Human Impact
How we affect the Lithosphere
Essential Standards
• EEn.2.2 Understand how human influences impact the
lithosphere.
– EEn.2.2.1 Explain the consequences of human activities on the
lithosphere (such as mining, deforestation, agriculture, overgrazing,
urbanization, and land use) past and present.
– EEn.2.2.2 Compare the various methods humans use to acquire
traditional energy sources (such as peat, coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear
fission, and wood).
• EEn.2.8 Evaluate human behaviors in terms of how likely they are
to ensure the ability to live sustainably on Earth.
– EEn.2.8.1 Evaluate alternative energy technologies for use in North
Carolina.
– EEn.2.8.2 Critique conventional and sustainable agriculture and
aquaculture practices in terms of their environmental impacts.
– EEn.2.8.4 Evaluate the concept of “reduce, reuse, recycle” in terms of
impact on natural resources.
How we use the Earth
LAND USE
Assignment!
• As we talk about land uses, you will keep a
journal on various topics
• DO NOT LOSE YOUR JOURNAL ENTRIES
• This is a project grade
• Due when we finish this
• Be thoughtful in constructing your responses
• It is okay to make opinion questions personal but
keep your facts reasonably scientific
• Refer specifically to content from the article
• This should be a great time for you to reflect on
how these topics impact you. Enjoy!
What types of land use are there?
Urbanization
Agriculture
Land Use
Harvesting
Drilling
Mining
What is Urbanization?
• The physical growth of cities, or taking the
characteristics of cities
Why do people build cities?
• Proximity – so people
will be closer to the
things they desire
– Job opportunities
– Transportation and
housing
– Entertainment and
attractions
– Diversity
– Marketplace
competition
How do cities affect Earth?
• Deforestation – cutting down
all trees in an area
– What can removing trees
cause?
• Increased flooding
– impervious (water can’t move
through it) surfaces cause water
to run off into streams instead
of being absorbed
• Increased pollution
– from transportation and factory
production
• Heat islands – pavement
absorbs heat all day and
releases it at night making the
surrounding area warmer
Causes and Effects of Urbanization
Job opportunities
Increased
pollution
Entertainment
Increased
flooding
Transportation
and housing
Urbanization
Deforestation
Diversity
Marketplace
competition
Heat Islands
What can we do?
• Urbanization
– “Green” cities
• Add walls that can hold plant
life
• Walkable urban areas- mixed
use so most things are in
walking distance of residents
• Entice people to move back to
cities instead of urban sprawl
• Better public transportation
• Urban farming
• Build structures that use
sustainable energies (solar,
wind, hydroelectric, etc…)
Assignment!
• Create a journal entry on the benefits and draw
backs of being in a city
– Would you like to live in one? Why or why not?
• Read through
http://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/v
oogt.html and explain:
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What is a heat island?
How do heat islands form?
How do they impact cities?
How can the impacts be reduced?
Why is land used for agriculture?
• Until humans learned
to farm they were
nomadic (followed
food)
• A stable food source
– Vegetables
– Meats
– Animal feed
• Economic gain
• Non – edible resources
– cotton, ethanol
How does agriculture affect the
lithosphere?
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Deforestation
Overgrazing
Desertification
Dryland salinity
Decline in fresh water
Pollution
Are there other side effects to
deforestation?
• Deforestation means a loss
of habitats, which means a
loss in biodiversity
– All the different life forms in
an area
• Increased erosion degrades
soil
• Increased evaporation
leading to drought
• Higher CO2 in the air
– Less photosynthesis
Deforestation
What exactly is overgrazing?
• Plants are exposed to
grazing with
insufficient recovery
period
– Roots grow smaller
and eventually plants
begin to die off
• Occurs from having
more animals on a
piece of land than it
can support
Assignment!
• Read the article on a national park’s response to
overgrazing in Nepal
http://www.asianewsnet.net/Nepal%e2%80%99snational-park-shows-way-in-overgrazing-f-46275.html
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Why was grazing becoming a problem in the area?
How did the National Park Service handle the problem?
How do you think this impacted the local peoples?
Was it a fair decision? Why or why not?
• Read the article on deforestation
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environm
ent/global-warming/deforestation-overview/ and
briefly summarize at least:
– 3 reasons deforestation happens
– 3 effects of deforestation
What about desertification?
• The process of land becoming a desert, characterized by
loss of bodies of water and plant life
• Occurs when overgrazing happens in already dry areas
• Can be caused by the weight of cattle pressing on the land
until it becomes too compacted for plants to grow
Assignment!
