ECO-NOTES-3 PDF - People and Earth's Ecosystem

GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem CHAPTER 1 Energy flow is the flow of energy through living things within an ecosystem. All living How does humans influence our environment?...

GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem CHAPTER 1 Energy flow is the flow of energy through living things within an ecosystem. All living How does humans influence our environment? organisms can be organized into producers and How does our environment influence us, consumers, and those producers and consumers humans? can further be organized into a food chain. Each of the levels within the food chain is a trophic level. Our environment is the sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life. These The energy flow in the ecosystem is one of conditions include biotic and abiotic. The influence the major factors that support the survival of such a of humans is an important part of the environment great number of organisms. For almost all as well. In addition, one environment may be organisms on earth, the primary source of energy is strikingly different from another. solar energy. An ecosystem is a particular location on The chemical energy stored in the food of Earth whose interacting components include living, living organisms is converted into the potential or biotic components and nonliving, or abiotic, energy by the arrangement of the constituent atoms components. of food in a particular manner. This energy flow is based on two important Laws of Thermodynamics. Ecology is the study of living organisms’ relationships with their environment. It deals with interaction between living organisms with each other and their surroundings. Ecology also provides information about the benefits of ecosystems and how we can use Earth's resources in ways that leave the environment healthy for future generations. It is also studied at various levels, such as organism, population, community, biosphere, and ecosystem. It states that the amount of energy in the Levels of Ecosystem Organization universe is constant. It may change from one form to another, but it can neither be created nor destroyed. Light energy can be neither created nor destroyed as it passes through the atmosphere. It may, however, be transformed into another type of energy, such as chemical energy or heat energy. These forms of energy cannot be transformed into electromagnetic radiation. It states that non-random energy (mechanical, chemical, radiant energy) cannot be changed without some degradation into heat energy. Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem The change of energy from one form to another takes place in a such way that a part of energy As it moves through living things and through the assumes waste form (heat energy). In this way, after atmosphere, water is responsible for metabolic transformation the capacity of energy to perform processes within cells, for maintaining the flows of work is decreased. Thus, energy flows from higher key nutrients through ecosystems, and for global- to lower level. scale distribution of heat and energy. Water performs countless services because of its unusual Living organisms can use energy into two properties. Water is so important that when forms radiant and fixed energy. Radiant energy is in astronomers look for signs of life on distant planets, the form of electromagnetic waves, such as light. traces of water are the key evidence they seek. Fixed energy is potential chemical energy bound in various organic substances which can be broken Carbon Cycle down in order to release their energy content. Carbon serves as a dual purpose for organisms: (1) it is a structural component of organic molecules, and (2) chemical bonds in carbon compounds provide metabolic energy. The carbon cycle begins with photosynthetic organisms taking up carbon dioxide (CO2). This can be called carbon fixation because carbon is changed from gaseous CO2 to less mobile organic molecules. Once a carbon atom is incorporated into organic compounds, its path to recycling may be very quick or extremely slow. Carbon cycle is vitally important to life on The producers and consumers in ecosystem Earth. Through photosynthesis and respiration, it is can be arranged into several feeding groups, each the way the earth produces food and other renewal known as trophic level (feeding level). In any resources. Through decomposition, it serves as the ecosystem, producers represent the first trophic earth’s waste disposal system. In addition, the level, herbivores present the second trophic level, carbon cycle is important because carbon- primary carnivores represent the third trophic level containing gases in the atmosphere affect the earth and top carnivores represent the last level. climate. Increased carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has been responsible for more than half Biogeochemical Cycles of the climate warming observed in recent decades. Water/Hydrologic Cycle Coal and oil are the compressed, chemically Water cycle, also called hydrologic cycle, altered remains of plants and microorganisms that cycle that involves the continuous circulation of lived millions of years ago. Their carbon atoms (and water in the Earth-atmosphere system. Of the many hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, etc) are not processes involved in the water cycle, the most released until the coal and oil are burned. Enormous important are evaporation, transpiration, amounts of carbon also are locked up as calcium condensation, precipitation, and runoff. carbonate (CaCO3) in the shells and skeletons of marine organisms, from tiny protozoans to corals. Nitrogen Cycle The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as its circulates among atmosphere, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems. The conversion of nitrogen can be carried out through both biological and physical processes. Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem Organisms cannot exist without amino acids, differentiated from one another based on their peptides, and proteins, all of which are organic specific environmental and physical features. molecules that contain nitrogen. Nitrogen is therefore an extremely important nutrient for living There are various biomes on our planet Earth things. This is why nitrogen is a primary component such as forests, deserts, grasslands, tundra, and of household in agricultural fertilizers. Nitrogen can aquatic. Each biome has distinctive features that make up about 78% of the air around us. differentiate it from others like temperature range, Sulfur Cycle rainfall pattern, soil quality and plant life. Sulfur plays an important role to living organisms for being a component of protein which is BIOME 01 Forest an essential element. Aside from this, it is also used The forest biome, which covers about 30% of as a determinant of rainfall, water, and soil’s acidity, the Earth's land surface, is incredibly vast and as well as it is important because of its ability to varied. These large areas of land are primarily made regulate global climate. up of trees and other woody vegetation. Sulfur is mainly present in rocks, soil and The forest biome falls into three main water, its cycle is quite complicated because of the classifications: tropical forests, temperate forests, number of oxidation states that the element has. and boreal forests. Aside from inorganic processes, living organisms has also the ability to release sulfur in the environment, like the bacteria called Sulfur Bacteria. It has the ability to metabolize/oxidize sulfur and its compounds with which is released to its environment, useful to plants, and is important to sulfur cycle. Human activities also contribute to the large amount of released sulfur in the environment. Activity like generating power through combustion of BIOME 02 Tundra fossil fuels accounts for 75 to 85% of man-made The tundra biome, which is predominantly sulfur dioxide emission in global scale (HSDB 1998). located in Canada, Alaska and Russia's This large 57 emission of sulfur compounds causes northernmost regions, is a wide expanse of land with large areas problems such as acid rains, health no trees. problems, infrastructure damages, and even in It has a cold environment known for its foods. extended winter season and brief summer periods. The Biomes Ecosystem An ecosystem can be defined as a group of both living and non-living organisms that interact with one another in a specific environment. This intricate system is characterized by interdependence among organisms such as animals, plants, and microorganisms who rely on BIOME 03 Desert each other and their surrounding conditions for The desert biome is a dry, arid region that survival. receives less than 10 inches of rainfall per year. Desert biome has extreme temperature fluctuations, What is Biome? with hot days and cold nights. A biome refers to a vast region on the planet’s surface known for its distinctive weather conditions, flora, and fauna. These regions are Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem Deserts are found all over the world, from the important for maintaining the health of Sahara in Africa to the Mojave in the United States ecosystems and for providing important to the Gobi in Asia. ecosystem services, such as pollination and nutrient cycling. 2. Biomes play an important role in regulating the Earth is climate, with plants absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen. This helps to mitigate the effects of climate change and keep the planet's climate system in balance. BIOME 04 Aquatic 3. Biomes provide important resources for The aquatic biome is a vast ecosystem that human use, such as food, timber, and covers approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface. It medicinal plants. Many traditional cultures is home to a wide variety of plant and animal also rely on biomes for cultural and spiritual species, many of which are adapted to life in water. practices. Biomes also provide opportunities for recreation and tourism such as hiking, Aquatic biome includes both freshwater and camping, and wildlife watching. saltwater environments, ranging from rivers and lakes to oceans and coral reefs. 4. Biomes help to regulate the water cycle by storing and releasing water, which is important for maintaining freshwater resources and preventing flooding and drought. Biomes help to maintain soil fertility by cycling nutrients and providing organic matter. BIOME 05 Grassland The grassland biome, also known as prairies, steppes, or savannas depending on the region, is a type of ecosystem characterized by vast expanses of grasses and occasional trees. Grasslands are typically located in areas with a semi-arid or continental climate. Symbiosis Symbiosis is a term describing any relationship or interaction between two dissimilar organisms. The specific kind of symbiosis depends on whether either or both organisms benefit from the relationship. Why are Biomes important? 