Diana Barlow
Final Exam
Question 2
5/19/10
Discuss what you think are the 3 biggest components of our ecological footprint (i.e. what are the 3 areas we have the largest impacts on the environment) and what you think we can do to change to more sustainable practices. Be sure to use specific examples and evidence to back up your claims
We live in a planet that we usually tend to take for granted. Everything we do has an effect on Earth's delicate balance and the lives of the many species it houses. But out of all the ecological footprints we stampede the Earth with, I believe thatfossil fuel consumption, food industries, and deforestation have the three largest effects on our planet.
As a fact, the “largest source of CO2 emissions globally is the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas in power plants, automobiles, industrial facilities and other sources” (EPA). Between 2000 and 2008, scientists report a 20% increase in the global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels alone. The use of coal as a fossil fuel is now more common then oil and developing countries are now emitting more greenhouse gases then developed countries, with ¼ of their emissions due to increased trade with the West (Science Daily). In the U.S. we use fossil fuels to generate more than 2/3 of our electricity, 51% of that is generated with coal, but the average coal-fired power plant is only 1/3 efficient, meaning that it loses 2/3 of the energy, and is wasted in result. The problem with fossil fuels is that its non renewable, meaning we can't use it over and over again, and mining for such fuels leads to irreversible damage to the environment because it destroys natural habitats and displaces thousands of species. A better way for energy means having to use alternative renewable energy sources and begin accommodating our country to match its new needs. The five most often used renewable sources are, biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar. When renewable energy sources are used, the demand for fossil fuels are reduced, and unlike fossil fuels, renewable sources do not directly emit greenhouse gases. The reason we don't completely convert from fossil fuels to renewables is because we live in a country ran by fossil fuels. The process of changing our system to fit the new renewables, would initially be expensive, but would be cost efficient in the long run.
Another large impact on our environment would be the food industries and the human consumerism behind them. Every step in our food industry system, whether it be food production, processing, transportation, storage, distribution and marketing, has some kind of effect on the environment. The food industry is one of the largest manufacturers in the United States, with the second highest value of shipments compared to all industry sectors. The food industry is also growing, with shipment prices raising from $309 billion in 1986 to $431 billion in 1994. In 1991, the typical US household devoted 15 percent of after-tax income to the purchase of food and beverage products (ACEEE). The food industry also creates a lot of waste in different quality and quantities, which is not properly treated, could lead to increasing disposal problems and severe pollution problems. If that wasn't enough, according to Food Inc., the average food product travels about 1,500 miles to get to your nearest grocery store. Transporting the food accounts for 30,800 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year. Large portions of land are being taken over and used for farming, factory buildings, and corporations. A ton of energy is put into the vast amounts of harvesting animals and the production of the meat products we consume. Plus, worldwidelivestock farming creates 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions. A way we could solve this problem would to buy locally produced organic food. The planet benefits when the meals we buy don't have to travel so far to get to our plates because it supports local farms instead of large food corporations. Scientists from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, estimate that if every American lowered meat consumption by just 20%, it would lower greenhouse gasses as much as if everyone in the country switched to driving Toyota Priuses.
The third impact on our environment is deforestation. There are many reasons why forests are cut down, but the main ones are related to money, urban sprawl, or the needs of the people and their conveniences. The biggest reason of deforestation is agriculture. Trees are very important because not only do they stand as a home for 50% - 90% of all organisms, 90% of primates, and 50 million creatures that can live no place but rich rainforests, but they also improve the quality of the air that we breath by trapping carbon and other particles produced by pollution. Trees are natural syncs, they take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. We burn fossil fuels during the process of cutting down the trees, and we “slash and burn” which lets out tons of carbon dioxide back into our atmosphere. The immediate and long-term consequences of global deforestation is jeopardizing biodiversity, including the human population. Consequences include, the extinction of species, the destruction of natural environments, and climate change (National Geographic). The way we can help stop this problem is simple. It's recycling. Buying used things, reusing old things, it all adds up and contributes to saving the environment.
I've chosen fossil fuel consumption, food industries, and deforestation to have the three largest effects on our planet because they are the ones I see the most aware of, and experienced in.