• We will read
http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/Science/d
esertification.html together.
• Write in your journal:
– Where is desertification more likely to happen?
– How does desertification affect people globally?
– How does it affect you personally?
– What sustainable solutions can you propose to
help with the problem?
What is dryland salinity?
• Gradual loss of farmland
from rising salt
– Salt is located
underground but pulled
upwards when water
tables rise
• Domesticated plants have
shallower roots
• Loss of biodiversity
• Huge problem in Australia
and other places where
underground salt reserves
are present
How is freshwater being depleted from
agriculture?
• Irrigation in arid areas to water crops is pulled
from freshwater sources
• This has been devastating to the ecosystems
of some rivers
– Colorado River hasn’t reached the sea since 1998
Assignment!
• Read through the story of Zachary Podmore’s trip down
the Colorado from beginning to end
– http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zacharypodmore/colorado-river-environment_b_1306665.html
• Briefly write your opinion on the Colorado
– How does it enrich the lives of millions of people?
– What has happened to the river system?
– Include what you think should be done
• Then read
http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/salinity/default.ht
m by Justin Murphy and write about:
– How did Australia come to be in this situation?
– Was there anyway to predict this would happen?
– What should be done now?
How is agriculture polluting?
• Pesticides and
herbicides to control
insects and weeds
runoff with rain into
rivers
• These can cause major
problems with rivers
– Hypoxic – dead zones
where oxygen levels
have decreased to
where they cannot
support life
What are the causes and effects of
agriculture?
Vegetables
Deforestation
Meats
Overgrazing
Feed for livestock
Non – edible
resources
Economic Gain
Agriculture
Desertification
Dryland salinity
Freshwater
depletion
Pollution and
dead zones
What can we do?
• Agriculture
– Keep the proper amount of animals on acreage
– Crop rotation to keep soil fertile
• Reduces need for deforestation
– Purchase seasonally and locally
– Drip line irrigation
– Reduce the amount of chemicals and synthetic
fertilizers
Is agriculture possible underwater?
• Yes, this is called
aquaculture
• Farming of fish,
crustaceans, aquatic plants,
and mollusks
– Mariculture – uses sea water
to grow aquatic organisms
– Integrated methods – often
combine various trophic
levels of the food chain to
make conditions more
natural and sustainable
How is aquaculture affecting the
environment?
• Can increase water consumption and worsen
drought conditions
• Some fish are fed pellets, which when not eaten,
settle and alter the food chain for benthic
organisms
• Increased fertilizer from feces of fish produces
algal blooms
• Higher presence of microbial decomposers
lowers oxygen levels
– What does this cause?
• Can introduce new species when pins break
Is aquaculture all bad?
• No, aquaculture
can decrease the
problem of
overfishing
• Increases the
amount of food
for consumption
What is mining and why is it done?
• Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or
other resources from the earth
• Done for
– Economic gain
– Resources
How is mining done?
• Surface mining
• Sub-surface mining
• In-situ mining
What is surface mining?
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Strip mining
Mountain top removal
Open pit mining
Soil and overlaying rock are removed to get to
the resource below
What is sub surface mining?
• Digging tunnels or
shafts to get to ore
deposits
visit the mine
What is in-situ mining?
• Commonly done to
obtain uranium for
energy
• Uranium is dissolved
into water below the
surface
• Solution is brought to
the surface and the
mineral is recovered
In situ mining
How does mining affect the
environment?
• Acid mine drainage
from sub surface
mining
• Deforestation
• Erosion
• Formation of sinkholes
• Contamination of soil
and groundwater
• Some diseases (black
lung, blue baby
syndrome, asthma)
Mining and the Environment
Causes and effects of mining
Deforestation
Economic Gain
Acid Mine
Drainage
Minerals
mining
Diseases
Loss of
biodiversity
Energy Resources
Contamination of
soil and water
Sinkholes
What can we do?
• Mining
– Alternative energy sources
• Write representative to let them know you want more
opportunities for these energies
– Recycle and reuse goods to reduce need to mine
– Reduce consumption of unnecessary items
Assignment!
• Read the article
http://www.wvrivers.org/issues/acidminedrainage/acid
minedrainage.html
– Summarize what acid mine drainage is
– Pay close attention to the problems associated with mine
drainage and explain how these can negatively impact the
people living around mines also use the next article for this
• http://biology.duke.edu/bio217/2005/seanb/humanim
pacts.html read about how people are directly
impacted from mining.
