1. Oxygen level dropping. Ozone combines with Carbon to make Carbon Dioxide when fossil fuels are burned. Petition: oxygen is decreasing2. Ratio of stable isotope Carbon. Isotopes can tell us about the source of Carbon. Many elements have more than one isotope. Consider it as a unit of weight.Example, Carbon 13 and Carbon 12, Nitrogen 15 and Nitrogen 14.Fossil fuels are decayed plants. Fossil fuel emission are resulting in lower ration of Carbon 12 (going up)/ Carbon 13 (staying same).The change in ratio = burning fossil fuelsCaron 12 is the fossil fuel carbon. (photosynthesis)Stable means they don’t decay, they are nonradioactive.3. Carbon 14 (radioactive isotopes)There is no Carbon 14 (made of atmosphere and doesn’t last) in fossil fuels, hence increasing Carbon 12/Caron 13/Carbon 14All signs are that Carbon Dioxide rise is primarily human made (known with high certainty)US National Research CouncilNC Government believes its human caused.97% of climate experts agree that humans are a major contributor to global warming.Cherry-picking – selecting data with larger data sets to prove point.IPCC – create reports on information from scientist around the world. Predicts increase of ~3 to 7 degrees F.Carbon emissions continue to increase.Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide change slowly.Greenhouse gases trap heat differently.Feedback MechanismsDarker colors absorb energyWhite reflects (snow)Albedo is the reflectivity of the planet.Absorb where is was once reflected because the artic circle is melting.Planet will get hotter based on loss of reflection.Methane1. Leaks out of vent (natural vent), Gulf of Mexico.2. Trapped in permafrost.3. GarbageGlobal is warming more at the poles than by equator. (Permafrost)Sharp rise in methane (still rising) is because of regulations (fixing up)Example, fixing leaking pipes, gas tanks, and building.Negative feedback loop – Stabilizing forcePositive feedback loop –creates change.BIO 105 1st EditionFinal Exam Study GuideIntroductory Material Humans are dependent on nature in many ways. All of human’s resources come from the Earth. - There are about 7 billion people living on the planet and approximately 300 million live in the United States. - We do not know exactly how many species are on Earth, but are approx. 10 million and only 2 million (1%) of those have been scientifically registered with Latinized names. “What is Nature Worth?”- There is a high value on nature. Humans rely on the resources produced by the earth to survive. (soil, water, oxygen)- Ecosystem services are the flow of materials, energy and information from the biosphere that support human existence. E.g. atmosphere and climate, biomass fuels, lumber, crops…) - There is no way to even approx. what is being lost. In 1997, scientists put a dollar amount on all the ecosystem services provided to humanity free of charge, they estimated the contribution is to be $33 trillion or more each year. - Case of the Blue Whale (Colin W. Clark)o The Blue Whale is the largest species ever. The Japanese in the 1970’s were eager to continue hunting without worry towards their extinction. Clark asked what practice would yield the whalers and humanity the most money, kill the rest off or cease the hunting, let the species recover and harvest them sustainably forever. Researchers found we would gain by killing them all off quickly. - GMO (genetically modified organism)o Pros: modified so they could survive longer, could be injected with nutrience and vitamins, disease resistance, and produce higher yields. o Cons: “Frankenfoods”, still don’t know a lot of about them, and they’re not natural. - Modern Medicine: drawn heavily from wild species (40%)How do we relate to nature? State parks, domesticated animals, and species with known use. (Recreation, food, lumber, research, medicine)Anthropocentrism: (John Locke) The mindset that humans are the center of the universe. We are the main focus. We are conservative (conserving for our own use).Ecocentrism: (centered on wellbeing of ecosystem) Humans are part of a greater whole. It’s intrinsic because it has value for simply existingEnvironmentalism: a way of thinking and a movement of political activism based on a common conviction that our natural environment should be protected. It takes many forms from local to national tointernational. The motivation of environmentalist may be health-related, economic, social, aesthetic ethics, or for science. Ecology: The scientific study of the interrelations of organisms and their environment. They are scientists who study demography and genetic of populations, physiological and behavior adaptions of species to their environment, interacting among species, distribution and dynamics of communities. Their focus is on plants, animals, and microorganisms in all ecosystems**The activities of environmentalist are often based on the finding of ecologists. They have a common goal of increasing our insight about natural systems.Definitions to know:Biodiversity: Measure of the variety of life.Anthropocentric: human centeredEcocentic: centered on well-being of ecosystem Extirpated: loss or removal of a species from one or more specific area, eradication.Sustain ability: development or use of resourced in such a way that future generations will inherit a quality environment.;Precautionary principle: When an activity raises threat or harm to human health or the environment. Precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationship are not fully established scientifically. Domestic: cultivated by humans for generations. They are species living under the care of humans. Characteristics advance/enhance by selective breeding over a period of many generations. Attitudes towards nature & ecological changes in North America“It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being, and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even to our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves to inhabit this vast land.” -Sitting Bull, Lakota Sioux holy manWhat are the roots of conservation thinking? Reduce, recycle, reuse, and rethink.Natural world has intrinsic and intangible worth along w utilitarian view. - Romantic – Transcendental: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau (1800) defined the idea that Nature has a meaning, beyond economic profits. Nature is a temple where the Man can share and communicate with God. John Muir defends a preservationist’s ethic; the beauty of