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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY YEAR 1, PART 1

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY 1.1

Contents

Climas y paisajes de España, Europa y la CA

Weather and climate 05

Climates and landscapes of the Earth 06

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Our planet Earth 01

The representation of the Earth: maps 02

The Earth s relief 03

Rivers and seas 04

Society and the environment

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY 1.1

Society and the environment

4. The exploitation of natural resources

3. Hazards caused by human activity

2. Natural hazards

1. The Earth is an ecosystem

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Introduction

•  The growth of consumption, the expansion of cities and the development of transport has intensified human impact on the environment in recent years.

•  There is often a lack of balance in the relationship between the natural world and society. This puts the conservation of nature at risk and can cause environmental crises.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY 1.1

1. The Earth is an ecosystem

1.1. The elements of the Earth’s ecosystem • A marine ecosystem

1.2. The Sun, the source of life

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1.1. The elements of the Earth s ecosystem

•  Planet Earth is made up of four interrelated elements: the lithosphere (the Earth's surface), the hydrosphere (the water on the planet), the atmosphere (the gaseous layer that surrounds the Earth) and the biosphere (the living things).

•  None of these elements is independent. They all share close and complex relationships.

•  In recent years, human activity has transformed the planet and put the balance of the ecosystem at risk.

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A marine ecosystem 07

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A marine ecosystem���

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1.2. The Sun, the source of life

•  The Sun is our planet's main source of energy and the origin of all life.

•  The Sun heats the Earth's surface and prevents freezing temperatures. It also allows plants to grow. This produces oxygen and organic material.

•  The water cycle also depends on the Sun. Evaporation of sea water by the sun means there is rain for all living things to use.

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2. Natural hazards

2.1. Types of natural hazards

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2.1. Types of natural hazards

•  A hazard is something that can be dangerous for living beings or things. Hazards can be natural or caused by humans.

•  A third of the people on the planet live in places where there is a risk of natural hazards including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

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3. Hazards caused by human activity

3.1. Technological hazards

3.2. Environmental pollution • Pollution of the environment

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3.1. Technological hazards

•  Sometimes human technology causes problems for the environment.

•  Nuclear power stations are carefully controlled and are generally quite safe, but an accident could cause very toxic radioactive material to escape.

•  If chemical products pollute the air or water, they can cause many victims.

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3.2. Environmental pollution

•  The main problems affecting the environment today are: acid rain, waste residue and climate change.

•  In many countries, air pollution is so bad that nitrogen oxides and sulphur from industry enter raindrops, causing acid rain.

•  Many factories pollute the local environment by directly pouring water from their industrial processes into rivers.

•  Experts say that the warming of the atmosphere, called climate change, is increasing because of carbon dioxide emissions.

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Pollution of the environment 07

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Pollution of the environment 07

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4. The exploitation of natural resources

4.1. The exploitation of resources

4.2. Sustainable development

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4.1. The exploitation of resources

•  In recent years, society has understood the need to conserve the Earth's resources.

•  There are three basic problems related to resources: the depletion of natural resources, the degradation of renewable resources and the unequal distribution of the Earth’s resources.

•  We must not waste non-renewable resources if we want them to last for a long time.

•  Although we can use renewable resources to generate energy, the technology is still being developed.

•  Not everyone has access to the same resources around the world.

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4.2. Sustainable development

•  We know that the Earth's resources cannot be exploited indefinitely.

•  Sustainable development is the idea that improving our lifestyle today should not cause a reduction in the quality of life for future generations.

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