Sustainability &
Conservation
Obj: Discuss the
importance of sustainability
and conservation in relation
to humans.
Ray Farm
Sustainable Living
 Sustaining
Life: The process of meeting the
needs of living things. Includes providing
food, water and shelter. These are called
sustenance.
 Sustainable Resource Use: The use of
resources so they last a long time.
 Sustainable Development: The use of
development practices that benefit people
without damaging the environment.
Sustainable Living
 Sustainable
Agriculture: The use of
agricultural practices that assure the
future production of crops and livestock.
 Conservation: The wise use of natural
resources.
 Quality of Life: The degree of satisfaction
people derive from their environment.
Design for the Environment
 “Dfe”
is the concept of including
environmental considerations in
manufacturing and construction. Both
design and redesign of products and
systems are included.
Design for the Environment
 Business
leaders are encouraged to consider
the environment when making decisions
about:



Product design-possible environmental impact?
Materials- using environmentally friendly
materials?
Purchases- buying materials either recycled or
recyclable, and produced with minimum
environmental impact?
Life Needs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Food
Water
Air
Space
Shelter & Protection
Life Needs: Food
 Material
consumed and needed to carry
out life processes
 Nutrient is a substance needed for an
organism to live and grow

Ex) Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals
and vitamins
Life Needs: Water
 Essential
for all of life’s processes
 Humans need about 2 quarts per day
Life Needs: Air

All living things need some part of air to
survive

Animals need oxygen & plants need carbon
dioxide
 Respiration
is the process an organism uses to
provide its cell with oxygen so energy can be
released from digested foods
 Plants provide oxygen for animals, and
animals provide carbon dioxide for plants,
thus the relationship is interdependent.
Life Needs: Space
 All
living organisms need and occupy
space
 Space is the area around an organism
that is used for living
 Territory is the area an animal used and
protects as its own
Life Needs: Shelter &
Protection
 Organisms
need protection from certain
elements in the environment that can
injure or destroy them
 Some animals adapt, some hibernate
and some migrate
 Plants generally only grow in an
environment that is suited to them
Roles of Humans
 Humans
have three major roles in maintaining
the quality of the environment…
1.
2.
3.
Users- humans use the resource to support life
functions
Decision makers- humans decide which
resources are used, and how they are used
Conservationists- humans can prevent waste.
Humans should not be an abuser of the
environment.
EPA at RTP
http://www.ncgreenbui
lding.org/site/ncg/publi
c/show_project.cfm?pr
oject_id=120
Visit this site to learn
more about how the
EPA is at work in
conserving in the RTP!
What is our future like?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc4HxPxNrZ0
The Environment as Home
 Every
living organism requires an
environment that sustains life
 Ecosystem: a natural environment has
many ecosystems, which are all
components of a particular environment
 Habitat: the physical area where a plant
or animal lives under natural conditions

Proper arrangement of 4 essential
elements: food, water, shelter, and space
Energy Transfer
 Ecosystems
need energy to exist
 Energy is the ability to be active and do work
 An ecosystem has a complex process for
transferring energy that originates from the sun
to organisms, specifically from one organism to
another
 Food Chain is the ranking of species into
successive levels where each feeds on the
one below
 Food Web is all the interconnected food
chains of an ecosystem
Conservation VS. Preservation
 Conservation:
resource

Wise use of a natural
Prevent unnecessary damage/loss
 Preservation:
resource
Nonuse of a natural
Human Effects on the
Environment
 Can
have positive & negative effects on
environment
 Symbiotic relationship

Different species of organisms live together
and benefit each other
 Debated
issue
 One problem…humans give little thought to
the resources they use each day, including
where the resource came from, and where it
ends up
Planning Ahead
 Humans
must plan to preserve and
protect our resources
1. Human Impact
2. Chemicals are not always bad
3. Maintaining Habitats
4. Abuse of Resources
5. Conservation Measures
Human Impact
 Humans
affect all natural resources
 Often, we only consider the aesthetic
benefits
 Plants not only have aesthetic value, but
keep hot areas cooler and provide shelter
from winds as well
Chemicals are not always
bad…
 For

example, fertilizer
Provides nutrients for plant growth
 Problems
come from overuse or misuse
 One chemical that caused environmental
problems is the insecticide DDT. The major
problem with it was that it did not break
down and, therefore; it accumulated in
the food chains
Maintaining Habitats
 The
major affect humans have had on
the environment has been habitat
destruction
 Resource most effected=wildlife
 Some species can adapt to changes in
their habitat
Abuse of Resources
 When
resources are abused, they are
depleted
Conservation Measures
 Many
conservation measures have be put
in place
 Measures must be proven not only for
conservation of the resource, but for
economic and productive purposes as
well

Example) Flow restrictor on a
showerhead…saves $$ and conserves
water
Developing Personal Beliefs
About the Environment
 How
one feels about the environment is
influenced by:





Age
Gender
Culture
Education
Other factors
 Become
properly and thoroughly informed
from various sources
Human Population Growth
 World


population is “exploding”
More people being born, living longer,
wanting more things
Increase in demand for life’s necessities
 Currently
6.2 billion people
 US=284 million people
 NC=8,050,000 (11th in the nation)
How does human
population growth effect
ecological systems and
society?
Read this article on global changes to learn more
about the impacts that population growth is having
on our world today.
Welcome to
CURRENT EVENTS
WEEK!
Explore human population
growth and the demand it is
having on the environment
and natural resources.
Issues
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Desertification
Deforestation
Endangerment
Malnourishment/Hunger
Waste disposal
Atmospheric damage
Soil degradation
Current Events Week
 Gallery
Walk
Thursday, December 20
1st block
 Must include a visual
For example: 3 fold board, Powerpoint
presentation, model, etc.