Effects of Human Activities & Sustainability
- Created by: beth-marie2511
- Created on: 19-06-16 23:25
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- Effects of Human Activities & Sustainability
- Carbon Cycle
- CO2 is added to the atmosphere by respiration in animals, plants and micro-organisms and the combustion of fossil fuels
- Burning fossil fuels leads to more CO2 being added to the atmosphere
- Deforestation is a main reason why CO2 in the atmosphere has increased
- Less trees to take in CO2 so more CO2 remains in the air
- Combustion is the other main reason why CO2 in the atmosphere has increased
- Burning fossil fuels releases CO2 (and SO2) into the air
- Greenhouse Effect / Global Warming
- Sunlight cannot penetrate the 'blanket' of greenhouse gases surrounding the planet
- Caused by changes in sea levels and rainfall patterns etc.
- Impacts on plants, wildlife and humans
- Scarcity of water may become a major problem for food production creating a need to create drought resistant crops
- Genetically modified crops
- Biofuels
- Examples
- Wood
- Straw
- **** seed oil
- Waste oil
- Advantages
- Biofuels release CO2 when being processed etc. but absorb it when growing so are considered as 'carbon neutral'
- Disadvantages
- Areas of land have to be cleared to grow crops purely for the purpose of biofuels
- Not necessarily carbon neutral when you take into account the energy used in farming, transporting and processing the crops
- Only certain parts of the plants are used which increases waste
- Cellulose is tough and requires pre-treating
- Any fuel that is biological in origin
- Examples
- Carbon Cycle
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