What would you do if they wanted to place
a landfill next to your favorite park in your
hometown?
Energy Resources & Anthropogenic
Effects on the Environment
The term anthropogenic refers to an effect that is caused by human
activity. Today we will focus on how our consumer, “throw away” life style
has detrimentally effected the environment and we will look at possible
solutions to preventing more harm to the environment.
1955- Introduction of
“Throw Away Living”
 Life Magazine introduced “new”
products that are very familiar to us
and we use every day.
 Some of the “cool new” items that
were introduced in 1955 was:
 Paper Plates
 Paper Napkins
 Garbage Bags
Petroleum to Plastic
Plastic products are used every day and have increased the ease of living.
However, plastic is made from petroleum, which is a type of fossil fuel.
Fossil Fuels
 Are natural fuels such as coal or gas, formed in the geological
past from the remains of living organisms.
 They are used for the production of many items from plastic to
electricity.
 They release harmful pollution and are not always energy
efficient.
 The biggest problem with fossil fuels is that they are NON
RENEWABLE.
Non- Renewable Resources
 Are natural resources which cannot be reproduced,
grown or generated.
 Once they are depleted (gone) there are no more
available for future needs.
Unintended Consequences
An unexpected effect that can cause serious harm to an
environment or health of an individual.
Again, lets focus on plastic…. It is not biodegradable, which
means when you liter plastic, it does not break down.
It may not appear to be serious when you throw a plastic
bottle on the ground, however, there are many unintended
consequences associated with doing such thing.
Lets look at the following case study…
Garbage Island
 You will watch two videos about the “Great Pacific
Garbage Dump” that is located in the Pacific Ocean
and bigger than the state of Texas.
 You will answer questions after these videos, so pay
attention and take notes on things that shock you or that
you found to be interesting.
Stop and Jot: Garbage Island Discussion
Take out paper and answer the following questions with 3-4
sentences. This will be collected!
1.
After viewing these videos, how did you feel?
2.
Why do you think little is being done to prevent or stop this issue?
3.
What do you think could be done to stop this issue from getting worse?
4.
Do you think more awareness of this issue would bring about bigger
changes?
5.
What does living environmentally consciously mean to you?
6.
Will these films inspire you to take preventative measures against littering?
Solution to Pollution?
Which seems like the best practice of disposing waste that
will have the least harmful effect on the environment??
Explain why you selected the answer that you did.
1. Put landfills far away from people and major cities.
2. Send garbage over seas to other countries.
3. Burn the garbage, because this would save space…
4. Use recyclable materials and renewable energy.
Renewable Sources
 Wind Power
 Geothermal
 Solar
 Hydrothermal
Create Frayer Model For Each Type
of Energy We Are About to Discuss
 Write the Type
of Energy in
the Middle
 Follow the
directions on
your worksheet
to fill in the
other boxes
Wind Power
Pros
Cons
 Wind is free
 Can be damaged in bad
weather (ex: lightening)
 The wind industry
internationally is able to
provide at least 12% of the
world’s future electricity
needs by 2020, even if
current consumption
doubles.
 Potential for jobs (building
them)
 Creates a noise that some
find disturbing.
 Birds fly into them.
 Some people claim they
are an “eye sore”
Solar Energy
Pros
Cons
 No pollution
 Can be very expensive to
install
 Panels can be installed in
many places (ex: roofs or
telephone poles)
 Bad weather will prevent
efficient usage (ex:
cloudy/rain)
 Some places offer tax
breaks for the use of solar
panels
 Only works when the sun is
out
 Silent and no moving parts
 Some people do not like
how they look
Geothermal Energy
Pros
Cons
 Has practically unlimited
potential
 Initial cost is high
 Can save a lot of money
 Getting this energy from
the ground has reportedly
caused Earthquakes in
some areas
 Can be used for a wide
array of different purposes
 Requires a large plot of
land to get the energy
 It is reliable
Hydropower Energy
Pros
Cons
 Fueled by water, so it
doesn’t pollute the air
 Fish populations can be
impacted if fish cannot
migrate upstream
 Creates reservoirs that offer
a variety of recreational
opportunities, notably
fishing, swimming, and
boating.
 Have a long life span
 Can impact water quality
and flow
 Can be impacted by
drought.
What does it stand for?
“Not In My Backyard”
 A common response from citizens when an unfavorable
structure wants to be placed in their town.
 For example, people may protest a landfill being placed
in their town because no one wants the eyesore,
pollution, truck traffic, or smells associated with one.
 NIMBY could be used positively (to bring attention to a
health risk) or negatively (for personal, selfish reasons).
Uranium Mining in the West
Is this an example of positive or negative usage of a NIMBY protest?
Wind Turbines in Cape Cod
Is this an example of using NIMBY for personal gain?
Do you think it’s selfish to think of how a
structure will affect you as an individual?
If you were a situation similar to the examples, would you be able to realize
the bigger picture and see the full benefits associated with the situation?
Why/why not?
Environmental Racism
What is Environmental Racism?
 The disproportionate impact of environmental
contamination
 Refers to the decisions to put hazardous waste facilities
and other unwanted land uses in predominantly poor
and people-of-color communities
 Also, it includes racial discrimination in formulating and
carrying out environmental policy
Barnes-Davies, Rebecca. "Environmental Racism." National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Working Group. Web. <http://www.umc-gbcs.org/atf/cf/
%7B689FEA4C-8849-4C05-A89E-C9BC7FFFF64C%7D/Environmental%20Racism%20study%20guide.pdf>.
Environmental Racism in Today’s Society
Do you believe environmental racism is evident
in modern society?
Does it Still Exist Today?
Modern Day Examples
Ramifications
 6 out of 7 bus depots are
located around Harlem, a
predominantly AfricanAmerican community
 High rates of illness and
deaths due to asthma
 Native American land affected
by the many uranium mines
surrounding the area
 Atgeld Garden is low-income
housing is located near sewage
treatment plants, landfills, power
plants, or toxic dumps in
Chicago
 Land is contaminated,
which caused health
affects on the people,
animals and drinking water
 Many reports of cancer,
respiratory problems & birth
deformities
Barnes-Davies, Rebecca. "Environmental Racism." National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Working Group. Web. <http://www.umc-gbcs.org/atf/cf/
%7B689FEA4C-8849-4C05-A89E-C9BC7FFFF64C%7D/Environmental%20Racism%20study%20guide.pdf>.