1. The Changing Global
Environment
The HumanEnvironmental
Relationship
Chapter/Module 2
Remember, whenever you see the
the external hyperlink or website.
1
icon, click on it to open

2. Learning Objectives


Learn the basics of Earth’s environmental
systems to prepare for later chapters
Understand the following concepts, models,
and terms:
 Anthropogenic
 Climograph
2
 Climatic factors
 Greenhouse effect
 Köppen
climate
system
 Climate Change
 Green Revolution

3. Global Climates and Humans

Human settlement and food production
are closely linked to local patterns of
weather and climate
–
–
People in different parts of the world adapt to
weather and climate in different ways
Climate links us together in our globalized
economy
 Opportunities
 Hardships
3
 Challenges
in growing food

4. Plate Tectonics

Move in 2 directions
–
–
4
Convergent
Divergent

5. Global Tectonic Plates
5
It is on the margins of these plates that the most interactions happen,
thus they are most geologically active as well.

6. Convection powers plate tectonics
6

7. African Rift Valley

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Example of Divergent
Plate Boundaries

8. Global Hazards
8

9. Hazards



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Many of the world’s hazards are located near
boundaries of tectonic plates:
– Earthquakes and tsunamis
– Eruptions
– Flooding
Others are not:
– Hurricanes
– Tornadoes
Either way, Humans are always vulnerable to their
environments.

10. TAKE QUIZ 2.1
10

11. Weather v. Climate

Weather
–
–
–

Climate
–
11
Daily
Particular time
Particular place
Long term average conditions of a place, based
on at least 30 years worth of data.

12. Climate—Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Insolation
Latitude
Land/water contrast—continentality
Altitude
Pressure systems
a.
b.
6.
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Ocean currents
Wind systems
Local topography

13. Climograph:

provides information on average high and
low temperatures and precipitation for
every month in a year
–
Graph includes these components:



–
Average high temperature (upper line)
Average low temperature (lower line)
Average precipitation (bars)
Provides ―Average Annual Precipitation‖

14. Climate Factor 1: Insolation
14
Stands for incoming solar radiation: Energy from the sun heats the
earth’s surface unevenly.

15. Climate Factor 2: Latitude
Distance from the earth’s equator. Poles have less insolation
and equator has more insolation.
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16. Climate Factor 3: Contientality
16
Rule of contientality: The interiors of the continents have more climatic
extremes and the coasts have milder climates.
Land v water deals with insolation differently.

17. 17
Here, two cities at the same latitude have different climates because San
Diego is on the coast, and Dallas is on the interior of the continent it has
warmer summers and cooler winters.

18. Climate Factor 4: Pressure systems
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a. Ocean currents: redistribute energy and isolation

19. Climate Factor 4: Pressure
systems
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b. Global wind patterns. Wind moves from areas of high pressure to
low pressure.

20. Topography
Topo=surface variations
Graphic delineation in
detail usually on maps or
charts of natural and
man-made features of a
place or region especially
in a way to show their
relative positions and
elevations.
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Local variations on the
earth surface can impact
the weather and climate
at a smaller scale.

21. Climate
Classifying
climates is not a
new idea. This is
how the ancient
Greeks
understood the
world.
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22. Köppen Climate Classification






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
A
B
C
D
E
H
Tropical, wet climates
Dry climates, desert and steppe
Mild midlatitude—Mediterranean
Continental Midlatitude climates
Polar
Highland
There are also many subclassificationsthat
further delineate climate types, ex. Cfa

23. 23

24. 24

25. 25
B climate. Sahara Desert in Morocco.

26. 26
A C climate. Gibraltar, a British outpost on the tip of Spain, and entrance
to the Mediterranean.

27. Examples of a D climate in
Alaska, USA.
27

28. TAKE QUIZ 2.2
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29. Global Climate change

More that the Greenhouse effect
–
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Human activities connected with economic
development and industrialization affect the
world’s climate
 Anthropogenic (human-caused) pollution
increases the natural greenhouse effect

30. The debate on Climate change

Watch the three following videos on this topic:

James Hansen 2012
–

Rachael Pike 2009
–

Is there consensus among the scientific community?
Vicki Arroyo 2012
–
–
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How long have scientists been studying climate change?
What is the relationship between humans, hazards and
daily life? Is there hope?
What is stationarity?

31. Effects of Global Warming
–
Computer models and scientists are coming to
agreement on effects

Average global temperatures will increase 2 °F to 4 °F by
2030
–

The same amount of cooling caused the Ice Age
Major shift in agricultural areas
–
Wheat belt could become warmer and drier; lower grain yield
– Canada and Russia could become warmer
– Southern regions of the U.S. and Europe could become warmer and
drier, requiring irrigation

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Rising sea levels as polar ice-caps melt, endangering lowlying islands around the world, and coastal areas elsewhere

32. Rio de Janiero Earth Summit (1992)
 First
international agreement on global
warming
 167 countries agreed to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions by a specific
target date
–
32
U.S., Japan, India, China failed to meet emissions
reductions

33. Kyoto Protocol (Dec 1997)



38 industrialized countries agreed to reduce
their emissions of greenhouse gases to
below 1990 levels
To take effect, countries emitting 55% of the
world’s greenhouse gases must ratify it
Ratification of Kyoto Protocol will be difficult
–
33
Large developing countries (India, China) are not yet
bound to reduce greenhouse gases, and would have
an advantage

34. 34

35. Trends in Global Temperatures
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36. Historic record of climate change
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37. Human Impacts on Plants and Animals:
The Globalization of Nature



37
Earth is unique because of the rich diversity of plants
and animals
Vegetation is the ―green glue‖ that binds together
Earth’s life and atmosphere
– Vegetation is both a product of and an influence on
climate, geology, and hydrology
Humans play a big part in this interaction
– Domestication of plants, animals
– Changed natural pattern of vegetation on the land

38. Land degradation

Human (anthropogenic)
–
Keep track of these in each chapter
Natural disasters +
human influence
and choice

38

39. GREEN REVOLUTION

THE SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER YIELD, FASTGROWING VARIETIES OF RICE AND OTHER CEREALS IN
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
–
–
–
International research program-1960s
Focused on the food crisis.
Increased production per unit area via:
Miracle crops
 New irrigation systems
 Intensive use of fertilizers
 Salinization of irrigated areas


40. The Green Revolutions
–
–
Second stage has evolved since 1970s
 New types of fast-growing wheat and rice specifically bred
for tropical and subtropical climates
 With irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides, farmers can grow
two or three crops each year instead of just one
 India doubled its food production between 1970 and 1992
Problems associated with Green Revolution
 400% increase in use of fossil fuels makes Green
Revolution agriculture more vulnerable to oil price
fluctuations
 Environmental damage
 Social costs, especially associated with the higher cost of
this approach

41. Problems and Projections
–
Local and regional problems are usually responsible
for food unavailability

–
Political problems are usually more responsible for
food shortages than are natural events

–
Food distribution is highly politicized
Globalization is causing a worldwide change in food
preferences

–
Poverty and civil unrest at local levels impede food
distribution
Shifting from vegetarian to meat-based diet could have
profound implications
Africa and South Asia are most threatened by food
shortages

42. TAKE QUIZ 2.3
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