ENVIRONMENTAL

IMPACT
 Water: A fragile recource

• Another indicator of the use of water is the

water footprint: the volume of water used
by an individual or community to produce
goods and services that they consume.

• This concept has into account the direct use

of water (for drinking, cooking, washing...)
and the indirect use.

• Some examples of the water that is needed

throughout the process of production of
some products are:
 What can we do?

• First thing is to be aware that it is

not an unlimited resource, so it is
necessary to reduce water
consumption:
– Improve management.
– Reuse when possible
– Invest in new technologies and improve
those that already have to save the
greater amount of water possible in each
process.
 SOIL
• Imaging a large Apple that represents the Earth.

• Cut the Apple into 4 pieces and discard 3 as the salt

water of the planet (planet 75%).

• Then cut the piece we are left in the half, and one half
is discarded since it represents the deserts and
badlands.

• The piece that remains (that represents 1/8 of the

planet) is cut into 4 parts and 3 of them are turned
away since they represent too rocky areas, too steep or
too cold to produce food.

• Carefully Peel the piece of Apple that we are left

(1/32 of the Earth), this represents the surface of the
planet with the ground upon which humans depend.
 SOIL
• The soil is a surface layer of natural origin that
contains living matter and which usually measures
about 2 meters thick.

• The soil is a finite resource which is destroyed with

ease and is one of the most precious assets of
humanity.

• In the last two centuries human activity has altered

physically, chemically and biologically the soil, causing
its depletion, erosion, deterioration and poisoning.

• The agricultural overuse and erosion carried each year

24 billion tons of fertile soil. Every cm of soil takes 100
years to form.

• Soil degradation is often irreversible.

THE EXPLOITATION OF THE SOIL
Agriculture:
• Agricultural production has grown much
faster than the population since 1950.

• This increase has been achieved without

increasing the hectares dedicated to it,
thanks to the so-called intensive farming.

• Intensive agriculture seeks to productivity

and economic benefit, but it entails serious
environmental problems:
 The exploitation of the soil
Environmental problems related to intensive agriculture:

• The increase in the use of pesticides, herbicides and

fertilizers has led to pollution and depletion of many
soils, which fail to regain its nutrients.

• Mechanization leads to soil compaction, which reduces

its porosity.

• The system is based on large tracts of monoculture,

resulting in reduced biodiversity and reduces the
resistance to pests.

• Many of the new agricultural varieties require large

amounts of water.

• Long term, this leads to a loss of soil fertility, i.e. the

loss of its ability to support life.
 Mining
• How affects the soil
• It disappears completely by excavations or because it is
buried under the sterile.
• How affects the fauna and flora
• It alters them seriously causing many times its
complete disappearance
• How affects water
• the wash of minerals can contaminate surface water
and groundwater
• How affects the atmosphere

• Large amounts of dust that pollutes the atmosphere is

generated
• How affects the landscape

• Drastic morphological changes occur

 Living Beings as a resource
• The Biosphere stored large amounts of resources, including
forests and those that come from the livestock and fishing.

• The livestock:
– The increase in the standard of living is rising consumption of
meat and dairy products, which has led to intensive livestock
farming which, unlike the traditional, seeks profit and
productivity.

– As a result, to get a quick growth of the animals they are

treated with hormones and other substances that can be
harmful to health.

– Other problems include:

• Reduction of biodiversity: species not useful for human beings have
been displaced that are more profitable.
• Pollution: when they produce an excess of livestock, excrement can
cause major environmental problems as eutrophication
• Deforestation: large areas of forest have been cleared to become
pasture for livestock
 Fishing
• We captured between 9000 and 10000 t of fish from the
oceans every hour.

• This means that commercial species such as tuna (atún) ,

groupers (mero) and hake (merluza) are threatened with
extinction.

• The big beneficiaries of overfishing will be the jellyfish, which

could become more numerous than the fish if not remedy.

• The World Organization of the Unitated Nations for Food

and Agriculture (OFA) drew up a code of conduct for
fisheries which includes:

– Incorporate arts and practices fishing more selective and

harmless to the environment.
– To protect youth and adults during reproductive stage.
– Perform biological stops
– Creation of protected marine reserves
– Promote aquaculture
 Forests
• Forest provide us with wood, fruit, medicines,
rubber, etc.

• They also are responsible for protecting the soil

from erosion, prevent avalanches and prevents
desertification.

