Environmental Systems and Rates of Environmental Change

Hello again! Quater here and today's topic is Environmental systems and rates of change!

What are Environmental Systems?

Environmental systems are natural systems that include the air (atmosphere), living organisms (biosphere), water (hydrosphere), ice (cryosphere), soil (pedosphere), and rock (lithosphere). Human factors or activities are also included in environmental systems. Ecosystems and the water cycle below are examples of environmental systems.

Diagram of the Water Cycle or Hydrological Cycle.

What is Environmental Change?

An environmental change is a change in the environment caused primarily by human influences and natural ecological processes. Natural disasters, for instance, are examples of environmental changes.

Environmental Systems and the Rate of Environmental Change.

The rates at which environmental changes occur affect the ability of ecosystems or living creatures to survive. For example, changes in temperature or loss of habitat. It is therefore important to understand how environmental systems and human activities result in environmental changes.

Chart showing the link between environmental systems, human and natural influences and environmental changes.

NOTE: An increase in the amount of human and natural influences increases the rate OR speed of environmental change.

Table showing some examples of natural and human influences and the environmental changes they cause.

Natural Influence	Environmental change	Man-made Influence	Environmental change
Natural disasters e.g. Volcanic eruptions	Ash release, blocking of sunlight, property loss	Cutting down of trees for energy and industries e.g. furniture, agricultural land	Deforestation and desertification, habitat loss, soil erosion and loss of fertility, loss of biodiversity
Ocean Current changes e.g. El Niño	Temperature changes (hot and cold), rainfall changes	Urbanization and population growth	Pollution, poor air quality, contaminated water, overuse of resources (fossil fuels, oil, coal, fisheries etc.)
Natural changes in climate and atmosphere	Temperature changes, Ice ages and warmer periods, drought and extreme cold	Changes in climate,weather and atmosphere	Increased greenhouse gases, changes in temperatures, drought and extreme cold

Chart showing the link between environmental systems, human and natural influences and environmental changes using the examples provided above.

From the Chart Above:

• Human-caused Forest destruction increases the rate at which forest areas are destroyed, as well as the number of habitats lost or land that may become deserts.

• The natural ocean currents of the Earth change frequently. These changes accelerate the rate of flooding and weather changes, as well as the rate at which temperatures rise and fall, and they can increase or decrease the amount of rainfall we receive.

I hope you have a better understanding of Environmental systems and rates of change now!

~~See you next time!

Climate Change in the Caribbean

 

Hi! I'm Quater the Canary and today is all about Climate Change in the Caribbean.

What is Climate Change?

To put it simply, Climate Change refers to shifts in temperatures and weather patterns over a long period of time. This is especially important for Caribbean countries because of their size and location.

Map of the Caribbean taken from Worldofmaps.net

What are some of the causes of Climate Change in the Caribbean?

Caribbean economies typically depend on Agriculture, Manufacturing, Production of oil and gas and Tourism. With these in mind, some of the CAUSES of climate change in the Caribbean are:

1. Industries

-The generation of power and manufacturing of goods are both processes that use and emit greenhouse gases such as carbon and nitrogen from coal, fossil fuels, oil and gas.

2. Deforestation

- The cutting down or clearing of forested areas for industrial or agricultural purposes increases the concentrations of carbon in the atmosphere.

3.Agriculture

-This includes deforestation to obtain farmlands as well as livestock farming. Livestock such as cows, pigs and chicken all contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. For example, cows generate and emit methane through their waste.

Now that we've discussed the CAUSES, what are some of the IMPACTS?

What are some of the Impacts of Climate Change in the Caribbean?

IMPACTS

Environmental	Economic	Social
Increased Temperature- Rising temperatures caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions can lead to a drier climate, reducing ocean biodiversity, degrading corals, and affecting fisheries industries.	Decreased Tourism- The loss of beaches, corals, recreational fishing and diving, as well as a rise in temperature, may have an impact on the tropical climate that attracts tourists.	Property Loss- Flooding and drought are examples of extreme weather events that can damage infrastructure and destroy homes.
Sea Level Rise- This could submerge many of the islands' coastal areas, reducing tourism and increasing the risk to freshwater resources.	Decreased Agriculture- Temperature increases and changes in rainfall patterns have an impact on soil fertility, which can reduce crop yields and grazing ability.	Decreased Standard of Living- Extreme weather can also contaminate water sources or reduce access to water and other essentials.
Extreme Weather- Temperature increases can alter rainfall patterns, the intensity and frequency of hurricanes and storms and increase droughts, and flooding.	Food Security- Temperature and rainfall can have an impact on crop yields, livestock production, fishing and forestry availability, and thus a country's ability to feed itself.	Health Problems- malnutrition via food security issues and contaminated water supplies which can cause health issues such as diarrhea.

The impacts of Climate change in the Caribbean are often connected.

Eg.  Extreme Weather-----------------Decreased Agriculture---------------Health Problems

And now you know about some of the causes and impacts of climate change in the Caribbean!

~~Bye

Sources: 1. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change 2. https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-climate-change.php 3. https://makechange.aspiration.com/social-impacts-of-climate-change/ 4. https://www.panoramas.pitt.edu/health-and-society/environmental-and-social-impacts-climate-change-caribbean 5. https://www.iadb.org/en/ove/climate-change-caribbean-small-island-states 6. https://nacla.org/blog/2012/11/3/climate-change-and-caribbean Images: 7. https://worldofmaps.net/en/caribbean/caribbean-maps/map-caribbean-overview.htm 8. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/26036504066413806/?nic_v3=1a4IMRXPG 9. https://eastchain.net/industries/ 10. https://www.countygp.ab.ca/en/business-and-development/agriculture-and-food-production-and-service.aspx