Chapter 2: The Changing Global Environment 
Globalization and Diversity
Rowntree, Lewis, Price, Wyckoff
Learning Objectives
•	Learn the basics of Earth’s environmental systems to prepare for later chapters
•	Understand the following concepts, models, and terms:

Global Climates: An Uncertain Forecast
•	Human settlement and food production are closely linked to local patterns of weather and climate
–	People in different parts of the world adapt to weather and climate in different ways
–	Climate links us together in our globalized economy
»	Opportunities
»	Hardships
»	Challenges in growing food
Global Climates: An Uncertain Forecast (cont.)
•	World Climate Regions
•	Weather: short-term, day-to-day expression of atmospheric processes
•	Climate: long-term, average conditions
–	At least 30 years of daily weather data (temperatures and precipitation)
•	Climate regions:  boundaries drawn around areas with similar average climate conditions

Global Climates: An Uncertain Forecast (cont.)
•	Climographs: provide average high and low temperatures and precipitation for every month in a year
–	Graph description
•	Average high temperature (upper line)
•	Average low temperature (lower line)
•	Average precipitation (bars)

–	Provides “Average Annual Rainfall”

Global Climates: An Uncertain Forecast (cont.)
•	Global Warming
–	Causes of Global Warming
Increases in CO2 and Temperature (Fig. 2.6)
Global Climates: An Uncertain Forecast (cont.)
•	Global Warming
–	The Four Major Greenhouse Gases
•	Carbon Dioxide (CO2): makes up more than 50% of anthropogenic greenhouse gases; comes mainly from burning fossil fuels
•	Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): about 25% of human-generated greenhouse gases; come mainly from aerosol sprays, refrigeration, & air conditioning
•	Methane (CH4): about 15%; caused by burning of vegetation, by-products of cattle & sheep digestion, leaking natural gas pipelines, and refineries
•	Nitrous oxide (N2O): 5%; caused by agricultural chemical fertilizers

Global Climates: An Uncertain Forecast (cont.)
•	Effects of Global Warming
–	Computer models and scientists are coming to agreement on effects
•	Average global temperatures will increase 2 °- 4 °F by 2030, and could double by 2100.
–	Same magnitude of cooling that caused the Ice Age 30k years ago
•	Major shift in agricultural areas
–	Wheat belt could become warmer and drier; lower grain yield
–	Canada and Russia could become warmer
–	Southern regions of the U.S. and Europe could become warmer and drier, requiring irrigation
•	Rising sea levels as polar ice-caps melt, endangering low-lying islands around the world, and coastal areas

Global Climates: An Uncertain Forecast (cont.)
•	Globalization & Climate Change: The International Debate on Limiting Greenhouse Gases
–	Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit (1992)
•	First international agreement on global warming (167 countries)
–	U.S., Japan, India, China failed to meet emissions reductions
–	Kyoto Protocol (December 1997)
•	38 industrialized countries agreed to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases to below 1990 levels
•	To become international law, countries emitting 55% of the world’s greenhouse gases had to ratify the Kyoto Protocol
Global Climates: An Uncertain Forecast (cont.)
•	Globalization & Climate Change: The International Debate on Limiting Greenhouse Gases
•	President Bush opposed Kyoto Protocol
»	Complying could damage U.S. economy
»	Large developing countries (India, China) are not yet bound to reduce greenhouse gases, and would have an advantage
•	Russia (3rd largest source of GHG emissions)
»	Finally signed in late 2004
»	Kyoto Protocol became international law in early 2005
»	Probably won’t solve problem, but it’s a start
Human Impacts on Plants and Animals: The Globalization of Nature
•	Earth is unique because of the rich diversity of plants and animals
•	Vegetation is the “green glue” that binds together Earth’s life and atmosphere
–	Vegetation is both a product of and an influence on climate, geology and hydrology
•	Humans play a big part in this interaction
–	Domestication of plants, animals
–	Changed natural pattern of vegetation on the land
•	Bioregion: an assemblage of local plants and animals covering a large area (e.g., tropical rainforest or grassland)

