North Carolina Essential Standards:

Bio.2.2 Understand the impact of human activities on the environment.

Bio.2.2.1: Infer how human activities (including population growth, pollution, global warming, burning of fossil fuels, habitat destruction and introduction of nonnative species) may impact the environment.

Bio.2.2.2: Explain how the use, protection and conservation of natural resources by humans impact the environment from one generation to the next. 

Bell Ringer

Video: How Long Will Human Impacts Last?

Link: 10 Ways Humans Impact the Environment

Introduction

Is Global Warming Real?

ABSOLUTELY YES.  It is NOT a theory. There is no other “side”. The earth IS getting warmer.  Believe it, because the data doesn’t lie! ƒ 

Global warming is WIDELY misunderstood. Global average temperature is increasing, but temperatures of individual locations vary. Some locations may actually be getting cooler. This is why CLIMATE CHANGE is a better term. ƒ 

There is debate about why the climate is changing. But scientific consensus is that humans are contributing due to excessive emissions of greenhouse gases like CO2. Levels of greenhouse gases and global average temperature are tightly correlated! ƒ 

By the way, in NO WAY is global warming caused by a “hole” in the ozone layer!!! These are 2 unrelated problems! 

Part I: Why is Human Growth an Environmental Problem?

I.  Why is human population growth an environmental problem? 

A. Causes of human population growth 

1. Agricultural Revolution – people settled into communities and more people were needed for division of labor; more reliable food supply can support a larger population. 

2. Industrial Revolution–In the early 20th century technological advancements led to improvements in medicine and sanitation allowing for an increased birth rate and decreased death rate. 

3. Urbanization (development of cities) leads to economic and social development, which influences human populations. 

B. Effects of human population 

1. Increased pollution – air, water, and land – ALL pollution problems relate back to overpopulation. Pollutants are produced as waste products from human activity, such as burning fossil fuels, mining, and use of consumer goods. Solid waste requires disposal in landfills or incineration. 

2. Decreased natural resources, especially nonrenewable resources (available only in limited amounts). Ex. fossil fuels, minerals, metals 

3. Increased land use – leads to loss of habitat for other species. 

C. Census data – demographers construct histograms to use in predicting future population growth trends (field called “demography”). 

1. Developing and Growing (Ex. Sudan) 

2. Developed and Stable (Ex. United States) 

3. Developed and Decreasing (Ex. Germany) 

D. Solutions 

1. ZPG – zero population growth (birth rate = death rate). 

a. Limit number of births per family by offering tax incentives Ex. China 

b. Make birth control and family planning more available. 

c. Educate public and our political leaders. 

2. Conservation – wise and careful use of resources through environmental stewardship 

a. Twenty percent of the world’s population uses more than 50% of the world’s resources. 

b. People in developed countries (like the U.S.) can decrease resource use by the 3 R’s: 

i. Reduce – use less materials; for example, buying products that have less packaging

ii. Reuse – use products more than once; for example, bring lunch in Tupperware instead of one-use containers 

iii. Recycle – return products to be re-processed; for example, old tires are used to make track surfaces 

c. Sustainability – ensuring the availability of resources and a stable environment for future generations. 

Part I: Check Yourself

1. What were three causes of human population growth? 

2. Why does human population growth lead to increased pollution? 

3. How do people, particularly those in developed countries, need to lessen the impact of human population growth? 

4. Why is the pyramid-shaped histogram characteristic of a growing population? 

Part II: How is North Carolina affected by human activity?

II. How is North Carolina affected by human activity?

A. Global Warming

1. Cause: Excessive greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4 in the atmosphere trap heat, leading to an abnormal increase in earth’s surface temperature

a. CO2 comes from burning fossil fuels in power plants, factories, and cars 

b. CH4 comes from bacteria in landfills and cow farts 

2. Effects: With just a small increase in temperature such as 2-4 degrees Celsius, weather patterns will change worldwide. Polar ice caps may melt and thermal expansion occurs, flooding coastal cities and contaminating drinking water with saltwater. 

3. Beach Erosion in North Carolina 

a. Sea level is directly related to global climate. In North Carolina, the sea level increase is twice the global average. 

b. Rising sea levels lead to beach erosion. Severe storms also increase erosion. The incidence of severe storms is increasing as a result of global climate change. 

c. Coastal residents attempt to prevent beach erosion to protect property, leading to negative environmental consequences to ocean ecosystems. 

B. Acid Precipitation

Video: What is Acid Rain?

Video: What Does Acid Rain Do to Your Body?

1. Cause: Harmful emissions from cars and factories, especially nitrous oxide and sulfur oxide, react with oxygen and water to make precipitation more acidic – with a pH less than 5.6

2. Effects: A lowered pH disrupts aquatic ecosystems, makes soil less fertile, harms plant life, and damages human property. 

3. Acid Precipitation in North Carolina Mountains

Video: Acid Rain and the Smokies

a. Red spruce and Frasier fir in the mountains are dying as a result of acid precipitation, damaging the ecosystem. 

b. The mountains are greatly impacted by acid precipitation caused largely by pollutants from Tennessee. The soil has a low buffering capacity and acid fog continuously surrounds the trees making the damage more profound. 

C. Water Pollution 

1. Cause: Sources of water pollution often begin on land, such as oil from cars, sediments from naked land, and fertilizers from lawns. Other sources include illegal chemical dumping, acid rain, overheated water from power plants, and raw sewage. 

2. Effects: A lack of clean drinking water is a leading cause of disease (such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid). Water pollution also affects many ecosystems through habitat destruction. 

