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 WHAT IS °THE ENVIRONMENT ?
½ The environment is composed of everything around us.
The environment can has a natural aspect and a built
aspect
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What is a resource?

½ Anything that we can use

 Natural Man-made

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!
Water, plants, animals

½ |   
!
buildings, processed food, furniture
 Types of Resources
½   ½ p  
Recycled in nature Takes thousands of years to
in ´shortµ time span replenish

 Water  Fossil fuels

 Air (crude oil, coal, nat. gas)
 Plants  Minerals
 Animals (bauxite, gold)

Our use of resources is affecting the quality of our

existence on the planet
MAN AND HIS ENVIRONMENT
Issues & Challenges
üROWTH OF HUMAN POPULATION
½ The human population explosion is a demographic fact.
½ 1 A.D. - 200 million
½ 1750 ² 760 million
½ 1810 ² 1 billion
½ 1900 - 1.6 billion
½ 1950 ² 2.4 billion
½ 2000 ² 6 billion
½ 2010 ² 6.8 billion (recent count mid-year)
½ 2050 ² 9.2 billion (projected)
üROWTH OF HUMAN POPULATION

½ ülobal growth rate ² 1.14% (avg. 0.1% - 3%

per state)
½ At current rate - doubling every 61 years
½ European population natural growth slow (some
negative e.g. Czech Republic).
½ üermany - 0.0%
½ North American growth impacted by immigration
½ Highest growth rate in Africa and Asia (e.g.
Afghanistan expected to double in 14.5yrs based on current growth rate of
4.5%)
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World Population ürowth, 1750²2150

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MAN·S EFFECT
½ Continued population growth increases
demand for resources such as!
 Food
 Fuel
 Land
 Infrastructure
 Social services
½ In pursuit of these certain impacts occur.
LAND DEüRADATION
½ The destruction of land resources for human
survival
½ These resources include!
 Fossil fuels

 Minerals
 Wetlands
 Wildlife
LAND DEüRADATION
½ The tourism industry contribute to this degradation
in the following ways!

 Our demand for oil and gas

 Use of land to constructing hotels
 Use of land for golf courses and other
attractions.
DEFORESTATION
 30% of the world·s forest cover still remains
 By some estimates about 40% of the world·s
rainforests have been lost in the past 50
years
 Agriculture biggest driver ² survival
 Logging also largely responsible
DEFORESTATION
Some implications are!
ëhigher level of carbon dioxide in the air
hastening global warming
ëThe loss of bio-diversity (70% of species
live in forests)
ëIncreasing levels of soil erosion
ëdesertification
 POLLUTION
½ Primary forms are!


  of non-biodegradable substances
ë Styrofoam
ë plastics

 ÷       

    
ë Burning of fossil fuels
ë Emission from airplanes

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EFFECTS OF POLLUTION

½ Aesthetics
½ Blocking of drains
½ Flooding
½ Increase in pest & vermin population
½ Destruction of marine life
 Fishes

 Sea turtles
 Coral reefs
EFFECTS OF POLLUTION

½ Marine life may die

½ The marine life may become vulnerable
and unfit for consumption
½ The water may be unfit for
consumption. Ingestion may result in
diseases or death
WATER SHORTAüE
 The world water supply is about 1.3 billion
cubic km
 Only 2.7 % is fresh water
 78% of the fresh water is frozen
 97% of the water not frozen is groundwater
 Approximately 0.01% of the world·s water
resources are on the surface.
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WATER SHORTAüE / CONFLICT OVER WATER USE

½ The supply of water is not equitable

½ Problems!
 Conflicts over the right to control water
 Inadequate waste disposal

 Low agricultural yield

 desertification and famine
The Case of the Nile Basin
´The only matter that could take Egypt to war again is
waterµ ² Anwar Sadat ² President, Egypt 1979
½ Nile is world·s longest river

½ Covers 10% of African continent

½ Affect livelihoods of at least 10 African states ²

Egypt, Eritrea, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda,

Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, D.R. Congo - pop. 300
million
½ 160 million depend on Nile directly
The Case of the Nile Basin
½ All part of 50 poorest in the world except Egypt
and Kenya
½ Populations already vulnerable to famine and
diseases
½ Egypt and Sudan hold 100% rights to water
½ Constant negotiation needed to determine use of
water
½ Any conflict or denial of access can have social and
economic consequences which could become
political
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ülobal warming
½ ülobal warming is a commonly accepted
phenomenon
½ Caused by greenhouse gases trapped in the
atmosphere ² chlorofluorocarbon (cfcs), methane
bromine, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide
½ Air traffic contributes about 2.5% of the production
of carbon dioxide
½ Air travel is a major contributor to the greenhouse
effect.
ülobal Warming
½ Passenger jets are the fastest growing source of
greenhouse gas emissions.
½ The number of international travelers is expected to
increase from 594 million in 1996 to 1.6 billion by
2020, adding greatly to the problem unless steps
are taken to reduce emissions. (Source! WWF)
ülobal warming
½ 49,024 airports worldwide
m  (note location)
 Atlanta
 Chicago
 London
 Tokyo
 Los Angles
 Dallas/Fort Worth
 Paris
 Frankfurt
 Beijing
 Denver (å
World Factbook, 2009)
 ülobal Warming
Effects!
½ å

  is likely to increase the severity and
frequency of storms and severe weather events e.g.
Katrina, flooding in Brazil, South Asia, US
½ other impacts as a result of global warming are

drought, diseases and heat waves.

½ Less snowfall at ski resorts, meaning a shorter skiing

seasons in the Alpine region.