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Aliyah Raoof

09/10/13

Triple Science Biology Project

The Future of the Planet…

Are We Destroying The Environment?

Contents

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Introduction

Waste from Human Activity Deforestation & the Destruction of Peat

Bio fuels

Food Production

Conclusion

Glossary

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Page- 4-6

Page- 7-8

Page- 9-10

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Page- 13

Introduction

In the following report I hope to explain in as much detail as possible the answers to the following questions:

Why has human activity changed over time?

What is the impact that certain human actions are having on the environment and what problems are these causing other organisms in the food chain?

What will the future of the world be if these actions continue?

How can technologies and peoples day to day habits change to prevent WORLDWIDE DESTRUCTION!

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Waste from Human Activity

Most humans exploit what is around them, like their surroundings and resources. When humans first evolved there was no such thing as hygiene, medicines and people did not know about other basic

needs which are taken for granted in current years. In those time peoples main priority was to find food to eat, as there was not much food available because farming and other food making ideas had not existed

As time has developed people have understood and found ways to increase knowledge on healthcare/medicines and how to make different types of food with the help of factories and farmers etc. As this all developed the population accelerated because of the improvements.

Currently in the world there is an overgrowing population of 7 billion people! Although it is a very happy time for humans when more humans are born, it is not a very happy time for the earth and our environment. If there are more people on earth, more land is being used and more resources are being used which is not very good.

People living in the current world are used to a very high standard of living so are used to the luxuries of life. Advancements in the world mean people abuse the everyday things in life like the environment. Many of the things humans are used to are causing global warming for example: Non-renewable energy resources (such as coal, oil and natural gas) are being used up rapidly, Raw materials are being used up, is being used for buildings, quarrying, farming and dumping waste this is reducing the amount of land available for other animals and plants, lots of waste is being produced which is causing more pollution.

The three different types of waste:

Water

Land

Air

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This pipe pollutes the water, this water…

Air pollution

Combustion of fossil fuels is the most common source of air pollution; there are two main sources of this, cars/vehicles and power stations. However there are other sources for atmospheric pollution as shown in the table below.

Pollutant Source Effect

Carbon Dioxide Combustion of hydrocarbon fuels More green house gases which increases global warming

Methane Rice fieldsCowsAnaerobic decomposition of landfill waste

More green house gases which increases global warming

Smoke Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels like coal

Deposits soot on buildings and trees, causing them damage. Permeates the air - which can cause breathing problems in living creatures.

Sulfur Dioxide Combustion of fossil fuels with sulfur impurities like coal

Acid rain(release toxic metals from soil & damage aquatic ecosystems)

Water Pollution

Water pollution is caused because harmful toxins and other substances are discharged into the seas, lakes and river. Due to farmers wanted their crops to be full of minerals, they spray their crops with fertilisers although this may be healthy for the crops it is not healthy for the water. This leads to a process called eutrophication. This causes algae to over grow which causes the death of invertebrates and fish. Due to this food chains within the eco-system collapse Sewages can also pollute water it

contains high mineral levels and can promote the process of eutrophication, it may also contain harmful pathogens. Another way for water to become polluted is from toxic chemicals from mining and industries these chemical can gradually toxicate food chain levels.

Land pollution

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… Causes this to happen to species

Farmers spray their crops with chemicals to improve the yield on the land. The two chemicals include herbicides and pesticides. Herbicides kill the growth of weeds which decreases the amount of competition for things like: minerals, space and sunlight. Pesticides kill insects and plant pathogens

which damage the crops. Pollute the land and can be washed in the sea, river and lakes.

Although these chemicals are good for the farmer’s crops they are not very good for the environment. If they are left in the soil for too long they pollute the land, sea, lakes and rivers. This can also lead to problems in the food chain.Even everyday items used in homes that are dumped in landfill sites contain toxic chemicals which is discharged into the land

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Deforestation & the Destruction of Peat

As the population of humans in the world has increased, the demand for important things like: food, energy sources and land has also increased. New land has been created by cutting down trees and rainforests. Although this may please human it is having a very negative impact on the environment,

biodiversity and peat bogs.

Deforestation

Rainforests provide unique species a unique habitat. These also act as a carbon sink s o they trap away carbon in their biomass that was absorbed by photosynthesis. For many years humans have been being inconsiderate and have cut down trees for thousands of years however this act of inconsiderateness has accelerated considerably in recent decades, this is called deforestation.

What is the cause for deforestation?

To provide extra land for: houses because of the increase in population, fields and farm as the demand of food has increased, for bio fuel production as there is a big demand for energy, for buildings and to provide building material.

What is the effect of this demand?

Cattle are often reared on the land, which produces methane which adds up more to global warming then carbon dioxide.

As timber is burnt it increases the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the remainder of the tree is decomposed by microorganisms which adds carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which contributes to global warming.

 It reduces the rate of the carbon sink in the plant by photosynthesis because there are fewer trees.

Biodiversity is decreased as forest habitats are destroyed

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What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the different amount of species in the world and the variation between the species, their habitats. As there is a decrease in the amount of forests this reduces the biodiversity and we risk losing unique organisms which may become useful for different things in the future.

Peat

Thousands of years ago moss and other plant grew. During photosynthesis these plants absorbed carbon dioxide. When the moss died the waterlogged bog provided anaerobic conditions which with the acidity of the bog prevent total decomposition of the moss. This builds up in the bogs in a partially decomposed state which forms peat.

The amount of biomass means it can be burnt and dried as a fuel which makes it an important energy

source. The important properties of peat when mixed in soil are: it can improve the structure of the

soil, mineral and water preservation which makes it valuable in gardening and agricultural use.

