Human Populations

1
Environmental Science 2

• Human Populations
• Environmental Health and Toxicology
• Food and Agriculture
• Pest Control

2
Human Populations

• World Population Growth
• 80 million people/year increase
• 6.5 billion people total
• Live simply so that others may simply live.
• -Mahatma Gandhi

3
Population Growth

• Demography measurement of human populations.
• More-developed countries less growth
• Less-developed countries more growth
• Why?
• Agriculture-based societies vs. Industrialized
  societies
• Less resource consumption vs. More resource
  consumption
• Rural locations vs. Urban locations
• Historical culture vs. Modern technology
• Poverty vs. Wealth
• Constantly changing

4
Worlds 5 Largest Countries
Country name (approximate human population)

• China (1,500,000,000)
• India (1,300,000,000)
• USA (300,000,000)
• Indonesia (225,000,000)
• Brazil (187,000,000)

5
Life Expectancy
Country name (approximate male/female age)

• Japan (79/86)
• Sweden (78/83)
• USA (75/80)
• India (62/63)
• Russia (59/72)

6
Solutions for Sustainability

• Stable populations and resources
• Social justice for all people
• Planning for the future
• Complications

7
Health, Disease, and Environment
Health physical, mental, and social
well-being Disease abnormal change in
physical/psychological functioning Environmental
health risks leading to disease
8
2020 Global W.H.O. Prediction

1. Heart disease
2. Depression
3. Accidents
4. Stroke
5. Lung disease
6. Pneumonia
7. Tuberculosis
8. War
9. Diarrhea
10. HIV/AIDS

9
Recent Outbreaks of Lethal Infectious
DiseaseVirus/Bacteria/Parasites
10
Infectious Disease and Human Solutions

• Human health and Environmental health
• Interrelated (AIDS from African primates)
• Disease -gt Medicine Cure or Death or Resistance
• Ex. Influenza widespread in US (Winter 08)
• Issues in perspective
• Wealthy person medical care, multiple solutions
• Poor person no medical care, no solutions

11
Toxicology

• Toxins poisons
• Arsenic lumber treatment
• Lead paint and gasoline
• Mercury coal combustion
• Cadmium batteries
• DDT pesticide use
• Our household environment

12
Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

• Absorption, storage, and interactions of toxins
  at higher trophic levels.
• Ex. Consumers

13
Risks
14
World Food and Nutrition

• Global famine and malnutrition

15
Human Needs

• Air - atmosphere
• Water - hydrosphere
• Shelter - lithosphere
• Food - biosphere
• Sources of foods

16
Food Instability

• Population increase and resource decrease
• Insufficient protein sources
• Globalization of food markets
• Unsustainable farming practices
• Habitat destruction and soil degradation
• Global warming and extreme conditions
• Solutions you decide!

17
Some Ideas

• Control of reproduction and resource distribution
  
• Additional proteins through plants/animals
• Localization of food markets
• Agroecology through organic, sustainable
  agriculture
• Environmental preservation and conservation
• Scientific answers to global environmental and
  social troubles

18
Pest Control

• Biological pests organisms that reduce resources
  useful to humans.
• Pesticides/herbicides chemicals used by humans
  to kill pests.
• Risk/Benefit
• analysis

19
Foods and Toxins
Highly contaminated foods

• Strawberries
• Bell peppers
• Spinach
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Cantaloupe

20
Choices

• Regulation (EPA, FDA, USDA)
• USA - only so-so
• Organics (neither fertilizers nor pesticides)
• buy from known sources
• local is usually better
• ask producers, government officials, and
  scientists and share info with one another

21
Suggestions

• Wash food in clean water prior to eating
• Peel fruits/vegetables when possible
• Well stored food is a plus
• Clean food through cooking
• Reduce intake of fats and toxins
• Grow your own food or shop organic

22
Homework

• Read two chapters of your choice from the
  following list
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Write a brief summary on each chapter you read,
  including
• chapter number/title, single favorite Case
  Study/Exploring Science subsection among the
  chapters, overall questions and/or comments