– Is mining worth the risks to the environment and people
nearby the site? (you may look up blue baby syndrome on
Wikipedia for more information)
Assignment!
• Complete the land use sheet
• Turn into the turn in box
What is harvesting and how is it done?
• Gathering of
resources from
the surface of
the Earth
– Peat – non –
renewable
– Wood –
renewable
Why is wood harvested?
• Renewable energy
supply
– 9% of the world’s
energy supply
• Used particularly in
developing countries
• Used for heating and
cooking
• What environmental
problem is this linked
to?
Assignment!
• Read
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energ
y/2012/10/121022-wood-for-heating/
• Discuss in your journal:
– How are the Fey’s trying to be environmentally
conscious in their decision to use wood?
• What are their reasons?
– How do the majority of American’s heat their homes?
– Why are people steadily switching to alternative
energy?
– What do you expect to see used in American homes in
the future for heating?
What is peat, where is peat, and how
is it harvested?
• Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed
plant matter
– Soils containing mostly peat are histols
peat bog at harvest time
• Found in bogs or mires
• Fossil fuel due to slow regrowth cutting peat
• Harvested by:
– Cutting
– Stacking
– Drying
– Packing and shipping
Assignment!
• SAS carbon cycle activity – QL 952
• With a partner complete the activity on the
carbon cycle
• Sections 1-3 answer all questions
• Analysis section answer questions for sections
1-3
• Honors – entire activity
Assignment!
• Read
http://www.peatmoss.com/blog/harvesting-peat
• Discuss in your journal:
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How are peat sites found
How is the site prepared and peat harvested?
How is peat used?
Where does most peat produced in Canada go and
how is it used?
– What is surprising about Canada’s harvesting peat and
their energy usage of peat?
– Where does most peat come from?
Review from Mining
• What is a major fossil fuel that is mined for
electricity?
• What is mining?
• Let’s look at coal
What exactly is coal and how is it
extracted? How coal is formed
• Coal is either mined
underground or in an
open pit (through
mountain top removal)
• Non renewable fossil
fuel
• Formed in low lying
wetlands
– Plant matter was buried
– Compressed into
bituminous coal
– Further compressed into
its most usable form,
anthracite
How are uranium and plutonium
mined?
• Uranium mines are:
– Open pit
– In situ
– Underground
• Plutonium is extracted from uranium deposits
• Radioactive elements used in nuclear energy
– Occurs in extremely small amounts in most rocks
Assignment!
• Cookie mining lab
– If we don’t have time today be prepared
tomorrow! Shoes people!
– You will need:
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Lab sheet
Cookie
Calculator
Toothpicks and / or paperclips
NO HANDS!
What is drilling and how is it done?
• A cutting process
that uses a drill bit to
cut or enlarge a hole
in the Earth for
extraction purposes
– Oil
– Natural gas
What is oil?
• Formed from the
remains of tiny plants
• Non – renewable
resource
– Obtained by drilling
• Found using
seismology and other
tools such as
magnetometers and
gravity meters
oil formation
Assignment!
• Watch the video and answer these journal
questions
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/
july-dec13/ecuador_08-16.html
• What is under attack and why is it important?
• Why is this resource being threatened?
• Was the proposal that the Ecuadorian president
made fair on a global scale? Why or why not?
• How have oil companies affected local culture
between generations?
• Has the culture change been a good thing for the
locals?
What is natural gas?
• Contains mostly methane
• Created in bogs deep
underground
• Non renewable energy
source
• Mostly obtained by drilling
– Commonly found in coal
seems, shale formations
and sandstone beds
Assignment!
• Use the following links and write in your journal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSm6zqJRKOM and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBjSXWQRV8
Read
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/3
0/fracking-south-natural-gas-drilling-tennessee/2897895/
• What process of making the well do the makers of the
first video stress? Who made the video and use this
information to explain the tone in the video
• This happens due to methane getting into the
groundwater from local fracking operations. What do
you think about hydraulic fracturing?
What can we do?
• Alternative energy sources:
– Solar
– Wind
– Hydroelectric
– Wave power
– Nuclear
– Biofuel
– Geothermal
– Fuel cells
Assignment!
• You will be placed in 4 groups – specific guidelines available
online
• Each group will choose 2 sustainable energy sources
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How are the sources captured?
How does the device work?
How efficient are our means of capturing the renewable energy?
How much of the energy supply in the US does the source make
up?
How much of the worldwide energy supply does your source
make up?
