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ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE
NAME______________________________________________ PERIOD ______ DATE _________
Using the handout articles, and possibly your text, answer the following questions.
Article sources:
World Population Highlights 2007: Overview of World Population from the Population Reference Bureau
U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey MINERAL COMMODITY SUMMARIES 2007
1. What is the present human population of the planet? Where did you find this information?
2. How would a decrease in death rates affect the total population if birth rates stay the same?
3. The large increase in the population of developing nations is caused by:
A. a large increase in the birth rate in those nations.
B. a large drop in the death rate with only a small drop in the birth rate.
C. a large increase in the death rate, but only a small drop in the birth rate.
D. a large decrease in both the birth rate and the death rate in those nations.
Explain:
Sources:
4. Describe the relationships between (1) improvements in standards of living the status of women and fertility rates in developing nations.
5. Assuming that you will live to be 90 years old how much will the global population grow during your life? The following steps will help you calculate this:
Step A. Year you will be 90:
Step B. Population then:
Step C. Population now:
Step D. Increase (subtract) is:
Step E. Percent increase = Answer D / Answer C * 100 =
6. Estimate (1) the year and (2) the global population when your children are in 9th grade. (3)What percent increase should we expect here in Region 10 to accommodate your kids? (4) Explain your answer to part 3.
7. Your group was assigned to calculate an estimate for the number of years that a particular mineral resource will last, using information from the USGS MINERAL COMMODITY SUMMARIES 2007.
For example, the information on copper at http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/copper/coppemcs07.pdf reports the world total mine production was 15,000 (units?) in 2005 and 15,300 in 2006.Reserves (that which could be "economically extracted") are 480,000 and the Reserve base (what MIGHT be economically extracted in the future) is 940,000. See http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/2007/mcsapp07.pdf for definitions).
480,000/15,300 = 31 years to depletion at a minimum, 940,000/15,000 = 63 years for an upper end to the depletion range.
Obviously there are many factors that can affect these predictions.
Your mineral was:
(A) Divide the "World total Reserves" by the LARGER of either 2005 or 2006 world production to get the least number of years:
(B) Divide the "World total Reserve base" by the SMALLER of either 2005 or 2006 world production to get the most number of years:
(C) What is your range of years for your resource? Report this range to the class so they can record this (see below).
8. Write a letter to a younger sibling (real or imaginary) explaining why we need to manage Earth better:
2006 U.S. NET IMPORT RELIANCE FOR SELECTED NONFUEL MINERAL MATERIALS from the USGS and ESTIMATED DEPLETION RANGES calculated by students
Commodity, Percent of US use that is imported, estimated range of years until reserves depleted. See the explanation above for sources.
ARSENIC (trioxide) is 100%
ASBESTOS 100
BAUXITE and ALUMINA is 100% imported, and reserves may last 141 to 189 years
COLUMBIUM (niobium) 100% imported, and reserves may last 73 to 134
FLUORSPAR is 100% imported, and reserves may last 45 to 91
GRAPHITE (natural) 100% imported, and reserves may last 71 to 273 years
INDIUM 100
MANGANESE is 100% imported, and reserves may last 40 to 495 years
MICA, sheet (natural) 100
QUARTZ CRYSTAL (industrial) 100
RARE EARTHS 100
RUBIDIUM 100
STRONTIUM is 100% imported, and reserves may last 14 to 24 years
THALLIUM 100
THORIUM 100
VANADIUM 100
YTTRIUM 100
GALLIUM 99
GEMSTONES 99
BISMUTH 96
PLATINUM 95
STONE (dimension) 89
ANTIMONY 88
RHENIUM 87
TANTALUM 87
BARITE 83
DIAMOND (natural industrial stone) 82
PALLADIUM 82
COBALT 81
POTASH 80
TIN 79
CHROMIUM 75
TITANIUM (sponge) 72
IODINE 71
TITANIUM MINERAL CONCENTRATES 71
TUNGSTEN 66
SILVER 65
ZINC 63
NICKEL 60
SILICON (ferrosilicon) 60
PEAT 59
MAGNESIUM METAL 54
GARNET (industrial) 53
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS 53
DIAMOND (dust, grit and powder) 51
ALUMINUM 44
NITROGEN (fixed), AMMONIA 42
COPPER is 40% imported, and reserves may last 31 to 63 years
PERLITE 35
VERMICULITE 31
MICA, scrap and flake (natural) 30
CADMIUM 29
GYPSUM 27
SULFUR 26
CEMENT 24
IRON and STEEL 21
SALT 16
PUMICE 12
TALC 11
IRON and STEEL SLAG 7
PHOSPHATE ROCK 6
IRON ORE 5
LEAD 2
LIME 1
SAND AND GRAVEL (construction) 1
Major Import Sources (2002-05)1
China, Morocco, Mexico, Chile
Canada
Jamaica, Guinea, Australia, Brazil
Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Germany
China, Mexico, South Africa, Mongolia
China, Mexico, Canada, Brazil