• They Increase the degree of humidity and they

protect the ecosystem of the wind.

• They also accumulate 90% of the terrestrial

biodiversity.

• However, probably his greatest contribution is to

be the main CO2 sink, the main greenhouse
effect gas.
 Forests

• According to the United Nations the

annual deforestation rate exceeds the
14 million hectares per year.

• The most valuable, the tropical forests,

are also the most threatened, and with
worse chance of recovery.

• The loss of forests is not only to obtain

wood, but 80% of deforestation is due to
the expansion of agricultural land for
the production of biofuel and livestock
feed
 The Use of Energy
• Humanity is currently using a
disproportionate amount of energy.

• Different types of energy, have different

impact on the environment.

• However, we need to know that a perfect or

completely clean power source is just not
possible.

• There are no more clean energy than the one

that is not consumed.

• Humanity should reduce their energy needs.

 Sources of energy

• Sources of energy
– Non-renewable
• Fossil fuels
• Nuclear energy
– Renewable
• Hydroelectrical
• Solar
• Tidal
• Biofuel
• Wind
• Geothermal
 Non-renewable sources of energy:

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
INCLUDE
• Easy to extract, • Supplies are
• Fossil fuels: coal, transport and limited.
oil and natural convert into
energy Extraction can be
gas. •
dangerous and it
damages the
environment.

• Pollution by
carbon dioxide and
other waste.
• Small amounts of • Generates highly
uranium produce contaminating
• Nuclear energy: enormous amounts
of energy nuclear waste.
uranium

• Does not pollute • Risk of very

the atmosphere dangerous
accidents.
 Renewable sources of energy:
INCLUDE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

• Hydroelectric:
uses the potential • Unlimited • We must build a
energy of water dam and flood a
moving downhill valley: everything
from a reservoir • Low usage and
maintenance cost underneath it is
to turn the
turbines of a detroyed
generator and
produce energy • Clean

• Availability
• Solar energy: affected by
from the rays of • Unlimited latitude, seasons,
the Sun is cloudiness, etc
transformed into
electrical energy, • Low usage and
or used directly maintenance cost
to heat water • Panels must be
very large in
• Clean order to collect
enough energy.
 Renewable sources of energy:
INCLUDE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

• Unlimited • The infraestructure

• Tidal: uses the needed has an important
movement of environmental impact
seawater during • Low usage and
the rise and fall maintenance cost
of tides to make
the turbines of
tidal generators • Clean
to move and
produce elctricity
• Large areas of land are
needed to grow biofuel
• Unlimited crops, which
• Biofuel energy: paradpxically can cause
comes from deforestation problems.
organic matter or • Low usage and
biomass. maintenance cost
• Food prices increase
because there are less
• Cleaner than fossil crops destinated to
fuels human nutrition.
 Renewable sources of energy:
INCLUDE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

• Wind energy: uses • The infraestructure

the movement of • Unlimited
the wind to turn needed has an
the paddles of a important
wind turbine. A • Low usage and environmental
generator maintenance cost impact: birds killing,
transforms the
kinetic energy visual impact, noise,
into electrical they take up a lot of
energy • Clean land…

• Unlimited • We have to drill deep

• Geothermal
energy: uses the into the Earth and
Earth´s internal this is difficult and
heat to generate • Non dependent expensive and causes
electricity or for on weather a considerable
heating water conditions
and homes. environmental
impact.
 Saving energy
• Nowadays, modern societies depend
excessively on fossil fuels.

• However this dependance is not

sustainable, because:
– Fossil fuels are not renewable: we are
running out of them.
– They are highly pollutant: Our planet
cannot cope with this anymore.
So, what can we
do to reduce the
amount of energy
we use?
 Pollution
• Pollution is the alteration of the environment by the
action of physical, chemical or biological agents,
which are presented in sufficient concentrations and
specific places.

• We can therefore say that there is no dangerous

substances but dangerous amounts.

• On the other hand, substances that may be polluting

in an area may not so to another.

• Pollution can be natural, as the gases emitted by

volcanoes, or caused by humans.

• Currently all natural systems (air, water and soil) are

affected to a greater or lesser extent by pollution. We
will study the consequences of pollution.
• Causes
– The use of CFC gases
– These gases contain chlorine, which is
released by UV radiation. The chlorine then
interacts with ozone and transforms it into
oxygen
• Do I use CFC´s?
– CFC´s are aften used in fridges, air
conditioning, aerosols, foaming agents…
• Consequencies
– UV radiation destroys life. It causes skin cancer,
eye irritations, catarats and blindness
 • The release of large quantities of CO2
Causes • Deforestation: the destruction of large areas of
forest.
 Do I release CO2?