Evaluate their use in NC
Evaluate their use in the country and worldwide
Present – groups will be evaluated on how they present, everyone
is responsible for getting notes on these presentations
America Before Columbus
• Watch the documentary America Before Columbus
• Keep a list of animals brought from:
– America to Europe
– Europe to America
• Keep a list of plants brought from:
– America to Europe
– Europe to America
America Before
Columbus
• What was the landscape like in the past in:
– America
– Europe
• What was agriculture like in the past in:
– America
– Europe
• How did Europeans change the landscape of America?
Resources
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http://cnreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/beijing.jpg
http://www.magmire.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Public-Transportation.jpg
http://themmmguide.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/yankee-stadium.jpg
http://www.weatherquestions.com/urban_heat_island.jpg
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=agriculture&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=711729D7069239BA316B571575D940BA05F51702&selectedIndex=0
http://www.photo-paysage.com/albums/userpics/10001/boeuf.jpg
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=corn+farm&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=3FEDF63691DF71D7A34F8CFE5DFCDE88737286A8&selectedIndex=3
http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/salinity/default.htm
http://postconflict.unep.ch/sudanreport/sudan_website/doccatcher/data/Photographs%20Figures%20and%20Captions%20by%20Chapter/Ch3/Chapter%20photos/
3.3d%20The%20existence%20DSC_0211.JPG
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=agriculture+overgrazing&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=02EE087CC331F138346F7DB0FB9E1BD9CE6B230F&selectedIndex
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http://images.wildmadagascar.org/pictures/tana-maroantsetra/lavaka_0091.jpg
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=desertification+from+agriculture&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=A0283C0D8D3B9951C9B954D315766067B02032DA&sele
ctedIndex=50
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3244/2985437389_be8793e845.jpg
http://www.humanandnatural.com/data/media/2/colorado_river_in_grand_canyon.jpg
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zachary-podmore/colorado-river-environment_b_1306665.html
http://cdn.coastalcare.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/schema-1.jpg
http://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/voogt.html
http://www.asianewsnet.net/Nepal%e2%80%99s-national-park-shows-way-in-overgrazing-f-46275.html
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview/
http://www.smartmines.com
http://www.ohs.org/research/library/photograph-gallery/mining.cfm
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201004030245
http://www.cadtracknav.com/cadtracker_subsurface_mines.html
http://www.cameco.com/mining/highland_smith/extraction_process/
http://www.businessinsider.com/canadian-oil-sands-flyover-2012-5?op=1
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/landrec/remining.htm
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2009/ee/b819315k/unauth
Resources
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http://bigdogsinlittlehouses.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post_2810.html
http://www2.illinoisbiz.biz/coal/virtualtour/index.html
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Mining-of-Uranium/In-Situ-Leach-Mining-of-Uranium/#.UhK9zxaRPzI
http://www.cameco.com/mining/highland_smith/extraction_process/
http://www.hydratelife.org/?p=189
http://thechelseascrolls.com/tag/black-lung/
http://urbantick.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-manifesto-for-sustainable-cities.html
http://impressivemagazine.com/2013/07/01/green-walls/
http://organizeanything.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/wood_pile.png
http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1096/558178251_2ff622799f_z.jpg
http://www.wfpa.org/workspace/section-header-images/slideshow_harvesting.jpg
http://www.michellehenry.fr/backyard.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfzH_WTLulM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbOcwRUwLIk
http://www.barvasandbrue.com/images/peat5.jpg
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/10/121022-wood-for-heating/
http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/00051/images/coal.jpg
http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove/img/coal-formation.jpg
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=coal+mines&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=9F3335275E1F3F69838052521B9344B2DAF45B40&selectedIndex=1
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Strip_coal_mining.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q7Rxg4wqDyc/S7raQKwcRHI/AAAAAAAAA50/6Eex5HZl5uk/s400/West-Virginia-Coal-Mine-Explosion.jpg
http://www.kancoll.org/khq/images/71_4_osage-county_coal_mining.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Ranger_Uranium_Mine.jpg
http://redidrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Drilling-Rig.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Oil_well.jpg
http://www.cflhd.gov/resources/agm/images/fig209.jpg
Resources
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http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2010/08/10/iraq-to-produce-natural-gas-in-2-years/
http://millergd.blogspot.com/2011/09/euro-crisis-continues-bill-frezza.html
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=drill-for-natural-gas-pollute-water
http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2008/08/the-pros-and-cons-of-fish-farming/
http://greatecology.com/fish-farming-catastrophic-effects-reasonable-evolution-response-overfishing/
http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/aquacult/overview.php