The document discusses several environmental issues including climate change, water scarcity, overconsumption, waste generation, biodiversity loss, and toxic chemicals. It notes that climate change is increasing global temperatures through the greenhouse effect. It also discusses how human activities like deforestation and fossil fuel use contribute to climate change. The document advocates for individual actions like conserving energy and water, reducing waste, eating sustainably, and avoiding single-use plastics to help address these environmental problems.

1. THE ENVIRONMENT
Our Responsibility

2. "In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth... God saw all
that he had made, and it was very
good."
(Genesis 1:1, 31)

4. Critical Issues

5. Climate Change
We are increasing global
temperatures

6. The Greenhouse Effect
– When the sun’s radiation
reaches our atmosphere, some is
reflected back into space and
some passes through and is
absorbed by the earth.
– Certain molecules in the
atmosphere, called greenhouse
gases, including water and carbon
dioxide, allow sunlight to pass
through them, but tend to reflect
infrared or heat.
– Because greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere act like a mirror and
reflect back to the Earth a part of
the heat radiation, which would
otherwise be lost to space, the
higher the concentration of green
house gases like carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere, the more heat
energy is being reflected back to
the Earth.

7. • Average sea level is expected to rise 7 - 23 inches before the end of
this century - and perhaps as much as 31 inches (if, as some models
predict, the rate of ice melting from Greenland and Antarctica
increases).
• All but 100 of 1,100 glaciers researched are receding (more ice melts
in summer than re-forms the next winter).
• The current pace of global average temperature rise puts
approximately 20 to 30 percent of plant and animal species at
increased risk of extinction.
• Rain forest destruction contributes to climate change. That's because
trees store carbon dioxide as they grow. Clearing and burning forests
releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
• Coral reefs are as important to marine wildlife as rainforests are to
land-based wildlife. Rising seawater temperatures threaten their
survival. The world lost about 16% of all coral reefs in 1998, the
second hottest year on record.

8. Water
We are wasting it and polluting it

9. Water
• Inadequate access to safe drinking water for about
884 million people
• Inadequate access to water for sanitation and waste
disposal for 2.5 billion people
• Groundwater overdrafting (excessive use) leading to
diminished agricultural yields
• Overuse and pollution of water resources harming
biodiversity
• Regional conflicts over scarce water resources
sometimes resulting in warfare
• Between 1997 and 2007, bottled water consumption
in the U.S. more than doubled, from 13.4 gallons per
person to 29.3 gallons per person

10. Over-Consumption
We are consuming more than we
need

11. Over-Consumption
• Inevitable environmental degradation and eventual loss of resource
bases
• Globally, the 20% of the world's people in the highest-income
countries account for 86% of total private consumption
expenditures - the poorest 20% a minuscule 1.3%.
• With around 5 percent of the world's population, the US consumes
about 40% of the world's resources and emits around 21% of the
worlds carbon dioxide
• In September 1992, 2,500 scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that there is a discernible human
influence on global climate likely to cause "widespread economic,
social and environmental dislocation over the next century.“
• “The United States, Japan, and other high-income countries, with 15
percent of the world's population, consume half of the world's
commercial energy.”

12. Waste
We are being lazy with what, where,
and how we throw things out

13. Waste
• Every year we throw away almost 30 million tonnes of household waste that is enough to
fill a queue of double decker buses that would stretch from here to Australia and back
again!
• Every Sunday, more than 500,000 trees are used to produce the 88% of newspapers that
are never recycled.
• North Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.
• Every year some 45,000 tons of plastic waste are dumped into the world's oceans. One of
the results of this is that up to one million seabirds and one hundred thousand marine
mammals are killed each year by plastic trash such as fishing gear, six-pack yokes,
sandwich bags, and styrofoam cups.
• Paper cups consume trees, water, and chemicals, and dump them into streams and
landfills- they are not re-cyclable. Paper cups are often wax-coated which reduces their
bio-degradeability futher. Paper products make up over 40 percent by weight , slightly
higher by volume - of this country's municipal solid waste, by far the largest contributor.
Paper Recycling and its role in Solid Waste Management. Every year nearly 900,000,000
trees are cut down to provide raw materials for American paper and pulp mills.
(Business Stastistics, 1986)
• American per capita food waste increased to more than 1,400 calories per person per
day in 2009, an increase of approximately 50 percent since 1974.

