The Environment: Our Challenges and Responsibilities. Chapter 13

Transcription

1 The Environment: Our Challenges and Responsibilities Chapter 13

2 Guiding Question How is global development causing environmental issues and what challenges do they pose for Canada?

3 1992 World Scientists Warning to Humanity: Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course. Human activities inflict harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources.a great change in our stewardship of the Earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated. How does population growth fit with this?

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5 Issues Water, air and soil pollution Carbon Dioxide Emissions Acid precipitation Pesticide and herbicide use Deforestation Overuse of resources Degraded environment (air, water, soil) Rising temperatures Extreme weather conditions Droughts Floods Forest fires Shrinking sea ice Rising sea levels Melting permafrost

6 Top is Arctic ice in September 1979, bottom is in September 2005 Arctic sea ice helps regulate temperatures

7 Population Growth and Sustainability Increased population = increased use of water and land for food production Higher standards of living = more meat and dairy consumption More strain on resources deforestation

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10 Arctic Ice Melting - Sea Levels Rising 4:06 Deforestation 2:22

11 What challenges does Canada face due to rising sea levels and deforestation? Carrying Capacity: the largest population that an environment can support

12 Water: The Indispensable Resource Water as a Human Right Scarcity physical and economic Lack of access to clean water (lack of infrastructure)

13 Canada has 20% of world s total fresh water 7% of world s renewable fresh water

14 State of the World s Water Demand for fresh water withdrawals from surface and groundwater (lakes, rivers, aquifers) Household use Industry Agriculture (largest user)

15 Ogallala Aquifer

16 2009 UN World Water Development Report: Water withdrawals (surface and groundwater) tripled in last 50 years Surface area under irrigation doubled Demand for freshwater increasing by 64 billion cubic metres a year

17 Water Usage Canada: 343 litres of water/day Germany: 193 litres of water/day China: 86 litres of water/day Africa: litres of water/day UN: 50 litres of water/day

18 Average water footprint of national consumption in m3 per year per capita in the period Source:

19 Threats Surface Water Pollution municipal, agricultural, industrial Human waste (sewage) Detergents and solvents Agricultural chemicals (herbicides, pesticides) Industrial waste (toxic chemicals) Sewage-Dumping/

20 Threats cont. Overuse of Underground Water: Falling groundwater tables Diversion for irrigation Problem.. Aquifers are not rapidly replenished

21 Reduce Consumption Agriculture: Grow crops requiring less water Precision use of irrigation Remember TED Talks?? Alternatives to irrigation (rainwater harvesting, wastewater harvesting) Retention of water in soil (farming methods)

22 Home:

23 Industry Reduce Consumption Reuse process water

24 Air Hole in the Ozone Layer lets in UV Radiation Caused by: Chemicals particularly CFCs Montréal Protocol 1987 Banning of CFCs and HCFCs 2009: 97% of chemicals controlled by protocol have been phased out Right: hole in ozone layer above Antarctica 2006

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26 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Natural and man made emissions Natural: Volcanic activity Solar output Man Made: Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane HCFCs (refrigeration, solvents, aerosols)

27 Changes in solar irradiance have contributed to climate trends over the past century but since the Industrial Revolution, the effect of additions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere has been about ten times that of changes in the Sun s output.

28 Canada ranked 7 th in fossil fuel carbon emissions in 2007, 9 th in 2011, 10 th in 2014 Alberta Oil Sands use natural gas to process the tar sands

29 By increasing heat trapping gases we have increased the greenhouse effect (gases trapping heat in the atmosphere)

30 Additional Consequences of Climate Change Forestry insects (pine beetle), forest fires, carbon sink Agriculture growing seasons affected, crop damage (heat, pests), water issues Water droughts, floods, water quality diminished, altered rainy seasons, water availability

31 CNN - Bill Nye vs. Marc Morano 10:45

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33 Taking Action on the Environment Kyoto Protocol, 1997: international agreement that sets binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; Canada promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6% of 1990 levels by Canada announced it could not meet targets 2011 Canada gives notice it will withdraw from agreement 2012 Canada officially withdraws from agreement Newsy World 1:44 Elizabeth May 7:28

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35 Bali, 2007: established to discuss next step after Kyoto, to set up a timetable for cutting emissions Copenhagen: nations met to finalize Bali agreement Developing and Developed nations

36 Things Canada has done to improve the environment: Improved forest practices Waste recycling programs Innovation (sewage into fertilizer) Areas requiring improvement: Use of pesticides/herbicides Resource depletion Greenhouse gas emissions

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41 Works Cited Cranny, Michael et al. Counterpoints: Exploring Canadian Issues 2 nd ed.. Pearson Education Canada. Don Mills, Images taken from:

42 Works Cited Images taken from: