.
Increases in water temperature can impact on
aquatic organisms by (a) decreasing oxygen supply,
(b) killing fish juveniles which are vulnerable
to small increases in temperature, and (c)
affecting ecosystem composition. In the Southern
Hemisphere, thermal pollution is commonly
caused by the release of very cold water from
the base of reservoirs, with severe affects on
fish (particularly eggs and larvae), and river
productivity.
Indoor Air Pollution
Sources of Indoor pollution
Efficient insulation
Bacteria
Molds and mildews
Viruses
animal dander and cat saliva
plants
house dust
Mites
Cockroaches
pollen
 Para- Tetrachloroethyl
Chlorofor dichlorobenzene ene
m

1, 1, 1-
Trichloroetha Formaldehy
ne de

Benzo-α-
Nitrogen pyrene
Oxides
Styre
ne

Tobacco
Asbesto Smoke
s
Radon-
Carbon Methylene 222
Monoxide Chloride
Indoor Air Pollution
Sources of Water Pollution
Water
Pollution

Point Non-point
source source

Industrial Municipal Agricultur Atmosphe

effluent waste al runoff ric

Textile Tannery Dyeing Thermal

 Chemical & other contaminants
Contaminants may include organic and inorganic substances
Inorganic water pollutants include:-
Acidity caused by industrial discharges
(especially sulphur dioxide from power
plants)
Ammonia from food processing waste
Chemical waste as industrial by-products
Fertilizers containing nutrients--nitrates
and phosphates--which are found in
storm water run off from agriculture, as
well as commercial and residential use
 Chemical
Chemical & contaminants
& other other contaminants
(contin)

Heavy metals from motor vehicles

(via urban storm water runoff) and
acid mine drainage
Silt (sediment) in runoff from
construction sites, logging, slash
and burn practices or land clearing
sites
Chemical & other contaminants (contin)

Macroscopic pollution—large visible items

polluting the water—may be termed
"floatables" in an urban storm water
context, or marine debris when found on the
open seas, and can include such items as:

Trash: (e.g. paper, plastic, or food waste)

discarded by people on the ground, and that
are washed by rainfall into storm drains and
eventually discharged into surface waters
Nurdles: small ubiquitous waterborne plastic
pellets
Shipwrecks: large derelict ships.
Pathogens are another type of
pollution that prove very harmful.
They can cause many illnesses that
range from typhoid and dysentery to
minor respiratory and skin diseases.
Pathogens include such organisms
as bacteria, viruses, and protozoan.
These pollutants enter waterways
through untreated sewage, storm
drains, septic tanks, runoff from
farms, and particularly boats that
dump sewage.
 Pathogenic microbes
Fecal coliform bacteria- Escherichia coli
(E. coli)
Harmful risks (diseases and death) of E.
coli
Billions exposed to waterborne diseases,
especially in poor countries and
Epidemic risks of waterborne diseases
during natural disasters, such as
earthquake, tsunami, flooding
 Soil Pollution

Industr Man-
ial made

Liquid Landfills
effluent

Sludge

Toxic
Chemic
als
 Noise Pollution
Machines
Industrial
Exhaust

Vehicular

Sources Operatio
n
Construct
ion Demolitio
n
Other
 Noise Pollution
Exposure to prolong noise
affects speech, hearing, general
health and behaviour.
Noise Levels _ dB
Intensity
frequency
periods of exposure and
duration
 Intensity (Loudness)
Measure of acoustic
energy of the
sound vibrations
Expressed in terms
of sound pressure.
Decibels (dB) are
the unit of
measurement on
the Loudness scale
Physical Characteristics of
Sound
Measurement and human perception
of Sound involves three basic
physical characteristics:
Intensity
Frequency
Duration
Comparative Noise Levels (dB)
Noise Pollution Control
Visual pollution is the term given to
unattractive or unnatural visual elements
of a vista, a landscape, or any other thing
that a person might not want to look
at. Commonly cited examples are houses,
automobiles, traffic signs, roadsigns, highways, roadways,
billboards, litter, graffiti, overhead powerlines, utility poles, contrails,
skywriting, buildings, weeds, and advertisements.
These are usually considered visual
pollution when placed in a landscape
or surrounding where the person
seeing them thinks that they do not
fit. For example big billboards in a
countryside village or graffiti on an
old eighteenth century house can be
seen as visual pollution.
Light pollution, also known as
photopollution or luminous pollution, is
excess or obtrusive light created by humans.
Among other effects, it disrupts ecosystems,
can cause adverse health effects,
obscures the stars for city dwellers, and
interferes with astronomical observatories. Light
pollution can be construed to fall into
two main branches: annoying light that
intrudes on an otherwise natural or low
light setting and excessive light,
generally indoors, that leads to worker
discomfort and adverse health effects.
Since the early 1980s, a global dark-sky movement
has emerged, with concerned people
campaigning to reduce the amount of
light pollution.
 LP Problems for Urban Habitats
Homeowners Backyard Habitat and
Urban Park Manager’s Habitat Guide
Light pollution increases domestic animal
activity at night; increases domestic animal
predation on wildlife
Birds venture away from nests at night, may
abandoned nests; hatchlings fall out.
Alters behavior of wildlife
Decreases survival of young wildlife
Makes habitat less suitable for good wildlife
Deciduous trees and plants experience
delayed winter dormancy that increases
susceptibility to stress and diseases on light
polluted properties
Homeowners and park patrons cannot enjoy
night landscape and wildlife benefits of their
own properties or park if there are lights
 RECOMMENDATIONS for
DEVELOPERS, HOMEOWNERS,
URBAN PARK MANAGERS