1. Biomes are home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. This biodiversity is Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem Population Dynamics Factors that Affect Population Size Population Population is all the organisms of the same species Birth rate is the number of individuals produced per that live in a particular geographical area. unit time. Population density- refers to the number of Births and migration into the population individuals of a species per unit area or unit increase population size. volume of a habitat. Population dispersion - refers to the pattern Death rate is the number of deaths per unit time. of dispersal of individuals across an area of Deaths and migrations out of the population interest decrease the population size. Demography is the statistical study of a population, such as its density, its Survivorship curves show the probability of dying distribution, and its rate of growth. at a given age Demography is dependent on mortality pattern and age distribution. Survivorship curves follow predictable patterns: Type I - species that invest much energy caring for young have low death rates early in life. Most individuals survive to reproduce. Type II - species have an approximately equal probability of dying at any age. Type III - Species that invest little energy raising their young have high death rates among offspring. Few individuals survive to reproductive age. Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem Age structure (distribution of age classes) aids in These populations follow a logistic, or S determining if a population is growing, stable, or shaped, growth model. As the population declining. size approaches the carrying capacity, the growth rate slows. Population and Natural Selection Thomas Malthus' writing, "An Essay on the Factors that Regulate Population Size Principle of Population" was one of Charles Density dependent Factors Darwin's inspiration when he thought of "Natural The effects of density-dependent factors Selection". Mathus' essay theorized that increase as the population density populations grow in geometric progression while rises. food production grow in arithmetic progression. They result from interactions between This meant that populations grow faster than food organisms. o competing among each other supply, eventually leading to food shortage. This for space, nutrients, food, or mates o spread led Darwin to think that since the "supply was low, of disease is easier with higher population but the demand was high, organisms may try to density and the risk of predation compete for resource, and thus the early Density- independent Factors beginnings of Natural Selection Density-independent factors exert effects that are unrelated to population density. o Opportunistic vs. Equilibrium Species Natural disasters, such as this fire, might Opportunistic species tend to show eliminate population in an area without exponential growth. They are typically small regard to population density. organisms that reproduce at an early age, have short life spans, and have many The Human Population offspring that receive little parental care. The growth of any population, including Weeds, insects, and many species with type humans, is determined by the difference between III survivorship curves have opportunistic birth rates and death rates. life histories. Much of the current growth in the human Equilibrium species tend to show logistic population is due to high birth rates and low death growth. Their population size is near the rates in less-developed countries. The low birth rate carrying capacity. They typically reach their in more-developed countries may be attributed to reproductive age slower than opportunistic family planning programs. species, have longer lives, and have received extended parental care. Variation of Birth and Death rates Worldwide Birds, large mammals, and species with Increase in population - countries with more type I or type ll survivorship curves are often individuals below reproductive age than are equilibrium species in their reproductive years. Decrease in birth rates - tend to decline as Exponential Growth economic development progresses Exponential Growth The pattern of population because of family planning programs and growth depends upon two primary factors: opportunities for women outside of the The biotic potential; and Resource home availability. Exponential Growth: Limitation Population growth depends upon the reproductive Carrying capacity the maximum number of characteristics of the population: individuals that the habitat can support The number of offspring per reproduction indefinitely Frequency of reproduction Exponential growth cannot continue Age at which reproduction begins indefinitely when resources are limited (and Chances of survival until reproductive age other factors influencing death and birth rate), then population growth levels off. Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem Will human population continue to grow PROBLEMS AFFECTING BIODIVERSITY exponentially? There are two causes of overpopulation: OVEREXPLOITING OF ORGANISM Resource consumption Overexploitation of organisms refers to the Population size excessive harvesting or use of a species a a rate The probability that a species will become extinct that exceeds its natural ability to replenish itself. depends upon three primary factors: This unsustainable practice can lead to the Size of Geographic Range depletion or extinction of the species. Degree of Habitat Tolerance Size of Local Populations EXAMPLES OF OVEREXPLOITATION OF ORGANISMS CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY Overfishing INTRODUCTION Hunting and Poaching Conservation biology is a multidisciplinary Logging and Timber Harvesting scientific field that aims to protect and manage Wildlife Trade Earths biodiversity. It combines principles from Medicinal and Ornamental Plants ecology biology genetics, and other natural sciences to address the conservation of species, IMPACTS OF OVEREXPLOITATION OF habitats, and ecosystems. Conservation biology ORGANISMS often involves collaboration between scientists, Population Decline policymakers, conservation organizations, and Ecosystem Imbalance local communities to achieve its objectives. Economic and Livelihood Consequences Extinction KEY GOALS OF CONSERVATION BIOLOGY Understanding Biodiversity: Studying the STRATEGIES TO COMBAT variety of life forms on Earth, including OVEREXPLOITATION species, genetic, and ecosystem diversity Assessing Threats: Identifying and Sustainable Harvesting Practices analyzing the threats to biodiversity, such as Protected Areas habitat destruction, climate change, Monitoring and Enforcement pollution, overexploitation, and invasive Community Involvement species. Public Awareness Developing Conservation Strategies: Creating and implementing plans to protect INTRODUCTION OF EXOTIC OR FOREIGN and restore species and habitats. This SPECIES incudes establishing protected areas, Also known as invasive species or non- habitat restoration, captive breeding, and native species, involves the intentional or reintroduction programs. accidental movement of organisms from her native Sustainable Use of Resources: Promoting habitats to new environments where they did not the sustainable use of natural resources to previously exist. This can happen through various ensure that human activities do not human activities such as trade, travel, agriculture, compromise the ability of ecosystems to and aquaculture. Exotic species can become maintain biodiversity invasive if they establish, spread, and cause harm Education and Advocacy: Raising public to the environment, economy, or human health awareness about the importance of biodiversity and advocating for policies IMPACTS OF INVASIVE SPECIES that support conservation efforts. Biodiversity Loss Habitat Alteration Economic Costs Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem Human Health DIFFERENT KINDS OF POLLUTION AND Ecological Imbalance DEGRADATION MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL POLLUTION Restoration is the introduction of harmful materials into the Early Detection and Rapid Response environment. These harmful materials are called Biological, Mechanical and Chemical pollutants. Control DIFFERENT TYPES OF POLLUTION ALTERATION AND LOSS OF HABITAT Water Pollution Alteration and loss of habitat refer to the Water pollution occurs when harmful changes in and destruction of natural environments substances – often chemicals microorganisms – that organisms depend on for survival. These contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or processes are often driven by human activities and other body of water, degrading water quality and can have severe impacts on biodiversity and rendering it toxic to humans or the ecosystem health environment. Habitat alteration involves changes in the structure, composition, or function of natural DID VOU KNOW? habitats. These changes can be temporary or Unsafe water kills more people each year permanent and may result from various human than war and all other forms of violence activities combined. Without action, the challenges will only HABITAT ALTERATION increase by 2050, when global demand for Urbanization freshwater is expected to be one-third Agriculture greater than it is now Deforestation Pollution Air Pollution Infrastructure Development Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or Climate Change outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural HABITAT LOSS characteristics of the atmosphere. Habitat loss refers to the complete destruction of a habitat, rendering it unable to support the species DID YOU KNOW? that once lived there. Less than 1% of global land area has safe air Land Conversion pollution levels Mining and Quarrying Air pollution is a greater threat to life Water Management expectancy than smoking, HIV or war Fire At least 1 in 10 people die from air pollution- related diseases STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE HABITAT ALTERATION AND LOSS Radioactive Contamination Public Awareness Undesirable radioactive material (with a Climate Action potentially harmful effect) that is either airborne or Land-Use Planning deposited in (or on the surface of) structures, Protected Areas objects, soil, water, or living organisms (people, animals, or plants) in a concentration that may harm people, equipment, or the environment. Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem DID VOU KNOW? Plastic Pollution Radioactive materials can be solids, Plastic pollution is a global problem. Every liquids or gases, and thus the radiation year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into pollution may spread and affect all three aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and media. Spreading through the air, however, seas. is the fastest way that of propagation of radiation pollution, which may threaten Solid Waste human health. Solid waste is unwanted or useless solid materials generated by human activities. Improper Sewage Pollution management of solid waste can cause a range of Sewage pollution is everything we flush problems, such as disease, air pollution, marine down the loo or wash down the drain that is released plastic pollution, and negative impacts on wellbeing. into the environment through sewer overflows, or that washes off the land and roads. DID YOU KNOW? Only 9% of all plastic produced is recycled. DID YOU KNOW? If you tied together all the ribbon thrown away Every day, 2 million tons of sewage and in an average year, you could tie it around industrial and agricultural waste are the Earth. discharged into the world's water the equivalent of the weight of the entire human Soil Pollution population of 6.8 billion people. Soil pollution refers to the contamination of soil with anomalous concentrations of toxic Light Pollution substances. It is a serious environmental concern Light pollution, the excessive or since it harbors many health hazards. For example, inappropriate use of outdoor artificial light, is exposure to soil containing high concentrations of affecting human health, wildlife behavior, and our benzene increases the risk of contracting leukemia. ability to observe stars and other celestial objects. DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW? The soil is alive. Soil is not an inert, dead Light pollution also contributes to substance. A handful of healthy soil can atmospheric pollution. Nitrate radicals that contain more living organisms than human help in control of smog are destroyed in beings that have ever lived on earth. excessive artificial lights which increases pollution in the atmosphere. Chemical Pollution Chemical pollution is the increased presence Noise Pollution of chemical pollutants in our environment, especially Not all sound is considered noise pollution. those that do not Occur there naturally. Man-made The World Health Organization (WHO) defines noise chemicals are part of our everyday life, and we above 65 decibels (dB) as noise pollution. To be encounter them almost everywhere we look, precise, noise becomes harmful when it exceeds including in the air, food, and beverages we 75 decibels (dB) and is painful above 120 dB. consume. DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW? Psychology Today reports that the number Packaging, pots and pans leach chemicals one cause for hearing loss actually is not into our food age, it's noise. The elderly are at an even Chemicals can meddle with your hormones higher risk of further hearing damage caused by noise pollution. Oil Spill Oil spills can harm sea creatures, ruin a day at the beach, and make seafood unsafe to eat. It Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem takes sound science to clean up the oil, measure the and self-replenishing, and usually have a low- or impacts of pollution, and help the ocean recover. zero-carbon footprint. DID YOU KNOW? Renewable Source of Energy Korea has the lowest number of document oil 1. Wind spills, with 32. - used to produce electricity by converting the kinetic energy of air in motion into CONSEQUENCES OF POLLUTION electricity. 2. Solar Acid Rain - harnessed to generate electricity, solar Acid rain is one of the consequences of air thermal energy and solar architecture. pollution. Gases produced from the burning of fuels 3. Bioenergy react with the oxygen in the air and water vapour, - derived from recently living organic transforming into acids that fall onto the earth's materials known as biomass. surface as rain. 4. Hydroelectric - one of the oldest and largest sources of Ozone Depletion renewable energy, which uses the When chlorine and bromine atoms come into natural flow of moving water to generate contact with ozone in the stratosphere, they destroy electricity ozone molecules. One chlorine atom can destroy 5. Geothermal over 100,000 ozone molecules before it is removed - heat energy from the earth that is used from the stratosphere. for bathing, for heating buildings, and for generating electricity Algal Bloom A harmful algal bloom (HAB) occurs when toxin-producing algae grow excessively in a body of water. The excessive algal growth, or algal bloom, becomes visible to the naked eye and can be green, blue-green, red, or brown, depending on the type of algae. Change of Soil pH Extremes in pH levels can also mean high concentrations or more accessible forms of minerals such as aluminum, which can be toxic to plants. Non-Renewable Energy Human Disease Nonrenewable energy comes from sources Environmental pollutants can cause health that will run out or will not be replenished problems like respiratory diseases, heart disease, in our lifetimes-or even in many, many and some types of cancer. People with low incomes lifetimes. are more likely to live in polluted areas and have unsafe drinking water. Non-Renewable Source of Energy 1. Coal - a combustible black or brownish-black IMPACT OF EOPLE ON THE CARBON CYCLE sedimentary rock with a high amount of AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT carbon and hydrocarbons which takes millions of years to form. Renewable Energy 2. Fossil Fuels Renewable energy is energy that comes - formed from the fossilized, buried from a source that won't run out. They are natural remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem 3. Nuclear Power that would otherwise radiate upward, from the - a form of energy released from the planet's surface, into outer space. nucleus, the core of atoms, made up of protons and neutrons. Volcanic Eruption 4. Natural Gas Volcanic