Much of human activity has had a devastating impact on the planet.

1. How Humans Impact the Planet
Earth
It doesn’t have to be this way. We can do so much better.
Photo courtesy of this PowerPoint Presentation program

2. Subsurface mining
 Subsurface mining is the extraction of minerals and
ores from underground. It consists of digging shafts
into the earth for ore.
 Pro: It is much less damaging to the landscape
and to animal habitats than surface mining.
 Con: It is much more costly compared to surface
mining
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Twentymile_Underground_Coal_Mine.png/1200px-
Twentymile_Underground_Coal_Mine.png

3. Surface mining
• Surface mining is a broad category of
mining in which soil and rock overlying
the mineral deposit are removed.
• Pro: It is less expensive compared to
other forms of mining.
• Con: Surface mining often involves
deforestation, leaving the land more
vulnerable to erosion.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Shotton_mine_panorama.jpg/1200px-
Shotton_mine_panorama.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83
/Udachnaya_pipe.JPG/500px-Udachnaya_pipe.JPG

4. Types of surface mining
• Open-pit mining
• Strip mining
• Quarrying
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Limestone_quarry.jpg is licensed under CC BY-SA

5. Deforestation
• Clear cutting: (top right
image) Cutting down
and removing all trees
from a uniform area.
• Selective cutting:
(bottom right image)
The process of cutting
down selected trees in a
forest so that growth of
the other trees is not
affected.
https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*CK6svQh56jkbjVswbCh7gA.jpeg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1328/899737427_8772227c28_z.jpg?zz=1

6. How deforestation causes
problems
• Climate Change: A surplus of carbon is
stored in trees, because it helps trees
grow. When these trees are cut down or
burned, their stored carbon is released
into the air to form carbon dioxide.
• Erosion: The roots of trees help hold the
soil together and protects it from erosion
by wind & water.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KPPiesKqfBY/V-_j0hNBbkI/AAAAAAAABd0/z1PsapFU-XUI9b_-DfeMm_ZjLBDmivL1wCLcB/w1200-h630-p-
nu/You%2BStill%2BThink%2BClimate%2BChange%2BIs%2BA%2BHoax%2BThese%2B20%2BBefore-And-After%2BPhotos%2BWill%2BLeave%2BYou%2BSpeechless%2521.jpg
https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/24000
0/velka/beach-erosion-1508332465yjD.jpg

7. But we need paper and
other wood products.
• What can we do to reduce the
impacts of harvesting trees?
• Plant a tree where you can.
• Buy recycled products and recycle
them once again.
• Buy certified wood products; look
for a FSC mark (Forest Stewardship
Council).
• Top left image:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48357027391_4ffbb1b4c9.jpg
http://www.made-to-travel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/recycleallthethings.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons
/thumb/b/bc/Gelugu_(coconut_wood)_in_Klaten
%2C_Java.jpg/1200px-
Gelugu_(coconut_wood)_in_Klaten%2C_Java.jpg
https://www.wikicorporates.org/Images/Forest-Stewardship-
Council-Certmarks.svg

8. What is a renewable resource?
 A renewable resource is a natural
resource that can be used repeatedly
and can be replaced naturally.
 Solar Energy
 Biomass
http://www.mrgscience.com/uploads/2/0/7/9/20796234/1009371077214e48752cb08b1f19cbb0_orig.jpg

9. What is a nonrenewable resource?
 A resource of economic value that
cannot be readily replaced by natural
means at the same pace as it is being
consumed.
 Natural gas
 Oil
 Coal
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee102/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee102/files/images/Lesson_04/fossil_fuels.png

10. What are traditional
resources?
• Oil: Its products are used widely in
the modern society, supplying energy
to power industries, heat homes, and
to provide fuel for vehicles.
• Gas: A non-renewable hydrocarbon
used as a source of energy for
heating, cooking, and electricity.
• Coal: The most significant uses of coal
are in electricity generation, steel
production, cement manufacturing
and as a liquid fuel.
https://gailtheactuary.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/5-world-has-been-
using-fossil-fuels-for-450-years.png
https://lupinepublishers.com/environmental-soil-science-journal/images/lupinepublishers-openaccess-journal-environmental-soil-sciences.ID.000158.G004.png

11. What are alternative
resources?
a. Wind energy: Retrieved through
windmills.
b. Hydroelectricity: Retrieved through
turbines and generators.
c. Solar power: Retrieved through
solar panels.
https://greenlivingottawa.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/ces-cetd-poster-image.png

12. How are alternative
resources helpful?
a. Environmental benefits
b. Increased energy security
c. Sustainability
http://www.dianuke.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/renewable-Vs-
nuclear.jpg

13. How does burning fossil
fuels affect climate
change?
• When fossil fuels are burned, they
release carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases, which in turn trap
heat in our atmosphere, making
them the primary contributors to
global warming and climate change.
https://static.skepticalscience.com/graphics/human_fingerprints_med.jpg

14. What about nuclear
energy?
a. Fuel source: The fission of uranium
atoms.
b. Two pros: Low operating costs; high
reliability
c. Two cons: Expensive to build;
produces radioactive waste
d. Define nuclear energy: The use of
nuclear reactions that release
nuclear energy to generate heat,
which most frequently is then used
in steam turbines to produce
electricity in a nuclear power plant.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Watts_Bar-6.jpg/1200px-Watts_Bar-6.jpg

15. Exponential growth
An increase in number or size with a
constantly growing rate
The left side of this graph showing
exponential growth takes an upward turn.
Logistic growth and
carrying capacity
The carrying capacity of a biological
species in an environment is the
maximum population size of the species
that the environment can sustain.
The shape of the logistical growth graph
would be an ‘S’.
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/courses-images/wp-
content/uploads/sites/1223/2017/02/10222207/Figure_45_03_01.jpg

16. Exponential human growth is
impacting the environment.
a. Desertification: Affects topsoil,
groundwater reserves, surface runoff,
and organism populations.
b. Overgrazing: Excessive grazing from
animals which causes damage to
ground vegetation.
c. Urbanization: There is an increase in
consumption of food, energy, water,
and land.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Amargos
a_desert.jpg/1200px-Amargosa_desert.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_HAn-FEvEpY/U2NyQN3PbqI/AAAAAAAAAuc/nqmbjTYVnl8/s1600/resilient.jpg
https://images.pexels.com/photos/344036/pexels-photo-
344036.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=750&w=12
60

17. What on Earth is a
carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is the amount of
carbon dioxide and other carbon
compounds emitted due to the
consumption of fossil fuels by a
particular person. Each of us makes one
and its size depends on how much we
use fossil fuels, wood products and
otherwise affect the amount of carbon
dioxide in the air.
https://i.stack.imgur.com/xnC3Z.jpg

18. How can we help
reduce our carbon
footprint?
a. Conserve water
b. Turn lights off when not in use
c. Switch to sustainable, clean energy
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3459/3381978635_ed795bac50_z.jpg?zz=1

19. How we can reduce each of the following
effects that our population has on North
Carolina?
• Acid rain: Reduce our usage of fossil fuels
• Beach erosion: Building seawalls,
sandbags, and sand fences.
https://buddhajeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/acid-rain.png
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