China, Canada, Japan, Russia
South Africa, Gabon, Australia, China
India, Belgium, China, Brazil
Brazil, Germany, Madagascar, Canada
China, France, Japan, Russia
Canada
Mexico, Germany
Russia, Belgium
France
Czech Republic, Swaziland, Canada, Austria
China, Japan, France, Austria
China, Japan, Ukraine, Russia
Israel, India, Belgium, South Africa
Belgium, Mexico, China, United Kingdom
South Africa, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada
Italy, Turkey, China, Mexico
China, Mexico, Belgium
Chile, Germany
Australia, Canada, China, Japan
China, India
Ireland, Botswana, Ghana, Belgium
Russia, South Africa, United Kingdom, Belgium
Norway, Russia, Finland, Canada
Canada, Belarus, Russia, Germany
Peru, Bolivia, China, Indonesia
South Africa, Kazakhstan, Zimbabwe, Russia
Kazakhstan, Japan, Russia
Chile, Japan
South Africa, Australia, Canada, Ukraine
China, Canada, Germany, Portugal
Mexico, Canada, Peru, Chile
Canada, Mexico, Peru, Australia
Canada, Russia, Norway, Australia
China, Venezuela, Russia, Norway
Canada
Canada, Russia, China, Israel
Australia, India, China, Canada
China, Canada, Australia, Austria
China, Ireland, Ukraine, Russia
Canada, Russia, Venezuela, Brazil
Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, Russia, Ukraine
Chile, Canada, Peru, Mexico
Greece
South Africa, China
Canada, China, India, Finland
Australia, Canada, Belgium, Peru
Canada, Mexico, Spain, Dominican Republic
Canada, Mexico, Venezuela
Canada, Thailand, China, Venezuela
Canada, European Union, Mexico, Brazil
Canada, Chile, The Bahamas, Mexico
Greece, Italy, Turkey
China, Canada, France, Japan
Canada, Italy, France, Japan
Morocco
Canada, Brazil, Chile, Australia
Canada, Australia, China, Mexico
Canada, Mexico
Canada, Mexico, The Bahamas
1In descending order of import share
HANDOUT FROM SEP 2006:
Article sources:
Worldwatch Vital Signs 2006-2007
Worldwatch State of the World 2006
Population Reference Bureau: What Is Overpopulation?, Status of Women
Additional sources:
U.S. Census Bureau: US Population Projections , Connecticut Projections
1. What is the present human population of the planet? Where did you find this information?
2. How would a decrease in death rates affect the total population if birth rates stay the same?
3. For the last few decades, modern medicine has succeeded in slowing the overall death rate in most developing nations, and in increased ability to prevent pregnancies. This means that the large increase in the population of those nations must be caused by:
A. a large increase in the birth rate in those nations.
B. a large drop in the death rate with only a small drop in the birth rate.
C. a large increase in the death rate, but only a small drop in the birth rate.
D. a large decrease in both the birth rate and the death rate in those nations.
Explain:
Sources:
6. Is the birth rate per woman in developing nations directly related to the education levels and status of women in those countries? What evidence in the documents indicates this?
7. Assuming that you will live to be 90 years old (if you smoke, use 55 years) how much will the global population grow during your life?
A. Year you will be 90:
B. Population then:
C. Population now:
D. Increase is:
E. Percent increase = D/C*100 =
8. What are some of the results of the increase in consumption of consumer goods referred to in the articles?
9. Describe three ways we can reduce the negative effects of increased consumption.
10. Describe the relationships between (1) improvements in standards of living and status of women, (2) fertility rates, and (3) environmental problems and resource depletion.
11. Estimate (1) the year and (2) the global population when your children are in 9th grade. (3)What percent increase should we expect here in Region 10 to accommodate your kids?
Honors EESci classes continue - use the additional sources listed above or other approprite sources. Be sure to cite where you found your information.
12. Repeat questions 1, 7 and 11 for the United States population growth.
13. What specific effects do you think the increase of GLOBAL population in your lifetime would have on UNITED STATES need for:
food:
water:
clothing:
shelter:
fuel:
other needs:
14. If it is true that control of population occurs after people of an area (especially the women) become better educated and also have a better standard of living, speculate about methods for the more affluent nations of the world to help developing nations to control their populations that have nothing to do with the controversial subject of birth control.
15. A basic approximation of the energy that is transferred through each step in a food chain is that only 10% of the energy consumed at one level is passed to the next. For example, if an insect consumes 500 units of energy from a leaf, when a bird eats that insect the bird only gains 50 units. Using this information, describe a method to feed a whole lot more people on this planet.
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