Design lighting with full cut off optics (FCOs), short heights,
light shielding, low illumination accent lighting, timers and
motion sensors to focus nontarget lighting downwards on
target area and away from trees, flowerbeds, shrubs, fields,
forests, and wetlands.
Design wildlife friendly landscaping. Consult your local
nurseries and landscaping firms for tips and tricks.
Consult local Audubon Society, Sierra Club or other wildlife
interest groups for tips on how to develop backyard wildlife
habitats.
Use tall rapid growth evergreen trees and shrubs screen
out unwanted lighting from adjacent properties.
Turn off all yard lights if possible, especially when not in
use.
Ozone depletion, Global
warming & Acid rain
 Ozone layer
a protective layer in the upper
atmosphere
-protect life by filtering out
harmful ultraviolet radiation
Consist of triatomic oxygen O3
Ozone depletion
-a lowered concentration of
ozone in the upper atmosphere
Causes of Ozone Depletion
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds
-may drift up to the upper atmosphere
-involved in chlorine releasing reaction
 forming chlorine radical (Cl ． )
chlorine radical + ozone  chlorine monoxide
radical(ClO ． )
chlorine monoxide radical chlorine radical
+  +
oxygen radical (O ． ) oxygen
 Effects of Ozone Depletion

Increase in ultraviolet radiation

reaching the Earth’s surface

Modify the genetic information

in body cells

Increase in the incidence of

skin cancer, cataract & lung
diseases
Effects of Ozone Depletion

Reduction in the function of the

immune system
Reduce the yields of crops
Disrupt the ecological balance of
food webs
Increase in the incidence of
photochemical smog
Global Warming
What Is Global Warming?
Global warming is
the warming of the
earth through carbon
dioxide (CO2) being
pumped into the
atmosphere from
tailpipes and
smokestacks. Then
the gases trap heat
like the glass in a
greenhouse. This is
where the term the
“greenhouse effect”
came from.
 Global Warming
The gradual increase in
average temperature in the
atmosphere due to the
accumulation of greenhouse
gases
-heat trapped inside the
atmosphere
- change in climate
 Greenhouse Effect

Greenhouse gases impede the escape

of heat from Earth’s surface
 What determines the surface
temperature of the Earth?
Greenhouse
Average +15 Effect
Surface °C
Temperatu
re
33
Temperatu °C
re for
-18
radiation
°C
balance
Other Greenhouse Gases

CFCs - synthetic gases used in

plastics and in refrigeration
Methane - produced by termites
and bacteria
Nitrous oxide - released by bacteria,
fertilizers, and animal wastes
 Earth’s Atmospheric Gases
Nitrogen Non-
(N2)
Greenhou
99
Oxygen % se
(O2) Gases
Water
(H2O)

Carbon Dioxide Greenhou

1
(CO2) se
%
Gases
Methane
(CH4)
What makes a gas greenhouse gas?

Able to absorb infrared light

Must have molecular vibration(s)
This excludes monoatomic gases as
greenhouse gases. (That is why argon, the
third most abundant atmospheric constituents
is transparent to infrared irradiation)
The molecular vibrations must be non-
symmetric, i.e. infrared active
Homonuclear diatomic molecules only have
symmetric vibrations. That’s why N2, O2 are
not greenhouse gases.
 Major greenhouse gases?
H2O - water
CO2 :- Carbondioxide (CO2 --53%)
CH4 :- Methane (CH4 --17%)
N2O :- Nitrous oxide (N2O --5%)
O3 :- Ozone (O3 --13%)
CFCs :- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs -
12%)
SF6 :- Sulfur hexafluoride
Absorption of terrestrial radiation by H2O and CO2

