GLOBAL WARMINGCHAPTER 4

Matakuliah : S0782 - Teknik LingkunganTahun : 2009

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www.duke.edu/~eac23/NonHTMLDocs/EcologyWaterAir.ppt

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• Ozone Depletion

• Global Warming and Global Climate Change

• Acid Rain

• Biological Magnification

• Human Impacts on Water, Air, Fisheries

• What we can do

Objectives:

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• Ozone layer (20-50km up) protectsthe Earth from UV radiation

• Gases (CFCs) used in aerosols breakdown ozone causing the “holes” over theArctic and Antarctica

• Montreal Protocol stopped productionof CFC’s on January 1, 1996

• Holes are not growing but will not recover until . . . . . . . 2065!

Ozone Depletion

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Excess UV radiation:• Skin cancer• Cataracts• Immune System Problems• Other unknown effects on plant/animal life

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• Caused by gases (mostly CO2) that trap heat • Burning of fossil fuels, cutting/burning of

forests releases CO2 faster than Carbon cycle can remove it

• Temperatures have risen 0.6oC. since industrial age

• Since 1980, average temp risen 0.3OC.

Global Warming

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Global Warming

Global Climate Change Melting of permafrost, increasing release of

greenhouse gases Melting of poles Rising sea level Flooding, Drought Loss of habitat, species extinction Loss of coral reef ecosystems (fisheries, tourist

revenue, natural storm barriers) All the above have economic impacts

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Acid RainBurning of fossil fuels release nitrogen and sulfur

gasesCombined with H2O vapor = nitric and sulfuric acidsFall as acid rainPlants damagedSoil chemistry altered, potentially hazardous

compounds released and flow into water system (mercury) BIOMAGNIFICATION

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Eastern U.S: average pH of 3.6, with some values as low as pH 2.6 Los Angeles:pH of fog has been measuredat 2.0

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BiomagnificationPesticides and heavy metals work their way into rivers or lakes and move up the food chain becoming more concentrated at each level

“Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson

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FOR EXAMPLE:If in one day a small fish eats 1,000 plankton and a larger fish eats 1,000 small fish, the human who catches the larger fish is ingesting all the toxins that were in a 1,000,000 plankton!

(1,000 x 1,000 = 1,000,000) Add that up over a lifetime and you’re in trouble!

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Clean Water• Renewable but not unlimited!

same water is recycled (the water cycle!)BUT if contaminated during that cycle, may not be

reusable

Two issues: Pollution and loss of water filtration!

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Some water pollutant sources:

Sewage

Runoff: agricultural fertilizers, factory farms

Factory outfall

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•Contaminated drinking water• Contaminated food animals (biological magnification

of toxins from the environment over their life spans)•Unbalanced river and lake ecosystems that can no

longer support full biological diversity• Deforestation from acid rain •Loss of natural beauty

Some Effects of Water Pollution

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For water use to be sustainable we need to protect the natural systems of the water cycle.Preserve wetland areas = water filtrationThink before you pave it = less filtrationThink before you cut it = less transpiration

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FisheriesOverfishing - harvesting fishfaster than they reproduce

An example of “tragedy of the commons”•Everyone uses the resource but no one

maintains it• If properly managed, can be a renewable

resource

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Air

Air Quality Issues (caused by burning of fossil fuels):

•Smog•Particulates - microscopic particles of ash and dust•Acid Rain

Their Effects:

Human healthDeforestation

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Don’t litter

Turn off lights, all electronic equipment

Recycle - don’t fill up our landfills

Conservative or little use of fertilizers

Walk or bike when possible

Drive more fuel efficient vehicles

Support wetlands preservation

Develop sustainable energy sources: Wind, solar, fuel cells

Think before you pave it

Use sustainable building practices - green space and gravel,

porous paving

Design pedestrian friendly cities

Things we can do