Ecosystem simplification is the second most important cause of human-caused climate change. What can we do? Use full screen for better visibility

1. Systems Ecology 101 Human Effects on Spaceship Earth By Joe Anderson, 2011/09/19

2. Life reduces the temperature A forest is cooler than a parking lot; we all know this. Life processes, such as multiple uses of the incoming exergy and evaporation do the trick. The sun’s energy comes in with high exergy (potential for work, or temperature). The same amount of energy, with it’s exergy reduced, leaves the earth as Outgoing Longwave Radiation. Note the black continental outlines, and the darkness (low temperature) of the African and South American rain forests in this NASA satellite image. http://holon.se/folke/kurs/Ecologicaldevelopment/Termodyn_en.shtml

3. Living systems support Life Properties of the earth without life are estimated by interpolation between Venus and Mars. The striking differences in atmospheric properties are due to life processes.

4. Net Primary Productivity Also known as Net Photosynthetic Productivity , (NPP) is the total annual photosynthetic production of biomass from the sun, less the energy requirements of the plants and algae for their own needs. NPP is the energy stream that powers life. Earth’s Total NPP ~= 225 x 10 9 metric tons/year

13. Human activities generally reduce system maturity Logging Forest Prairie Farms Construction & Mining Human-caused ecosystems maturity reduction is another way of increasing global warming

16. Ecosystem maturity reduction, Palmyra, Syria was once a city with gardens Near al-Fasher, Sudan, few living things remain the end game Note the house in the right background

17. By continuing business as usual we are in fact silently, unknowingly, choosing to end the world as we know it. The Middle East is already mostly desert, as is Northern Africa & SW United States. Take another look at where we are today. 33% of land area is subject to desertification http://soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/mapindex/desert.html

18. 70% of farm land is estimated as degraded Land productivity is declining due to soil nutrient depletion, salinization, erosion & compaction 33% of land area is subject to desertification http://soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/papers/land-degradation-overview.html All due to human activities on our spaceship, earth.

19. The usual response is to be angry, or depressed and do nothing. Our human culture is not only unsustainable, it is spectacularly so, and we are approaching the end game! Think about it. What will you do? Anything?

20. We Can Increase Ecosystem Maturity! Hopefully we can learn a lot, become teachers and recruiters, work with helpful organizations, and get politics going in the right direction

21. Increasing Ecosystem Maturity Gaviotas village, founded in 1962 in the Eastern Llanos (plains) of war-torn Colombia, shows the benefits of ecosystem maturation.

24. Increasing Ecosystem Maturity: Hedgerows add a diversity of beneficial plants, animals and insects and reduce wind erosion. Urban green roofs and gardens add maturity and can reduce energy consumption.

26. The Most Important Things: Personally, we can change our lives, join with others of like mind and work for the greatest good. We can use our creativity to go far beyond the thoughts in this presentation

27. Earth’s our only spaceship. What will YOU do? Anything?