Atmospheric window: 8000-

12000 nm
What determines the contribution of a
greenhouse gas to global warming?
Concentrations
H2O and CO2 are the two biggest
contributors to the atmospheric warming
because of their higher concentrations.
Lifetime
The longer-lived a gas is, the higher the
contribution. e.g. N2O contribution > CH4
Effectiveness as an infrared absorber
For example, CFC-11 and CFC-12
CFC-11 and CFC-
12 are effective
infrared absorber

The absorption
spectra of CFC-11
and CFC-12
coincides with the
atmospheric
window ( closed
window)
 Atmospheric window
Most generally speaking, any gap in an
atmosphere's absorption spectrum, allowing
electromagnetic radiation within a certain wavelength range
to pass through unimpeded.
the window in the infrared absorption spectrum
of the Earth's atmosphere, ranging from
about 8 to 12 microns. The atmosphere is
nearly transparent in this range, which
corresponds nicely to the peak of the
planet's emission spectrum. This is a good thing: it
allows enough energy to radiate out into
space to avoid overheating and roasting
billions of living organisms
Industrial activities have increased
concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane, among
others, gradually narrowing the window and
contributing to the greenhouse effect.
Effects of Global Warming
Thermal expansion of the
ocean,
melting of ice
flooding in coastal region

Alteration of agricultural
regions

Extreme weather
Effects of Global Warming

Affect cold-water fish & marine

mammals
lead to undesirable
competition
for habitats & food sources

Affect biodiversity
some species may become
extinct
 Effects of Global Warming

Warm climate would alter disease

pattern in unpredictable way and
favour of some micro-organisms
increase the spread of epidemics
Pests could become more active &
grow faster
 damage of crops & faster spread
of
plant disease
food shortage & famine
Controversial Views of
Global Warming
 Pros
provide a suitable
environment for organisms to
live
As a warmer climate flavor
the growth of crops
- crops yield greatly
increased and so it can satisfy
the rapid increase in human
population
 Pros
warmer climate and higher
concentration of carbon dioxide

the plants grow luxuriantly and

extension of life span is showed

(especially in region like Russia

and Siberia)
 Cons
Some organisms may die easily
as they are not suitable for living
in a relatively high temperature

Sea level rise

- by thermal expansion of sea
water and melting of ice sheets
( in Greenland and Antarctica )
 Cons
Sea level rise
- flooding
- economic impact  coastal urban
area
- displace fresh groundwater
- changing in soil content
- reduce in coastal wetlands
 reduce fish populations e.g
shellfish
- alter the regional rainfall patterns
 flooding
Roles of the individual
in overcoming Global
Warming
Power Stations and Factories

Use renewable energy

resources
- examples: solar energy,
wind energy etc.

Reduce the release of

carbon dioxide when
burning fossil fuel
 Government
Set up laws :
 restrict the car emission level

Encourage and subsidize

the use of renewable energy sources in
power stations and factories

Plant more trees

 balance the level of CO in atmosphere
2
 Government
Slow down or stop Deforestation
 limit the cutting of trees in forest

Education
 educate the public the
consequences
of global warming
 Public
Stop using items containing CFCs
e.g : foam cups, aerosols (hair
sprays)

Save energy
 reduce the use of electricity
reduce the burning of coal

Use public transport or even walk

How can carbon sequestration help
reduce global warming?
Atmospheric carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases act to trap heat that is
reflected from the earth’s surface. This buildup
of heat could lead to global warming.
Through carbon sequestration, atmospheric
carbon dioxide levels are reduced as soil
organic carbon levels increase.
If the soil organic carbon is undisturbed, it can
remain in the soil for many years as stable
organic matter.
This carbon is then sequestered or removed
from the pool available to be recycled to the
atmosphere. This process reduces CO2 levels in
the atmosphere, reducing the chances of global
warming.
 Storage of CO2 in Geological
Formations
1. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
2. CO2 in enhanced oil and gas recovery
3. Deep saline formations – (a) offshore (b) onshore
4. CO2 in enhanced coal bed methane recovery
1 4
3
3 b
2
a
 Montreal Protocol 1987
Very effective!
Plan for eventual reduction of
global CFCs by 50% of 1986
levels; stop by 1999
Because of dramatic evidence
of destruction, timetables
shortened; US ended production
in 1995
 The Kyoto Protocol
The KP is an agreement on the UN’s Framework
Convention on Climate Change and was
negotiated in 1997 and came into force in 2005.
The KP is underwritten 163 countries and covers
65 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Developed countries have adopted strict GHG
emission reduction obligations. Developing
countries have adopted no obligations.
Developed countries have to reduce GHG
emissions to on average 5.2 percent below 1990
level.
Kyoto includes a “linking mechanism” that allows
countries to meet targets by purchasing
reductions elsewhere.
The KP encourages the creation of emission
reducing projects in developing countries. If these
projects are approved, they receive Certified
Emission Reduction Credits that can be traded
and purchased by developing countries.
 What is Biodiversity ?
the variety of life on Earth at all its
levels,
from genes to ecosystems, and the
ecological and evolutionary
processes that sustain it.

Source: ©AMNH-
Biodiversity
Variety of living
things, number of
kinds
Ecological diversity
different habitats,
niches, species
interactions
Species diversity
different kinds of
organisms,
relationships among
species
Genetic diversity
different genes &
combinations of genes
Benefits of Biodiversity
Ecosystem
functions
Ecosystem
services
Cleaning water,
habitat &
breeding areas
for wildlife
Aesthetic and
cultural benefits
Importance of biodiversity: Ecosystem
Goods and Services
Provisioning Regulating
Benefits obtained
Cultural
Goods produced or Non-material benefits
from regulation of
provided by obtained from
ecosystem processes
ecosystems ecosystems
climate control
food spiritual
disease control
fresh water recreational
flood control
fuel wood aesthetic
waste detoxification
fiber and decomposition inspirational
drought moderation educational
bio-chemicals
communal
genetic resources
symbolic
Supporting
Services that maintain the conditions for life on
earth.
Soil formation
Nutrient cycling
Pollination and seed dispersal
Direct Use of Biodiversity: Goods

Source: © AMNH-
CBC

Source: © AMNH-
CBC
Benefits of Biodiversity
New food sources
Grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish
Research & Direct Use : Medicine

source of
chemicals,
techniques,
understanding

Source: © AMNH-
CBC
Benefits of
Biodiversity
Medicines
Plants
Jellyfish &
sea
anemones
Nudibranc
hs
Indirect Values: Species & Ecosystem
Services
Regulating global
processes, such as
atmosphere and climate
Soil and water
conservation
Tourism and recreation
Cultural, spiritual,
aesthetic
Source: © AMNH-
Community Resilience CBC
Source: Snyder © AMNH-
CBC
Strategic
More Indirect
Values
Nutrient cycling
Pollination and
seed dispersal
Control of
agricultural pests
Genetic library
Inspiration and
information
Scientific and
educational
Biodiversity hotspots - areas
with a high concentration of
endemic species, experiencing
rapid habitat loss
 Threats to
Biodiversity
Extinction and
population
reductions
Hunting and
overharvesting
Tiger ,Dodo ,Whal
es
Sharks
Habitat loss
 Threats to Biodiversity

Extinction and
population
reductions
Pollution
Climate change
Invasive
species
 Protecting Biodiversity
How can we protect
biodiversity
Stop overharvesting
Sustainable yield
Hunting & fishing laws
(every state ?)
in developing nations ?
Refuges, parks,
preserves
Endangered Species
Act
 Protecting Biodiversity
Refuges, parks, preserves
How big should refuges be?
Where should they be?
McArthur & Wilson “Theory of
Island Biogeography”
colonization rate
extinction rate (local)
predicts number of species
Major Threats to Biodiversity

Most species loss can be traced to

four major threats
Habitat destruction
Introduced species
Overexploitation
Disruption of “interaction networks”
- Pollution
- Climate change
 1.Habitat destruction
and fragmentation
Human alteration of habitat
Is the single greatest threat to
biodiversity throughout the biosphere
Massive destruction of habitat
Has been brought about by many types
of human activity.
Agricultural, Deforestration, Cities,
Pollution Etc.
 Habitat Fragmentation
Fragmentation – disruption of
extensive habitats into small, isolated
patches
In almost all cases
Habitat
fragmentation and
destruction leads to
loss of biodiversity.
Many natural
landscapes have
been broken up
Fragmenting habitat
into small patches
2.Introduced species
▪ Humans are constantly moving
species between continents,
islands
deliberate or accidental

Most serious impacts on islands

low species diversity
few native predators
animals lack anti-predator defenses,
resistance to diseases
Characteristics of invasive species
pioneer species
high dispersal rates
found in disturbed habitats, but…
some can invade undisturbed
communities

Why are invasives successful?

no diseases, herbivores, parasites,
predators
better competitors than native
species
Introduced diseases – exploit
lack of evolved resistance
Dutch elm disease – American
elm
Chestnut blight – American
chestnut
avian malaria – Hawaiian birds
Rinderpest – African ungulates
chytrid fungus – amphibians
 3.Exploitation and overharvest
Overexploitation refers generally to the
human harvesting of wild plants or
animals
At rates exceeding the ability of populations
of those species to rebound
Direct exploitation for food
overfishing
“bycatch” in fisheries – killing non-target
species (birds, marine mammals)
“bush meat” – harvest of wild animals for
food
can be sustainable, but often not
threatens many large mammals, primates
Global trade in wildlife
birds, orchids, cactus, primates
captured for gardens, pets, zoos, etc.