14. Loss of Biodiversty and
Extinctions
Our habits are altering ecosystems

15. Loss of Biodiversity and
Extinctions
• At threat of extinction are
• 1 out of 8 birds
• 1 out of 4 mammals
• 1 out of 4 conifers
• 1 out of 3 amphibians
• 6 out of 7 marine turtles
• 75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost
• 75% of the world’s fisheries are fully or over exploited
• Up to 70% of the world’s known species risk extinction if
the global temperatures rise by more than 3.5°C
• 1/3rd of reef-building corals around the world are
threatened with extinction

16. Toxic Chemicals
We are introducing harmful, even
fatal, toxins into our environment

17. Toxic Chemicals
• Cigarette smoke, Woodstoves and gas ranges, Building materials, Sick building syndrome and building-related
asthma, Bacteria, molds, viruses, and other biological contaminants, Household products, Asbestos, Radon, Pesticides
 EMISSIONS
– Ozone
• Irritation of the lungs that causes inflammation much like a sunburn.
• Coughing, wheezing, and pain when taking a deep breath, and breathing problems while exercising.
• Permanent lung damage from repeated exposure.
• Aggravated asthma, increased susceptibility to pneumonia and bronchitis, and reduced lung capacity
– Particulates
• Aggravated asthma.
• Chronic bronchitis.
• Coughing and difficult or painful breathing.
• Decreased lung function.
• Eye, nose, and throat irritation.
– Carbon Monoxide
• Headaches, irritability, or loss of consciousness.
• Difficulty working, learning, or performing complex tasks.
• Aggravation of heart problems, such as angina, heart failure, and coronary artery disease.
– Nitrogen dioxide
• Respiratory problems associated with ground-level ozone.
• Acid rain, which is created when nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide react with other substances in the air and form acids. The acids then fall to earth as rain, snow, dry particles, or fog.
• Toxic chemicals. Nitrogen oxides mix with common organic chemicals and even ozone to create toxic chemicals that can cause biological mutations.
• Visibility impairment. Nitrogen dioxide and nitrate particles block light transmission and reduce visibility in urban areas.
– Sulfur dioxide
• Health problems for people with asthma and heart conditions.
• Acid rain.
• Damage to forests and crops.
• Damage to fish in streams and lakes.
– Lead
• High blood pressure and increases in heart disease.
• Anemia.

18. How can I
Take care of the Earth?

19. Save Energy
• Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees
higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
• Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older
incandescent bulbs burn out.
• Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power
strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or
"vampire" energy use.
• Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of
the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
• Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during
machine drying.

20. Save Water
• Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your
water and heating bills too.
• Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the
water and energy savings can quickly pay back your
investment.
• Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These
inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while
keeping water pressure high.
• Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many
plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally
in your area.

21. Less Gas
• Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and
parking costs while improving your
cardiovascular health and reducing your risk
of obesity.

22. Eat Smart
• If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a
week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's
even more expensive when you consider the
related environmental and health costs.
• Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat,
eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing
from local farmers keeps money in the local
economy.
• Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain
This is especially true for seafood.

23. Skip Bottled Water
• Use a water filter to purify tap water instead
of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled
water expensive, but it generates large
amounts of container waste.
• Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably
aluminum rather than plastic, with you when
traveling or at work.

24. Think before you buy
• Go online to find new or gently used
secondhand products.
• Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and
consignment shops for clothing and other
everyday items.
• When making purchases, make sure you know
what's worth it and what isn't.

25. Borrow instead of buying
• Borrow from libraries instead of buying
personal books and movies. This saves
money, not to mention the ink and paper that
goes into printing new books.
• Share power tools and other appliances.

26. Buy smart
• Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins
can save money and packaging.
• Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-
cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on
toxic chemical use.
• Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products.

27. Keep electronics out of the trash
• Keep your cell phones, computers, and other
electronics as long as possible.Donate or
recycle them responsibly when the time
comes.
• E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and
is a growing environmental problem.
• Recycle your cell phone.

28. Make your own cleaning supplies
• You can make very effective, non-toxic
cleaning products whenever you need them.
All you need are a few simple ingredients like
baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.