The use of peat restores all of the carbon that had been locked up. Also as peat is mixed with soil

starts to decompose as it is exposed to anaerobic condition which causes more carbon dioxide to be

released into the atmosphere. Therefore global warming is again contributed by peat bogs and

deforestation

Due to the benefits of peat bogs ever

since 1950’s the best selling compost is

peat based. However this has meant

that there has been a rise in global

warming and habitats so the

government have supported composts

without peat.

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Bio fuelsThe demand for energy is the same as the population in the world is rising very, very fast which means more and more fossil fuels are being burned to keep up with the demand. By burning fossil fuels the emission of carbon dioxide increases which again leads to green house gases and global warming which have very serious consequences for the world and environment. Fossil fuels are non-renewable source of energy, as they cannot be restored so people are finding other sources like bio fuels.

Global WarmingDue to the presence of some greenhouse gases the atmosphere, results in the earth being warmer than it usually is and should be and as the gases trap some of the earth’s heat to prevent it escaping the atmosphere. This is what the greenhouse effect is.

The earth’s temperature increases above the natural green house effect, the effect is caused by the release of greenhouse gases this is what global warming is. There are two main gases that cause greenhouse gases these are methane and carbon dioxide.Greenhouse gas levels increase because of many things like:

The produce of waste from humans which produces methane Trees and forests are cut down which reduces the amount of carbon dioxide that is absorbed More cattle are being reared to supply food however during the digestion of cows lots of

methane is produced Fossil fuels are burned to provide energy Peat bogs is being destroyed which releases carbon dioxide Plants rot which produce methane this is happening a lot as humans are making more fields to

provide more food.

The main question is what is going to happen to the earth in the next century if the increase in greenhouse gases emitted in the atmosphere does not stop. If it continues to rise many damages can be caused for example:

Changes in the weather Biodiversity may decrease if

habitats continue to be knocked down

Birds and other animals may not be able to cope with the change in temperature and may distribute

Ice caps can begin to melt which will increase sea levels which may lead to flooding

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Bio fuelsAs fossil fuels are non-renewable and are contributing to global warming an alternate to these are bio fuels. Bio fuels are produced from natural resources like plants this is why they are renewable. Some bio fuels are produced by microorganisms to anaerobically ferment carbohydrate in the plant material.

Bio ethanolPetrol is often mixed with ethanol which is a type of alcohol. Ethanol can be fermented which means that it converts sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide in anaerobic conditions. In countries like Brazil sugar is taken from sugar cane which yeast can ferment into ethanol, however in other countries plants are used because they contain less starch.

Bio GasBio gas is produced from the anaerobic fermentation of carbohydrates in waste, plant or vegetables by bacteria. Some oxygen is present during the process, as the bacteria respires it produces high proportions of Co2. They are made of simple materials in a biogas generator.

Naturally biogases are produced on landfill sites as there are lots of bacteria here that can anaerobically break down the rubbish, but this means that methane will escape into the atmosphere which is increasing global warming. Although methane increases global warming it can be used as a fuel to generate electricity and heat buildings.

Advantages Disadvantages

Bio Ethanol Burns easier Renewable source of

energy When burning

doesn’t react with the sun

Reduces biodiversity as land is needed to grow crops

Lower energy content then petrol

Fills the air with greenhouse gases

Bio Gas Non-polluting Creates employment Is a renewable source Lowers the

greenhouse effect

Unattractive process Biogas contains

impurities which are corrosive

Difficult to enhance

Bio Fuels Cheaper than gasoline and other fossil fuels

Can be produced locally (employment)

Lower carbon emission

Less pollutant

Lower energy output Food prices and

demand may raise Food shortages Use of water

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Food ProductionEfficiency in the food ProductionAs the population of humans increases so does the demand of food!The higher up the food chain you go the amount of biomass and energy within the chain decreases

through wasting energy through movement, respiration and faeces. In food production the efficiency can always be improved, for example through reducing the number of food chains.Two ways to prevent loosing energy are:

Animals don’t move around as much Keep surrounding warm to maintain their

body temperature.

Calculating energy efficiency Power = energy transferred / time taken

Protein is one of the main foods that is in demand and this has led scientists to

investigate other ways to obtain food from microorganisms. Mycoprotein is food that is high in protein which is produced by fungal biomass. These foods are high in fibre and low in fat which means it is healthy. The mycoprotein is fermented which is sterile as it is heated to 65oC to get rid of the harmful substances.

Fish is in high demand as it is one of the most important part of the human diet. However more fish are being caught than can being reproduced. As more and more cod fish are being caught there are less fish in the sea to reproduce so will eventually run out.

Finally the further the food has to travel in order to get to humans reach, the greater impact it has to contribute to global warming which is generated by cars emitting carbon dioxide.

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Humans are causing many damages to the earth and the main reason is for energy. The most common points are global warming and greenhouse gases these seem like very minor thing but can cause either the earth as we know it to change drastically or for the earth to end!If we would like to enjoy life and its luxuries we must learn not to take advantage and cause the earth to change. Just by changes simple thing like: using the car less and not making too much rubbish and sending it to landfill sites we can produce a lot less greenhouse gases which will decrease the amount of global warming. This could help save our world!

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Glossary

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1. Anaerobic- Relating to, involving, or requiring an absence of free oxygen.

Global Warming- A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants

Herbicides- A substance that is toxic to plants and is used to destroy unwanted vegetation.

Invertebrates- An animal lacking a backbone

Non-Renewable- A source that cannot be replaced or renewed

Pesticides- A substance used for destroying insects or other organisms harmful to cultivated plants or to animals.

Photosynthesis- The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

Pollution- Is the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects.

Population-Is the total number of people inhabiting a country, city, or any district or area.

Renewable- A source that can be replace or renewed

Aliyah RaoofTriple Science

Miss HutchinsonBiology 3

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