GEOL 106 Lecture Notes - Tetraethyllead, Industrial Revolution, Aral Sea

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering
• Course: GEOL 106
• Professor: John Hanes

Document Summary

He had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in earth. In 1921 heinvented lead gasoline (tetra ethyl lead reduced engine knocking. In 2930-31 midgley invented freon, the first if the chlorofluorocarbons (cfcs) Created ozone hole cfcs break down ozone. Not much in 1800 and has increased dramatically (7000 millions xs more) since (graph) This is a green house gas that warms the atmosphere. Total amount of earth moved by humans takes off with industrial revolution (graph) Other then humans water moves earth the fastest. World wide total consumption of resources is 60 billion tonnes per year. Total mass of sediment transported to the sea is 16 billion tonnes per year. Humans move 4x as much as other natural processes. Humans cant produce and use earth materials without generating waste. So our waste production has also increased exponentially. And: number of species lost each year (extinction) has been increasing (graph)