Environment
 What is the environment?
 The natural environment encompasses all living &
and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth
Questions to consider
 1. What is nature worth?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TartoYpK1yI
 2. In your opinion, what is the most pressing
environmental issue today?
Animal Issues
 3. What is “the cove?”
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYKNCN1ESZM
 4. Discuss the significance of “Blackfish”
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G93beiYiE74
 What is the purpose of these commercials?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suE_WJWUEVs
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbq0lDeUd0E
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Are they effective? Discuss
Air Issues
 5. Discuss the impact of air pollution
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1DNjJd2YfA
 Discuss – What impact did air pollution have on the
2008 Olympic Games (held in China)?
 6. How is air pollution a global issue?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcWpkWBX04E
Climate Change
 7. What are the causes & effects of major weather
events?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUJlWsw1sGU
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Sea Level Rising – the global sea level has risen by 8 in. since
1870 (EPA). As a result, there are 11 islands that may disappear
(including Solomon Islands & Bangladesh)
(optional if time permits … )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdZhD8zhiS0
Oil Spills
 8.What is the impact of oil spills on animals?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHNtcqksWwg
 What was the impact of the Exxon-Valdez spill?


(optional – if time permits…)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPAH8XUEMY4
Global Warming
 9. What is global warming?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJAbATJCugs
 Discuss - How are politics related to global warming &
different points of view?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agfoRVfr6no
Presidential Policies on the Environment
 10. Of the following four Presidents – Theodore
Roosevelt, LBJ, Nixon, or Carter – which one do you
think had the biggest impact on the environment?
Justify/defend your answer.
Theodore Roosevelt
 John Muir & Conservation efforts of National Parks
 Newlands Reclamation Act 1902

Allowed the federal gov’t to create irrigation projects to make
dry lands productive
 Yellowstone National Park (1872)
 Grand Canyon (1919)
LBJ’s “Great Society”
 Lyndon B. Johnson
 Wilderness
Preservation Act (1964)
 Protected 9.1 million
acres of nat’l forest from
development
 Water Quality Act
(1965)
 Required states to clean
up rivers & lakes
 Clean Air Act
Amendments (1965)
 Established exhaust
emission standards for
cars
 Air Quality Act (1967)
 Set guidelines on air
pollution & increased
federal gov’ts power to
enforce clean air
standards
Nixon’s Policies
 Silent Spring (1962)
 Rachel Carson published;
warned of the harmful
effects of chemicals on the
natural world
 Led to Earth Day
demonstrations
 Clean Air Act (1970)
 Regulated levels of air
pollution
 Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
established (1970)
Carter’s Policies
 J. Carter
 Alaska National
Interest Lands
Conservation Act
 Protected more than 100
million acres of land &
doubled the size of the
nation’s park & wildlife
refuge system
 3-Mile Island
 Love Canal, NY
 Environmental disaster
 Long-buried chemicals
began seeping up through
the ground
 Exposure was linked to
high rates of
birth
defects
Environmental Issues
 Climate change
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Global warming
Global dimming
Fossil fuels
Sea level rise
Greenhouse gas
Ocean acidification
 Conservation
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Species extinction
Pollinator decline
Coral bleaching
Poaching
Endangered species
 Energy
 Energy conservation
 Renewable energy
 Efficient energy use
 Environmental
Degradation
 Habitat destruction
 11. Of the 4 environmental
issues listed, which one do
you think we should be most
concerned with & why?
Issues continued…
 Genetic engineering
 Genetic pollution
 Genetically modified food
controversies
 Intensive farming
 Overgrazing
 Irrigation
 Environmental effects of meat
production
 Overpopulation
 Burial
 Land degradation
 Desertification

Soil, Soil conservation, Soil
Erosion, Soil Contamination,
Soil salinization
 Land use
 Urban sprawl
 Habitat fragmentation
 Habitat destruction
 Nuclear Issues
 Nuclear power
 Radioactive waste
 12. Of these 6 issues, which one
do you think is most concerning
& why?
Issues continued…
 Ozone Depletion
 Pollution
 Water pollution
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Acid Rain
Marine pollution
Ocean dumping
Oil spills
Ocean acidification
Wastewater
 Air pollution
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Smog
Indoor air quality
 Resource Depletion
 Exploitation of natural resources (overconsumerism)
 Fishing; Bottom trawling; Illegal &
unregulated fishing; Shark finning;
Whaling
 Logging / Clearcutting / Deforestation
 Mining
 Toxins
 Chlorofluorocarbons
 DDT
 Dioxin
 Heavy metals
 Herbicides
 Pesticides
 Toxic waste
GROUP PROJECT
 In assigned groups, you will research one of the
following topics.
 Acid Rain
 Air Pollution
 Global Warming
 Animal/Species Extinction
 Deforestation
 Ozone Depletion
 Ocean Issues

sea water rising, oil spills, wastewater, & pollution
TO DO
 Research
 Each group member needs to
research for your topic

If you don’t have a cell phone w/
Internet access, print your research

No Wikipedia
Consider
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World Wildlife Federation
(WWF)
National Geographic
IPCC
EPA
 Poster – bring your own!
 Title
 At least 5 Visuals (pictures,
charts, graphs, etc.)
 Background (5 W’s & How)
 Current Info & Research
 Changes in Policies, Future
Implications,
Recommendations
 Presentation
 Each group will present
their topic to the class