Humans in the Biosphere
Chailie Alsaffar
Effects of Urban Sprawl
- The National Wildlife Federation, Smart Growth America and NatureServe projected that over the next 25 years, more than 22,000 acres of natural resources and habitat will be lost to development in 35 of the largest and most rapidly growing metropolitan areas.
- In the metro area, the leading cause of habitat destruction is urban sprawl
Facts and logistics
- More than half of the U.S. population lives in car-dependent suburbs. We drive 3 trillion miles each year. The transportation sector now accounts for one-third of all U.S. carbon emissions.
- one-fifth of U.S. carbon emissions comes from the residential sector.
How it affects wildlife
- Over 533 animals species are endangered because of urban sprawl
- 746 plants have become endangered because of urban sprawl
- Many lose their homes, then they migrate, and are introduced to new predators that they can not survive with
Things you can do to stop urban sprawl
- Learn more about your community and its needs to stop from spreading to other places
- Contact a city official and share your ideas and concerns
- Spread the word
- Work with the media to share the message
Air pollution
Effects of Air Pollution
Facts and logistics
- Air pollution increases the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and this increases the severity of global warming
- Producing heavy crude oil increases chances of air pollution by 40% than producing light crude oil.
- By 2050, 6 million people will die per year due to air pollution.
How it affects wildlife
- Ozone in the lower atmosphere can prevent plant respiration by blocking stomata (openings in leaves) and negatively affecting plants’ photosynthesis rates which will stunt plant growth; ozone can also decay plant cells directly by entering stomata
Steps you can take everyday to reduce air pollution
- Carpool with friends
- Combine errands for fewer trips
- Ride your bike to and from close places to save gas and put less carbon into the atmosphere
- Turn off your lights when you leave the room
- Be carful not to spill gas whenever you are filling up your car or lawn mower
Deforestation
Facts and logistics
- The world’s forests store 283 billion tons of carbon present in the biomass.
- On an average, a person in the United States uses more than 700 pounds of paper every year.
How it affects the environment
- Seventy percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.
- Plants are not there to take in carbon during photosynthesis so carbon increases in the atmosphere and leads to more floods, drought, severe hurricanes, tornadoes, thunder storms, and melting of the polar ice caps
Things you can do everyday to prevent it
- Plant a tree.
- Go paperless.
- Recycle and buy recycled products.
- Eat vegetarian meals as often as possible.
Water Pollution
Facts and logistics
- The total volume of water available on Earth is about 1.4 billion km and about 70% of the earth is covered in water.
- Fresh water in the world is only 2.5% of the total water available on this planet.
How it impacts the environment
- 15 million children under the age of five die each year because of diseases caused by drinking water.
- Plastic waste is causing huge destruction of marine life and is believed to be responsible for deaths of more than 100,000 sea mammals, sea birds and various types of fishes.
- Huge oil spill was caused by BP in the year 2010. Over 1,000 animals i.e. birds, turtles, mammals have been reported dead and many of them were on the endangered species list.
How to stop water pollution
- Avoid using the toilet as a wastebasket. Don't flush chemicals, clothing, pills, drugs, etc.
- Avoid using a garbage disposal. Buy a compost bin
- Run the dishwasher or clothes washer only when you have a full load. This conserves electricity and water.
- Use the minimum amount of detergent and/or bleach when you are washing clothes or dishes.
- Minimize the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers. DO NOT dispose of any chemicals into the sanitary sewer or storm sewer systems.