Many species driven extinct before

hunting/harvest regulations were in
place
passenger pigeon, island tortoises,
marine mammals
The fishing industry
Has caused significant reduction in
populations of certain game fish
4.Disruption of Interaction Networks

The extermination of keystone

species by humans
Can lead to major changes in the
structure of communities
 4.1 Pollution

Most important for aquatic systems

chemical pollutants
acid precipitation
Bioaccumulation – process by
which toxin concentrations increase
in living tissues
concentrations increase through the
food chain
Sustainable well being
 Foundations of human well-being
Human well-being rests on a foundation of three
pillars, the
preservation & enhancement of all 3 of which
constitute
the core responsibilities of society:
economic conditions and processes
such as employment, income, wealth, markets,
trade, productive technologies…
sociopolitical conditions and processes
such as law & order, national & homeland
security, governance, justice, education, health
care, science, culture & the arts, liberty, privacy…
environmental conditions and processes
such as air, water, soils, mineral resources, the
biota, nutrient cycles, climatic processes…
 Foundations (continued)
Arguments about which one of the three pillars
is “most important” are pointless.
Each of the three is indispensable.
Failure in any one of them means collapse of
the human enterprise (the metaphor of the three-
legged stool).
The three interact.
The economic system cannot function without
inputs from the environmental system, nor can it
function without elements of societal stability
provided by the sociopolitical system.
And societal stability itself cannot be
maintained in the face of environmental disaster,
as Katrina and New Orleans demonstrated is true
even in the most economically prosperous country
 Definitions
Development means improving the human
condition in all its aspects, not only economic but
also sociopolitical and environmental.
Sustainable development means doing so by
means and to end points that are consistent with
maintaining the improved conditions indefinitely.

Sustainable well-being implies pursuing

sustainable development to achieve well-being
where it is absent and putting the maintenance &
expansion of well-being onto a sustainable basis
where it is being provided unsustainably today.
Impediments to sustainable well-being

persistence of poverty & preventable

disease

impoverishment of the environment

pervasiveness of armed conflict

oppression of human rights

wastage of human potential

 Factors driving or aggravating the
impediments

Non-use, ineffective use, and misuse of science

and technology

Maldistribution of consumption and investment

Incompetence, mismanagement, and

corruption

Continuing population growth

Ignorance, apathy, and denial

S&T for sustainable well-being:What
can they contribute?
Science:
improving understanding of threats & possibilities
enabling advances in technology
Technology:
driving economic growth via new products &
services, reduced costs, increased productivity
reducing resource use & environmental impacts
S&T:
integrated assessment of options
advice to decision-makers & the public about
costs, benefits, dangers, uncertainties
S&T education toward a more S&T-literate society
S&T for sustainable well-
being:Four key challenges
Meeting the basic needs of the poor

Managing the competition for land,

soil, water, and the net primary
productivity of the planet

Mastering the energy-economy-

environment dilemma

Moving toward a nuclear-weapon-

free world
Faced with this challenge…

Society has three options:

Mitigation
Adaptation
Suffering
 Mitigation
Mitigation, which means measures to
reduce the pace & magnitude of the
changes in global climate being
caused by human activities.
Examples of mitigation include
reducing emissions of GHG,
enhancing “sinks” for these gases,
and “geoengineering” to
counteract the warming effects of
GHG.
 Adaptation
Adaptation, which means measures
to reduce the adverse impacts on
human well-being resulting from the
changes in climate that do occur.
Examples of adaptation include
changing agricultural practices,
strengthening defenses against
climate-related disease, and
building more dams and dikes.
 Suffering
Suffering the adverse impacts that
are not avoided by either mitigation
or adaptation.
Facing the challenge (continued)

Mitigation and adaptation are both essential.

Human-caused climate change is already occurring.
Adaptation efforts are already taking place and must
be expanded.
But adaptation becomes costlier and less effective as
the magnitude of climate changes grows.
The greater the amount of mitigation that can be
achieved at affordable cost, the smaller the burdens
placed on adaptation and the smaller the suffering.