Sources
University of East Anglia. "Fossil Fuel Carbon Dioxide Emissions Up by 29 Percent Since 2000." ScienceDaily 17 November 2009. 19 May 2010 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117133504.htm>.
Okos, Martin, Nishant Rao, Sara Drecher, Mary Rode, and Jeannie Kozak. "Energy Usage in the Food Industry." ENERGY USAGE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY. ACEEE - American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Oct. 1998. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.aceee.org/pubs/ie981.htm>.
"Deforestation Facts, Deforestation Information, Effects of Deforestation - National Geographic." Environment Facts, Environment Science, Global Warming, Natural Disasters, Ecosystems, Green Living - National Geographic. Web. 20 May 2010.
Diana Barlow
Final Exam
Question 8
5/19/10
How does food consumerism positively and negatively affect the health of the people, the environment, and food industries of America?
Consumerism is the way of life for people in advanced civilizations worldwide. Consumerism can either be an advantage or disadvantage to the people and their health, a positive or negative effect on the environment, and the motivation or degradation of food industries.
A good thing about being a consumer in the U.S. is that there is practically unlimited access to healthy food in many locations. Consumerism makes things easier and convenient for us. Because of consumerism, there is motivation for companies to produce more things. However, some cons are that healthy food is expensive thus making cheap junk food as a popular choice at the grocery store, and as time progresses, more consumers regard health as a primary concern when buying food. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 76 million Americans are sickened, 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die each year from food borne illnesses. We used to have methods of preventing illnesses from hurting people. “In 1998, the USDA implemented microbial testing for salmonella and E. coli 0157h7 so that if a plant repeatedly failed these tests, the USDA could shut down the plant. After being taken to court by the meat and poultry associations, the USDA no longer has that power” (Food Inc). We don't have that sort of protection anymore. Human's health is steadily inclining with 1 in 3 Americans born after the year 2000 contracting early onset diabetes, and among minorities, the rate will be 1 in 2 (Food Inc). E. Coli and Salmonella pose as a common threat to the consumers who are theones fueling the profits of the Industries who are hurting them.
There really aren't any consumerism pros when it comes down to how it effects the environment. The only thing I can think of is that nowadays some people are trying to 'go green' so they try to buy organic fruits, vegetables, and meat which is good for the environment. But besides that, due to the rise of human population and the overconsumption of energy, there is a huge strain on Earth’s natural resources. According to Food Inc, the average food product travels about 1,500 miles to get from where it originated to the grocery store, and transporting food accounts for 30,800 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year. If that wasn't bad enough, even factories and slaughterhouses are emitting tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Every procedure in the food processing business has an effect on the environment.
Consumerism is the heart of the food industry. The more customers that buy their products, the more money they make. So companies want all the customers they can get, thus forcing them to accommodate and change their ways to suit customer preferences. That could mean healthier and better food products for the consumers, if they want it. But thats the problem,customers don't realize what they're eating. “There is this deliberate veil, this curtain that's drawn between us and where our food is coming from. The industry doesn't want you to know the truth about what you're eating because if you knew, you might not want to eat it” (Food Inc). Since changing the way a company works to match customer preferences can be very expensive, some companies just choose not to change, and not be safe and healthy – because it's cheaper. “When there's a financial interest involved, these (food industry) companies would rather make the money and be sued then correct it” (food inc). Minimally processed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables obviously aren't where food companies look for profits. The money come from turning government-subsidized common crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans, into junk food. High-profit products derived from these crops are usually high in calories and low in nutritional value.
Diana Barlow
Final Exam
Question 6
5/20/10
Using terms and concepts from both the carbon cycle and climate change, describe in detail what global warming is and how we as humans can have both positive and negative effects towards climate change?
