National Geographic Video: State of the Earth - Climate

EnvironmentWhat is it?

The natural environment encompasses all living & and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth

Presidential Policies & the EnvironmentT. Roosevelt

John Muir & Conservation efforts of National Parks

Newlands Reclamation Act 1902 Allowed the federal gov’t to create irrigation

projects to make dry lands productiveYellowstone National Park (1872)Grand Canyon (1919)

LBJ’s “Great Society”L. B. Johnson

Wilderness Preservation Act (1964)Protected 9.1 million acres of nat’l forest from

development

Water Quality Act (1965)Required states to clean up rivers & lakes

LBJ continuedClean Air Act Amendments (1965)

Established exhaust emission standards for cars

Air Quality Act (1967)Set guidelines on air pollution & increased

federal gov’ts power to enforce clean air standards

Nixon’s PoliciesR. NixonSilent Spring (1962)

Rachel Carson published; warned of the harmful effects of chemicals on the natural world

Led to Earth Day demonstrations

Clean Air Act (1970) Regulated levels of air

pollution EPA established

(1970)

Environmental Protection Agency The White House and Congress established

the EPA in response to the growing public demand for cleaner water, air and land.

Task of the EPA:

Repair the damage already done to the natural environment

Establish new criteria to guide Americans in making a cleaner environment a reality.

EPA continued…EPA leads the nation's environmental

science, research, education and assessment effortsThe mission of the EPA is to protect human

health and the environment.

Carter’s PoliciesJ. CarterAlaska National Interest Lands

Conservation ActProtected more than 100 million acres of land

& doubled the size of the nation’s park & wildlife refuge system

Carter continued…3-Mile Island

Love Canal, NYEnvironmental

disasterLong-buried

chemicals began seeping up through the ground

Exposure was linked to high rates of birth defects

To Do:In your opinion, which president did the most

for the environment? Justify/defend your answer.Consider: Theodore Roosevelt, Lyndon B.

Johnson, Richard Nixon, or Jimmy Carter

IPCCThe U.N. formed a group of scientists called the

International Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC.

The IPCC meets every few years to review the latest scientific findings & write a report summarizing all that is known about global warming.

Each report represents a consensus, or agreement, among hundreds of leading scientists.

To Do: Why is it important that an international group of scientists meet to discuss environmental issues? Explain.

Environmental IssuesClimate change

Global warmingGlobal dimmingFossil fuelsSea level riseGreenhouse gasOcean acidification

ConservationSpecies extinctionPollinator declineCoral bleachingPoachingEndangered species

EnergyEnergy conservationRenewable energyEfficient energy use

Environmental DegradationHabitat destruction

To Do:Of the 4 environmental

issues listed, which one do you think we should be most concerned with & why?

Issues continued…Genetic engineering

Genetic pollution Genetically modified food

controversies

Intensive farming Overgrazing Irrigation Environmental effects of

meat production

Overpopulation Burial

Land degradation Desertification

Soil, Soil conservation, Soil Erosion, Soil Contamination, Soil salinization

Land use Urban sprawl Habitat fragmentation Habitat destruction

Nuclear Issues Nuclear power Radioactive waste

To Do:Of these 6 issues, which

one do you think is most concerning & why?

Issues continued…Ozone Depletion

Pollution

Water pollution Acid Rain Marine pollution Ocean dumping Oil spills Ocean acidification Wastewater

Air pollution Smog Indoor air quality

Resource Depletion Exploitation of natural resources

(over-consumerism) Fishing; Bottom trawling; Illegal &

unregulated fishing; Shark finning; Whaling

Logging / Clearcutting / Deforestation

Mining

Toxins Chlorofluorocarbons DDT Dioxin Heavy metals Herbicides Pesticides Toxic waste

GROUP PROJECTIn assigned groups, you will research one

of the following topics.Acid RainAir PollutionGlobal WarmingAnimal/Species ExtinctionDeforestationOzone DepletionOcean Issues (pick 1 issue or all 3)

sea water rising, oil spills, wastewater, & pollution

TO DOResearch

Each group member needs to research for your topic If you don’t have a cell phone w/

Internet access, print your research

No Wikipedia Consider

World Wildlife Federation (WWF)

National Geographic IPCC EPA

Poster – bring your own!TitleAt least 5 Visuals (pictures,

charts, graphs, etc.)Background (5 W’s & How)Current Info & ResearchChanges in Policies, Future

Implications, Recommendations

PresentationEach group will present

their topic to the class