gases like sulfur dioxide can cause - a hydrocarbon mixture consisting global cooling, while volcanic carbon dioxide, a primarily of saturated light paraffins such greenhouse gas, has the potential to promote global as methane and ethane, both of which warming. are gaseous under atmospheric conditions. Changes in Orbit Changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun and changes in the tilt and wobble of the Earth's axis can lead to cooling or warming of the Earth's climate because they change the amount of energy our planet receives from the sun. Solar Radiation Solar radiation warms the atmosphere and produces global wind patterns due to the uneven distribution of solar energy across the planet's Climate Change and Global Warming surface which can alter the distribution of snow and - Climate change refers to long-term shifts in ice cover. It also affects the growth of temperatures and weather patterns. Such photosynthesizing organisms, and in turn, affects shifts can be natural, due to changes in the the productivity and biomass in ecosystems. sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. - Global warming is the long-term heating of Tectonic Shifts Earth's surface observed since the pre- Large mountain chains can influence the industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) circulation of air around the globe, and consequently due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel influence the climate. For example, warm air may be burning, which increases heat-trapping deflected to cooler regions by mountains. greenhouse gas levels in Earth's atmosphere. Industrial Revolution Since the Industrial Revolution, human Global warming activities have released large amounts of carbon - refers to the rise in global temperatures due dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the mainly to the increasing atmosphere, which has changed the earth's climate. concentrations of greenhouse gases in the Natural processes, such as changes in the sun's atmosphere. energy and volcanic eruptions, also affect the earth's Climate change climate. - refers to the increasing changes in the measures of climate over a long period of Transportation time - including precipitation, temperature, The cars, trucks, ships, and planes that we and wind patterns. use to transport ourselves and our goods are a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions. CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE Electricity Generation Greenhouse Effect Generating electricity and heat by burning At the root of climate change is the fossil fuels causes a large chunk of global emissions. phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. This Most electricity is still generated by burning coal, oil, is the way that certain atmospheric gases "trap" heat or gas, which produces carbon dioxide and nitrous Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO GEd110 | People and Earth’s Ecosystem oxide – powerful greenhouse gases that blanket the How to reduce carbon footprint? Earth and trap the sun's heat. ✓ Reduce Waste ✓ Conserve everything Agriculture ✓ Avoid plastic Large scale changes such as deforestation, ✓ Eat less meat soil erosion or machine-intensive farming methods ✓ Plant tress may all contribute to increased carbon ✓ Use Renewable Energy concentrations in the atmosphere. Soil erosion by water, wind and tillage affects both agriculture and “Sustainable development is the natural environment. development that meets the needs of Oil and Gas Development the present, without compromising the Oil and gas lead to emissions at every stage ability of future generations to meet of their production and consumption—not only when their own needs.” they’re burned as fuel, but just as soon as we drill a hole in the ground to begin extracting them. Buildings Unsurprisingly, given how much time we spend inside of them, our buildings—both residential and commercial—emit a lot of greenhouse gases including heating, cooling, cooking, running appliances, and maintaining other building-wide systems Deforestation Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide. If What is the United Nations Framework forests are cleared, or even disturbed, they release Convention on Climate Change? carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Forest First steps to a safer future: the Convention in summary loss and damage is the cause of around 10% of global warming. There's simply no way we can fight ✓ Recognized that there was a problem. the climate crisis if we don't stop deforestation. ✓ Sets a lofty but specific goal. ✓ Puts the onus on developed countries to lead Lifestyle and Human Activities the way. The decisions we make every day as ✓ Directs new funds to climate change individuals—which products we purchase, how activities in developing countries. much electricity we consume, how we get around, ✓ Keeps tabs on the problem and what's being what we eat —add up to our single, unique carbon done about it. footprints. Put all of them together and you end up ✓ Charts the beginnings of a path to strike a with humanity’s collective carbon footprint. delicate balance. ✓ Kicks off formal consideration of adaptation “The first step in reducing it is for us to to climate change. acknowledge the uneven distribution of climate change’s causes and effects, and for those who bear the greatest responsibility for global greenhouse gas emissions to slash them without bringing further harm to those who are least responsible.” Geron, Jasmin B. | ECO