• You release CO2 into the atmosphere

everytime you:

use a car, bus, train…;turn on the light; use something

made up in a factory; turn on the heating or air
conditioning in your house; use your computer, watch
the T.V; use the dishwasher or washing maching; buy
food from South America; shower with hot water…
 Consequencies

•An increase in temperature would cause:

•The melting of ice masses: would increase the sea level.

•Salt water would contaminate the freshwater reserves
near the sea.
•The rate of evaporation would increase modifying the
global pattern of rain and winds.
•Desertification would increase in many areas
•Many animals and plants would disspapear.
•Many pests and tropical diseases would be spread to
temperate regions of the world.
• Causes
– The introduction of harmful gases and particles as a
consequence of human activity.
• Do I release these gases
– Yes, everytime you use something made up in a
factory, turn on the heating, use a car, generate
waste, eat something coming from agricultural
activities, etc…
• Consequencies
– Many diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, lung
cancer, irritation of eyes and throats, headaches,
etc…
– Animals and plants suffer the same consequences.
What can we do to
reduce atmosphere
pollution?
 Water Pollution
 Good quality water is
essential for our
health. But 50% of
people in developing
countries do not have
clean water.

 Around 15 million
children die every
year from diseases
caused by drinking
dirty water.

 Developed countries
also have problems
with water: acid rain,
pollution of aquifers
or contamination of
seas and oceans by
heavy metals.
 Water Pollution

• Blackwater or faecal water

• From domestic water usage
• It contains a large amount of organic matter and
microorganisms
• Agricultural activities
• From the use of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides
• It contains large amount of organic matter
• Industrial waste water
• It contains substances such as lead or mercury, which can
seriously harm many organisms.
 Water Pollution

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
– Acid rain
– Pollution in lakes and rivers
– Groundwater pollution
– Ocean pollution
Acid Rain
Pollution in lakes and rivers
 It is produced by urban,
agricultural and industrial
activities.
 So, the
pollution is
more
intense in
cities or
industrial
sites
• If the sources of pollution
are stopped, river water is
not difficult to clean.
Groundwater pollution

• Groundwater is one
of the main sources
of freshwater for
countries such as
Spain.

• The pollution of this

type of water is very
difficult to clean and
many times it is not
possible at all.
Groundwater Pollution: seawater intrusion
 Ocean Pollution
• The main sources are:
 The maintenance
and cleaning of oil
tankers or the oil
slicks produced
when these ships
sink. The cleaning of
this pollution is very
difficult.

 The direct  Or factories that

dumping of send their waste
waste into rivers through pipes into
the sea
 Biodiversity
• However, since life first appeared on the planet,
living beings have changed to adapt to their
environmental conditions. This has produced a huge
diversity among organisms, we call this
BIODIVERSITY
 Biodiversity, who cares?

• Biodiversity is extremely important

for people as it provides us with
numerous resources: food, medicines,
wood, textile fibres, etc…

• Biodiversity also has great economic,

scientific, aesthetic and ecological
importance.
 Biodiversity in numbers
• Today we know of more than 2 million species, altough this could
only represent about 10% of the total!

• Spain is the european country with the highest diversity of

species.
 Biodiversity under threat
• Throughout the history of our planet, different groups of
living beings have naturally appeared and then become
extinct.

• However human beings are causing nowadays an

important extinction of living beings.
– Every year thousands of groups disappear, specially
among the vertebrates and insects
– In Spain, 31% of vertebrates and 15% of plants are in
danger of extinction. Some examples are:

Lynx pardinus Ursus arctos Aquila adalberti

 Biodiversity under threat
• On the Planet:
– The rate of extinction of species is now 100 times
greater than the natural rate because of humans.
– Our modern period is often called “The Sixth Mass
Extinction” due to biodiversity loss.
 Biodiversity under threat
• H I PPO + C

H- Habitat Loss/destruction, degradation

and fragmentation (mostly due to
humans)
I- Invasive Species (ooops! I didn’t mean to
do that!)
P- Population of humans increasing
P- Pollution (mostly from us “homo
sapiens”)
O- Overharvesting—Taking too much at a
time!
+ C - Climate Change