Human Events...Environment/Natural Resources/Atmospheric Pollution

Tillage can cause an eventual loss of soil production. Tillage causes the movement of material in soil which can result in pollutants accumulating in top soil, where they can then be carried into nearby water sources. Tillage can also cause an increase in erosion rates, which leads to higher rates of sedimentation for local water sources. Soil quality is also decreased by the destruction of earthworm pathways and root channels caused by tillage

Continued deforestation will likely cause the loss of plant and animals species, resulting in an increase in the number of endangered, extinct, and threatened species. This arises from the widespread loss of habitats that results from deforestation.

Global warming can lead to changes to the Earth's surface through the melting of glaciers. This can lead to rising sea levels, causing flooding. Antarctica's land mass is being decreased by the process.

b.an increase in the number of endangered species

all of the above

They can leech into fresh water. It can be carried by rain water into a water source. This can lead to pollution.

erosion from agricultural practices

I effects plant production. Habitats can be lost. Sediment can carry bad stuff to the water. The water can get polluted...end

All of the above

sediment accumulation in a lake near a farm

pharmaceutical accumulation

deforestation

habitat loss

Global warming can lead to glaciers melting, causing flooding to areas and the decrease of glacial land masses.

increase erosion.

b.deforestation

Oxygen

True

Fossil fuels were formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. When the remains of these organisms were buried they began to undergo transformations into fossil fuels. Fuels such as coal were formed from organisms that lived long before the dinosaurs, so the length of times involved in their formation are so long as to be beyond the life span of any species. This long formation time is why they are considered nonrenewable resources.

Student answers will vary but may include: Potential resources are those that may be used at some future point, but are not being used now, like actual resources. Renewable resources are those that are continually replenished while nonrenewable resources are produced over such long periods of time that they are not considered replenishable. The distinctions are important because resources that are actively being used, actual resources, impact people's daily lives. And if these resources are nonrenewable, rather than renewable, they can only be used for a limited period of time.

20 billion cubic feet

Air is a raw material for biological processes supplied by the Earth.

all of the above

The United States imports much of its petroleum from foreign countries who can set the price. This leaves the United States vulnerable to price spikes and artificial shortages as happened during the 1970's oil crisis

be able to meet long term timber needs

isobutanol

The tar in the La Brea Tar Pits is a fossil fuel that began forming hundreds of million years ago from the bodies of marine organisms. During the last ice age, a few tens of thousands of years ago, mammals like mammoths and sabertooth cats, became trapped in the tar, leaving their bones behind. The mammals became trapped in the tar that already existed, and were not in fact part of what created it.

One of the easiest things people can do when water is scarce is limit its use. Lawns get watered less often, or only at specific times of day. Vehicles are washed less often or not at all. In addition, when water is scarce, wastewater is reused more often if it does not contain sewage. Even blackwater gets used more, but only after processing it to remove contaminants and pathogens

Lower demand will prevent large increases in timber prices.

low precipitation

oil

increased its dependence on foreign oil sources

The US imports much of its petroleum from foreign countries which set the prices.

It may lead to drought.

time

true

They are organic fuels derived from ancient plants and animals.

takes centuries to create.

cars, factories, and human activities. Volcanoes are an example of a natural cause of air pollution.

True

Primary pollutants are pollutants that are directly emitted from a pollution source. Secondary pollutants are created as a result of interaction in the atmosphere of primary pollutants. Primary pollutants can be as harmful as secondary pollutants.

The troposphere contains 75% of the atmospheric mass as well as the oxygen and carbon dioxide plants and animals need to survive. The stratosphere's ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet radiation which is harmful to living organisms. The thermosphere absorbs solar radiation and helps to regulate the Earth's temperature. All layers of the atmosphere are important for supporting life on the Earth, but the troposphere is the most important as it provides organisms with the air they breathe.

stratosphere

Components of air, like carbon dioxide, can be considered pollutants when human activity causes their concentration to be larger than normal. At higher concentrations, naturally occurring gases can have undesirable consequences on the environment. High levels of carbon dioxide can cause an increase in Earth's temperature.

Some possible longterm effects of continued exposure to air pollution are emphysema, lung cancer, heart diseases, and eventual death.

teenagers

stratosphere and thermosphere

. primary pollutant

False

mesosphere

False

all of the above

False

True

water

True

gastroenteritis

people with asthma