World Bioregions (Fig. 2.9)
Human Impacts on Plants and Animals: The Globalization of Nature (cont.)
•	Tropical Forests and Savannas
•	Mostly found in equatorial climate zones
•	Covers around 7% of the world’s land area
•	Three-layered canopy
Human Impacts on Plants & Animals: Globalization of Nature (cont.)
Deforestation in the Tropics
–	Annually, an area of tropical forest the size of Wisconsin is denuded
–	Land cleared for wood sale, cattle grazing, and settlement purposes
–	Plants, animals, and Native peoples who live in these forests are negatively impacted
Human Impacts on Plants & Animals: Globalization of Nature (cont.)
•	Deserts and Grasslands
•	Large areas of arid and semi-arid climate that lie poleward (north and south) of the tropics
•	Comprise one-third of Earth’s land surface
–	Desert: areas that receive under 10 inches of rainfall a year
–	Prairie: North American grassland
–	Steppe: shorter, less dense grassland found in Russia and Southwest Asia
•	Desertification: the spread of desert-like conditions
–	Caused by poor agricultural practices on marginal land, overgrazing, build-up of salts in soil from irrigation
–	UN estimates that 60% of the world’s rangelands are threatened by desertification
Human Impacts on Plants and Animals: The Globalization of Nature (cont.)
•	Temperate Forests
•	Large tracts of forests found in middle and high latitudes (nearer the poles)
•	Two major tree types dominate
–	Conifers or evergreens (pine, spruce, fir)
–	 Deciduous trees that lose leaves in winter (elm, maple, beech)
•	In many regions, these forests have been cleared for agricultural purposes
•	Commercial logging interests place global pressure on forests
Food Resources: Environment, Diversity, Globalization
	Food production must double by 2025 to keep pace with expected human population growth rates
•	Every minute: 170 people are born, and 10 acres of existing cropland are lost to erosion, desertification, and urban sprawl
Food Resources: Environment, Diversity, Globalization
•	The Green Revolution
•	Has increased global food production since the 1950s (First Stage)
•	Stage 1 Changes include:
–	Shift from mixed crops to monocrops; single crop, high-yield fields using genetically altered seeds
–	Intensive application of water, fertilizer, pesticides
–	Intensification of farming through reduction in fallow periods, or field-resting time between planting seasonal crops
Food Resources: Environment, Diversity, Globalization (cont.)
•	The Green Revolution
•	Second stage of Green Revolution since 1970s
–	New types of fast-growing wheat and rice specifically bred for tropical & subtropical climates
–	With irrigation, fertilizers & pesticides, farmers can grow 2 or 3 crops each year instead of just one
–	India doubled its food production between 1970-1992
•	Problems associated with Green Revolution
–	Heavy use of fossil fuels makes Green Revolution agriculture more vulnerable to oil price fluctuations
–	Environmental damage
–	Social costs, especially associated with the higher cost of this approach
Food Resources: Environment, Diversity, Globalization (cont.)
•	Problems and Projections
•	Local and regional problems are usually responsible for food unavailability
–	Poverty and civil unrest at local levels impede food distribution
•	Political problems are usually more responsible for food shortages as compared to natural events
–	Food distribution is highly politicized
•	Globalization is causing a worldwide change in food preferences
–	Implications of shifting from vegetarian to meat-based diet
•	Africa and South Asia are most threatened by food shortages
–	UN predicts that by 2010, almost 200 million in South Africa will suffer from chronic undernourishment
Food Resources: Environment, Diversity, Globalization (cont.)
•	Conclusions
–	Some environmental change is natural, some is anthropogenic
–	Globalization both helps and hinders world environmental problems
•	World’s nation-states more willing to sign environmental treaties (whaling, ocean pollution, fisheries, wildlife protection)
•	Superheated global economic activity aggravates global environmental problems
•	This theme reappears throughout the text