3. Waste Lagoons on North Carolina Hog Farms

Video: Why North Carolina Can't Solve It's Hog Poop Problem

a. There are approximately 7 million hogs on industrial farms in NC, most in eastern NC which is a flood-prone coastal plain. 

b. Industrial farms raise thousands of animals in a small space, producing TONS of waste. The waste is stored in lagoons, but may run-off, leak or spill into surface water with rainfall. 

c. The sewage in the surface water leads to high levels of disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli, oxygen-depleting organic matter, and hormones/antibiotics used in feed 

d. Also, nitrogen run-off from the waste may contribute to outbreaks of Pfisteria, a single-celled alga that produces a deadly neurotoxin. Massive fish kills have resulted, along with health problems in fishermen and others exposed. 

Part II: Check Yourelf

1. What are the two main greenhouse gases? 

2. What two pollutants are responsible for acid precipitation? 

3. What part of the water cycle carries land pollution to the water? 

Part III: How do humans negatively impact other species?

III. How do humans negatively impact other species?

Video: 5 Human Impacts on the Environment

A. Biodiversity – the number of different species of organisms that exist within an area and the genetic diversity within each species 

B. Causes of Biodiversity Loss: 

1. Habitat Destruction such as deforestation, fragmentation and pollution of aquatic ecosystems leads to loss of biodiversity. In NC, urban development in the Piedmont has led to biodiversity loss due to: 

a. Forests are fragmented – breaking up a large forested area into smaller zones due to construction. 

b. Clearing land for development leads to soil erosion which ultimately leads to water pollution. 

c. An increase in impervious surfaces such as asphalt and concrete lead to increased water run-off and pollution. 

2. Introduction of non-native species, “invasive species”

Video: 11 of the World's Worst Invasive Species

Project: Invasive Species Wanted Poster

a. Kudzu, aka “The Vine That Ate The South”

Video: Kudzu History: The Vine that Ate the South

i. Kudzu vines are native to Japan. The vines were brought to the US during the Great Depression to plant in order to stabilize hillsides, minimizing erosion. 

ii. Kudzu vines have no natural predators in the US. The vines can grow up to 1 foot per day in our climate. 

iii. Excessive growth has engulfed forests, out-competing native species for sunlight and soil nutrients, leading to loss of native biodiversity. 

b. Dutch Elm Disease 

i. Dutch Elm Disease is a fungus that spread to North America on crates made from Elm wood. 

ii. The disease easily spreads by insects or root to root 

iii. Dutch Elm Disease leads to the death of trees, impacting the environment and economy. 

3. Biomagnification of Pesticides

Video: What is the Difference between Biomagnification and Bioaccumulation

a. Bioaccumulation is the build up of certain pesticides in the tissues of organisms (Ex. DDT in fish) 

b. Biomagnification is the increasing concentration as pesticides move up the food chain (Ex. DDT in bald eagles) 

C. Effects of Biodiversity Loss: 

1. Endangerment/Extinction of Species

Video: Endangered Species: Worth Saving from Extinction?

Project: Endangered Species Project

a. Endangered species are at risk of becoming extinct.  Extinction refers to the loss of a particular species. 

b. The Endangered Species Act provides protection for species recognized and listed by the government. This Act does not, however, provide adequate protection of the habitat. 

2. Loss of valuable medicinal or crop plants, and other species that may be potentially useful to humanity.

3. Lack of genetic variety makes crops more susceptible to disease, pests, and environmental changes.

Part IV: What can you do to protect the environment?

IV. What can you do to protect the environment? 

A. Awareness –each human impacts the environment, and because our population is large we have an ENORMOUS impact at the global level. “We cannot all do everything, but we can all do something.” 

B. Specific suggestions: 

1. Reduce dependence on fossil fuels (Example – car pool, support “green power”) and other nonrenewable resources

2. Recycle whenever possible 

3. Limit use of toxic chemicals at home 

4. Consumer choices – support “green” businesses/products

Part III and IV: Check Yourself

1. What is biodiversity? 

2. What is the difference between bioaccumulation and biomagnification? 

3. What is a weakness of the Endangered Species Act? 

Worksheets for the Human Impact on Ecology

<these are being converted back to google docs from pdf>

Google Drive: Ecology Worksheets

References

10 Ways Humans Impact the Environment. (2019, February 27). Retrieved from https://interestingengineering.com/10-ways-humans-impact-the-environment

CrashCourse. (2013, January 07). 5 Human Impacts on the Environment: Crash Course Ecology #10. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTCZ9L834s

Duckypaddler. (2013, February 27). Smokies Acid Rain clip. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnu5aLhZMdA

Exam, Q. (2017, January 30). What is the Difference Between Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXUv6N5SR9w

Geographic, N. (2018, February 27). What is Acid Rain? | National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PDjVDIrFec

History, T. W. (2018, October 12). Kudzu History: The Vine That Ate The South. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ-MGqm_crM

News, V. (2018, October 12). Why North Carolina Can't Solve Its Hog Poop Problem (HBO). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKyGdf2v6vw

Noise, A. T. (2018, April 04). Endangered Species: Worth Saving from Extinction? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5eTqjzQZDY

Show, T. I. (2018, July 08). What Does Acid Rain Do To Your Body. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIXZGJ4QF9E

TED-Ed. (2017, December 04). How long will human impacts last? - David Biello. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsc8G0NnMTs

Wildlife, E. (2017, March 04). 11 Worlds's WORST Invasive Species. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqLkSHlf5DE

Citation of this Open Education Resource

Crider, R. (2019, May 09). The Human Impact on the Environment. OER Commons. Retrieved May 09, 2019, from https://goopennc.oercommons.org/authoring/431-the-human-impact-on-the-environment.