Global warming is an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in result changes in climate. Climate change is known as the long term average of a region's weather and it has become a problem that is affecting people and the environment. Changes in climate means big changes for the species who live in certain areas of the world. Plants and animals have the ability to adapt, but the problem is, they can not adapt fast enough to match the changes in the climate.The changes force them to migrate, lose their main sources of food, or even die out. Its a huge deal because it puts our biodiversity at risk. Climate change happens when greenhouse gases trap heat and light from sun in the Earth's atmosphere. When the sun's light hits the planet, some of its rays are absorbed int the Earth, some are bounced back into space, and some are bounced off the Earth but remain in its atmosphere. Global warming keeps the rays that are supposed to bounce back into space in the atmosphere creating a greenhouse effect. A big contributer to global warming is CO2, luckily we have the carbon cycle to recycle it and put that CO2 to good use.
The Earth maintains a natural carbon balance and when concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) are high, it upsets the natural balance. The readjustment works slowly compared to the fast rate at which humans are moving carbon into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. Natural syncs such as the oceans and trees can't remove the carbon in the air fast enough so the CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere increases which effects the carbon cycle. The carbon cycle is a cycle in which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth. It is important because it allows for carbon to be recycled and reused throughout the biosphere and all of its organisms.
We are the reason we have to deal with the whole global warming problem anyways. One of our negative effects includeburning fossil fuels such as coal because it emits a ton of CO2 into our atmosphere when burned. Another cause of global warming is deforestation because the process of cutting down trees lets out CO2, and trees are one of our natural syncs. Another negative effect humans have on global warming is the large amounts of wasted electricity we produce. Whenever we leave computers on sleep mode, or keep a bunch of things plugged in, we're exposing our atmosphere to electrical pollution. However, humans are beginning to realize the negative impacts they have on the environment and are now trying to improve. Ways that humans have a positive effect on the planet in attempts to slow down or turn around global warming would be carpooling! By using less cars on the road, there are less greenhouse gasses emitting into the air. Humans are also now more conscientious about wasting electricity, food scraps that could be composted, and recyclables. They are now making an effort to have as little waste as possible and buying eco-friendly products. Humans are also planting trees and preserving large areas of land in order to protect habitats. The government helped too by creating the Clean Air Act so that there would be less pollution. It meant that many companies had to change their products to decrease air pollution, and car companies had to change car designs so that they would emit less CO2 too.
Diana Barlow
Final Exam
Question 4
5/20/10
There are many ways we can have both direct and indirect impacts on our environment through the disposal of our waste; describe how we as humans can deal with our waste and make specific suggestions for how we can decrease our impacts.
When people avoid making garbage in the first place, they don't have to worry about disposing of waste or recycling it later.The key to reducing waste, is to change our habits. That means thinking differently about the way we shop, work, and live.
As humans, we have many direct and indirect impacts on the environment. When we have a direct impact on the environment, it means that we are purposely doing things that we know is hurting our planet. That ranges from deforestation, to throwing trash away, to burning fossil fuels. We also have an indirect impact on the environment meaning that we do things that don't seem like we're hurting the planet, but in reality we are. That happens when we buy products because it still took energy to make them, when we throw trash away, because the trash still emits methane into the atmosphere.
Most of our waste comes from our home. A good portion of what people throw in the garbage every day is paper, and most of that comes from the mail. The average American household receives more than 500 pieces of advertising mail each year.Recycling the junk mail is alright, but reducing the flow of junk mail will conserve natural resources and save our limited landfill space. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 27 percent of the nation's total food supply — 97 billion pounds — went to waste in 1995. Food is wasted in many ways, such as preparing too much, letting fresh food go bad and buying more then needed. Food waste is the third largest component of generated waste (after yard waste and corrugated boxes) and second largest component of discarded waste, after yard waste. “The amount of food waste generated in the waste stream has increased by 1.2 million tons in the last 25 years, this is one of the lowest increases on a percentage basis of any component of the waste stream” (Reducing Waste at Home). But a way we can fix that is by creating compost piles with our food scraps to fertilize our gardens. Other ways we can decrease our impacts would be like buying canteens instead of buying water bottles because North Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.
"Global Warming." Oracle ThinkQuest Library. 2002. Web. 21 May 2010. <http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/global_warming.htm>.
"Reducing Waste at Home." Www.reduce.org | Reduce Waste: If Not You, Who? Web. 21 May 2010.
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