2. The Ecosystem
The interrelationships between all living
things and the environment.
Emphasis is on interdependence of all
things.
People, nature, and the earth form a
delicately balanced system.
Ozone is a rare form of oxygen that is
poisonous to human beings at ground
level but is necessary in the upper
atmosphere to absorb the deadly
ultraviolet radiation of the sun.
3. Environmental Pollution
Pollution is the harmful alteration of
our environment by our own actions.
Pollutants – either unwanted by-
products or our activities or the
obnoxious residues of things we have
made, used, and thrown away.
Air Pollution
Water Pollution
Land Pollution
Global Warming
Noise Pollution
Aesthetic Damage
4. Types of Pollution
Air pollution
Most air pollution is caused by the burning of
fossil fuels.
Water pollution
Organic sewage
Eutrophication
Infectious agents
Organic chemicals
Inorganic and miscellaneous chemicals
Sediments from land corrosion
Radioactive substances
Waste heat from power plants and industry
5. Pesticides – chemicals used to kill insects defined as pests.
Herbicides – chemicals used to kill plant life, particularly weeds.
Chemical wastes
Radioactive fallout
Acid rain
Garbage
Global warming
Since the late 1800’s the average global surface temperature has increased
about 0.75 degrees C.
Most warming has occurred since 1950.
6. Environmental Depletion
The Dwindling Natural Resources
No nation is self-sufficient in the
modern world.
Energy Production and Consumption
Energy consumption per capita is higher
in the United States than it is in any
other country in the world.
Consumption is growing more rapidly
than production.
7. Environmental Pollution Problems
Enforcement of air pollution standards has been reducing the amount of
pollutants released into the air.
In 2002, 34.3% of children under the age of 18 lived in an area that
did not meet one or more of the air quality standards.
Sick building syndrome.
Presence of radon gas
Electromagnetic radiation
In 2000, 39% of rivers and streams; 45% of lakes, reservoirs, and
ponds; 78% of the Great Lakes shoreline; and 14% of ocean shoreline
were polluted.
8. The Physical Threat
Air pollution can cause or contribute to:
Permanent lung damage in children
Fetal deaths
Infant mortality
Respiratory illness
Cardiovascular disease
Skin problems, ulcers, and liver and kidney damage
Premature deaths
Asthma attacks
Lung cancer
9. Exposure to toxic materials can also lead to sterility
The depleted ozone layer raises the risk of skin cancer
10. Threat to the Ecological Balance
A number of species of animals and
plants have disappeared.
People depend on biological diversity for
the quality of their lives.
Photosynthesis – a natural process
essential to life, resulting in the
production of oxygen and organic
materials.
Urbanization – the increasing
concentration of people living in cities.
