Impact of Humans on Biosphere II

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Impact of Humans on Biosphere II

• Over-Consumption

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Who in the world?

• See cartoon!

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10 of Worlds Population

• Consumes 90 of Worlds resources
• Including energy consumption ? GHG
• Including raw materials ? wastes, dumps
• Including 90 chemical wastes

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World Consumption Classes

• Where do we (U.S. society) live?
• Which is healthiest?

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World Consumption Classes

• Why do we stay where we are???????

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World Consumption Classes

• What if we want to change?
• Should we recycle?

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Old Rs

• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle (last, has role, but consumes fossil
  fuels, pollutes)

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Four Rs of Sustainability

• RETHINK!
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle

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RETHINK

• Lifestyle
• Not doable in a top ten list
• Requires change in values, commitment, resolving
  old problems
• Examples

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Rethink A few starter questions?

• Why do we choose disposable plastic (toxic!) when
  we DINE IN KU?
• Why do we drive when walking or biking would
  only take 10 15 minutes?..... And then pay to
  use an exercise facility?
• Why do we use lawn-mowers that hurt our grass,
  our atmosphere and our wallet?

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Rethink A few starter questions?

• Why do we manufacture containers (manufacturing
  pollutes) and sell essentials (water, milk for
  infants) that we can get for free?
• Why do we use light-bulbs which hurt our
  atomosphere and wallets?

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REDUCE

• Buy only what you need!(less consumption of
  resources, etc)
• Virtually 100 of what you buy eventually end up
  in a landfill But also, what if all Americans
  reduced
• Their personal GHG emissions?
• Their consumption of red meat, beef
• The amount of electricity/gas they used?
• The amount of raw material they consumed?
• The amount of disposables they used?
• Reduction is underappreciated! Ecological
  actions do not have to be All or nothing!

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REUSE

• Economical !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Buy for durability!
• (less consumption of resources, pollution, etc)
• ExamplesUse washable dishes in KU!, Ask
  parents for cloth napkins,

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RECYCLE

• Recycling Aluminum yields best results(Mining
  extracting pure Al is VERY energy/fossil fuel
  intensive recycling takes minimal energy)

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Finally.

• You know the history of the world
• Life began about 3 ½ bya
• Life colonized land ½ bya
• The first humans (Genus Homo) appeared 2
  million ya

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Finally.

• Our own species, modern H. sapiens appeared
  only 100,000 ya
• Life (microbes) produced our oxygen atmosphere
• Now once again, life is changing the very
  chemistry of our planet

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Finally.

• I am writing your final exam, but
• YOU are helping to write the next chapter of the
  natural history of our planet by how you choose
  to live!
• Good luck on finals!

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