The document discusses humans' responsibility for caring for the planet. It notes that humans have developed the ability to drastically affect or destroy the Earth. Therefore, humans have a responsibility to keep the planet intact. Taking care of the Earth is both a responsibility and a privilege. The document then lists various human activities like deforestation, increasing livestock, agriculture, mining and urbanization that negatively impact the environment. It concludes by outlining some actions being taken to address these issues like developing more efficient transportation, investing in renewable energy and planting trees.

1. Learning Goals:
• To understand the interactions between the 4
spheres
• To understand human responsibility for the planet

2. Humans have developed the ability to drastically affect,
or even completely destroy, the Earth.
Therefore, we (humans) have a responsibility to the
Earth to keep it intact.
Taking care of the Earth is not just a responsibility -it's a privilege

3. • Increase in the human population
• Deforestation – the removal of trees to make
way for agricultural land resulting in a
reduction of carbon sinks.
• The process of deforestation itself causes
high levels of carbon dioxide to be produced
as the trees are burnt
• Increase in livestock (cows, sheep, pigs etc)
for human use causes an increase in the levels
of methane gas being produced

4. • Agriculture
• Timber harvest
• Mining
• Urbanization
• Introduction of exotic species
• Harvesting of fish and wildlife
• Fire suppression

5. Tree removed and replace with
pasture (for animals) or crops

6. Deforestation removes trees and
replacement over time

7. Open cast mining removes much vegetation
Underground mining affects water tables
Underground gold mine in Wales UK
Open Cast mine in Virginia USA

8. Removes trees and replaces natural
landscape with concrete
Lake Union
Samish Lake

9. • Trying to develop more fuel efficient
cars
• Developing electric or hybrid cars
• Governments and businesses are
investing in wind power
• Governments investing in solar power
for heating water and generating
electricity
• Planting trees
• Recycling programs

10. • Conserve water by using less and also installing
water tanks to collect rainwater
• Conserve power by installing solar panels,
turning off unused appliances and buying more
energy efficient products
• Buy more energy efficient vehicles, use cars
less and public transport more, car-pooling
• Replacing incandescent light bulbs with
compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs