Every country on our planet faces environmental
(medioambiental) issues. Many of the environmental
issues in Europe have come about because of poor
practices in the past by local businesses. Industry
(industria) has made many countries rich, but it has also
had some terrible effects (hacer efecto) on the health of
the Earth and people. In the first half of the 1900s, the
former country of East Germany burned huge amounts
of brown coal to produce electricity. When burned, brown
coal gives off a gas called sulfur (azufre) dioxide. This
gas mixes with moisture in the air, so when it rains, the
rain is contains dangerous chemicals (químico) such as
sulfur dioxide.
What are some effects
of acid rain?
 Acid rain has taken a terrible
toll on Germany's
forests. Experts guess that more
than 1/2 of Germany's trees have been damaged (igurado
dañar) or killed.
 Acid rain pollutes/dirties-up rivers and lakes. Fish, as
well as the plants and tiny organisms (fish food), are
killed. No organisms (fish food) = fish have nothing to eat.
*Acid rain eats
away at stonework buildings and statues (estatuas). Experts say
that some buildings and statues are wearing down at their
surfaces. Some statues are hard to recognize.
Now What Happens?
The acid rain in Germany is a concern for all Europeans and for
people around the world. Brown coal is still Germany's main
local source of energy, meeting 25% of the country's energy needs. Therefore,
Germany has made strict changes and closed old, inefficient factories (fábricas
ineficaces) built before filters and safety features were required.
Germany’s government has also put strict laws in place to reduce pollution. Factory
owners are fined (have to pay) when they do not reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide
their factories give off into the air. Cars must have a special converter added to
filter the chemicals. The government is working to change over to less polluting
fuels (combustibles) like natural gas and cleaner fuels. People are taking
responsibility too by walking, riding bikes and mopeds, or taking the trains or
subways (metro) to work. Today, improving the health of the Earth is a top issue in
Germany.
In parts of Germany there are LEZ (limited emissions zones)( zonas de emisión
limitadas). Your car must have inspection stickers (pegatinas) showing how much
emissions (pollutants) it puts out. Only certified (sólo certificado) cars can enter the
LEZ zones. If you are caught without a sticker or if your sticker is not allowed, then
you are fined.
THINK ABOUT OUR COUNTRY: What kind of government requirements does the United States have
for car emissions? Do our cars have to have emissions testing? Stickers?
Oil & Venezuela’s Economy
Oil
is an
important natural resource in
Venezuela. In fact, oil provides about 50
percent of government revenue (ingresos)!
Unfortunately, oil pollution has caused serious
environmental and economic problems in
Venezuela.
What are some effects of oil pollution?
 Occasional oil spills have damaged the environment and hurt the fishing industry by
killing fish.
 Oil spills have shut down tourist resorts (centros turísticos) on Lake Maracaibo, the
largest lake in South America.
 Contaminated oil pits, which collect water from oil wells, also threaten (amenazar) to
seep into Venezuela’s water source.
Now What Happens?
 Venezuela’s state oil company is
working to clean up its oil pits.
 Venezuela has adopted an
environmental policy to focus more
closely on environmental protection.
Air Pollution in Mexico City
Mexico City, Mexico is a huge city with a serious air pollution problem. In fact, Mexico
City is one of the most polluted cities in the world! People living that are exposed to toxic
gases (gases tóxicos) and chemicals in the air they
breathe every day which can lead to respiratory
illnesses (enfermedades respiratorias).
What are the causes of air pollution?
Mexico’s City’s pollution is caused by emissions from
factories and automobiles that build up over the city.
Mountains surrounding Mexico City are like walls
that trap the pollutants in a brown haze called smog.
The wind is not strong enough to blow the pollutants over the mountains, so they
continue to accumulate (accumular) each day.
Now What Happens?
The Mexican government has put measures in place to help reduce the air pollution.
They include a program limiting how often you can drive your car, strict inspections of
emissions systems on cars, and changing the kind of fuel cars and factories use.
The Importance of the
Rainforest
A major environmental issue in Brazil is the
destruction of the Amazon Rainforest. The
rainforest (selva tropical de Amazonas) is important
to
the
environment of Brazil as well as the entire world.
Rainforests are home to the largest variety of plant and animal species on the planet, and
are known as the “lung of the Earth” because they convert carbon dioxide (convierta el
dióxido de carbon) into valuable oxygen.
What are the causes of deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest?
The destruction of Brazil’s rainforest is
caused by road building, farmers cutting
down forest to plant crops (called “slash
and burn” farming), cattle ranching,
logging, mining, and new settlements.
What are the effects of deforestation?
This destruction has many negative effects on the environment, including climate change
and the loss of habitat for millions of species. Trees protect forest soil from drying out
into barren land, and return water vapor back into the atmosphere.
Now What Happens?
Brazil’s economy is growing from deforestation, the government is now setting aside large
protected areas and setting up programs where new trees are planted when older trees
are cut down.
What is causing Acid Rain in
Canada?
Every country faces environmental
concerns. IN Canada, one major issue
involves pollution from acid rain. Acid rain is rain
polluted by gases released into the air by the burning of
fossil fuels like coal or oil. Canada’s acid rain problem
comes mainly from emissions from power plants that
burn coal, factories
that process minerals mined in Canada, and vehicles
(both in the United States and Canada). Winds can
carry poisonous emissions a very long way!
What is effects of acid rain in Canada?
 Polluted farmland and dying trees in eastern
Canada.
 Dead plants and fish in thousands of lakes,
including the Great Lakes.
 Damage to buildings, especially those made of
granite, marble and limestone.
 Lower profits (beneficio) in vital (essential)
industries such as fishing, forestry, and
agriculture.
Why is the acid rain such a big deal? Acid rain is a
serious problem in Ontario and Quebec, where the bedrock,
water, and soil don’t have the ability to neutralize acid. The acid
seeps into the ground, poisoning forests, soil, and lakes.
Now What Happens?
Canada’s government has done several things to reduce
pollution:
 They are building factories that don’t pollute the air.
 Laws have been passed that require cars to produce less pollution.
 They are encouraging people to walk or ride bikes/buses, rather than driving.
What Happened?
In April 1986, a nuclear reactor exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, causing the
worst nuclear disaster in history. At the time, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union (Unión Soviética),
which dissolved in 1991. Toxic radioactive material shot into the air and
drifted over western parts of the Soviet
Union, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia.
Fallout (radioactive particles falling to the
ground contaminated about 100,000 acres,
including the animals, crops, and forests
on
the land. About 135,000 people were
evacuated (evacuar) and resettled (restablecido) in other areas. About 30
people died
in the blast, and thousands more who cleaned up the site died
later from radiation poisoning.
What Were the Effects
from the Blast?
The main environmental effects of
the disaster have been
contaminated farmland, surface
water, and groundwater. Today,
the area around the Chernobyl
nuclear plant is considered one of
the most polluted places on Earth. Although the reactor was buried in a concrete casing designed to
absorb radiation, experts fear leakage (salida) into the nearby groundwater, and are working to recontain the site. No one knows exactly how many illnesses and cancers have been caused by this
disaster, but about 4,000 children in the fallout zone (zona de consecuencias) have been diagnosed with
cancer in recent years. Ukraine and Belarus have spent huge amounts of money on cleanup efforts.
Air Pollution in the UK
Air
pollution is a concern in the United Kingdom. In
the
past, it was caused mainly by emissions (gases emission) from factories or from homes
burning coal for heat. The pollution mixed with the fog that occurs frequently in the UK.
The resulting smog hovered over cities, leading to 4,000 deaths in the Great London Smog
of 1952.
What are the causes of air pollution?
Today, the UK’s air pollution
is mainly caused by emissions
from cars and trucks and from
ozone. Pollutants from cars
include carbon monoxide and
nitrous oxides. They hover
close to the ground,
contaminating the air people
breathe. Ozone adds to the
problem, forming when air
pollutants mix and react with
sunlight to form smog. Air
pollution can lead to many
health problems.
Now What Happens?
The UK has been working hard to reduce air pollution since the Great London Smog
occurred. The government has tightened emissions standards for vehicles, endorsed the
use of cleaner fuels, and urged citizens to use public
transportation like buses and subway stations.
Natural Resources & Canada’s Economy
Minerals, water, and forest are three natural resources found on
the Canadian Shield. But since the extraction and use of the
natural resources can cause environmental problems, Canada is
working to balance the positive economic growth from these
resources with environmental concerns and conservation.
What Resources are they OverExtracting?
 Minerals from the Canadian Shield are valuable
exports and help fuel many of the country’s
industries. Unfortunately, mining can cause
great damage to the environment in many
ways,
 Rivers on the Canadian Shield are used to
produce hydroelectricity (hidroelectricidad). In
fact, Canada is the largest producer of
hydroelectricity in the world! However,
hydroelectricity has caused problems due to
the creation of dams, reservoirs, and change in river flow.
What Effects is Canada Experiencing Due to Over-Extraction of Natural
Resources?
MINERALS
 Toxic waste materials seeping into nearby ground and water sources, habitat loss, and emissions
from processing plants, leading to acid rain.
RIVERS These problems include habitat loss, shoreline erosion, changes in the aquatic food chain, and
flooding of land farmed by local Native Americans.
Now What Happens?
To help solve these problems, the Canadian government is
implementing plans to monitor the environment more closely,
restore damaged areas, and set aside protected land in parks
and reserves.
Timber Industries vs.
Environmental Groups
With almost half its land covered in forests,
Canada is a leading producer of timber
products. Trees on the Canadian Shield are
harvested to make wood and paper products. Environmental groups are concerned about
the process of clearcutting, which cuts down entire groups of trees at one time and
seriously disrupts that forest habitat. New trees can be planted, but it takes decades for a
forest to reappear. Additionally, cutting trees down quicker than they can be re-grown is
called “deforestation”. Trees are a limited resource. If they continue to be overused, they
will not be renewed.
What are the effects of clearcutting?
This destruction has many negative effects. Clearcutting can lead to flooding and
eutrophication, a process where nutrient rich soil from clear cut forests moves into rivers,
leading to excessive plant growth and less oxygen for fish.
Now What Happens?
Government and industries are working together to
manage use of the forests. Hundreds of millions of
seedlings are planted each year. Billions of dollars are
spent on managing and protecting the forests. Over
$100 million is spent each year by the logging industry
to protect wildlife & their habitats.
Great Lakes Crisis
Some of Canada’s major sources of
water and transportation for
commerce, the Great Lakes are faced
with serious pollution problems. The
Great Lakes are critically important
to Canada and the United States
due to the presence of industries
surrounding the Great Lakes.
What are the Causes of
Water Pollution in the
Great Lakes?
 Sewage.
 Pesticides and
fertilizers
from farms.
 Waste from
factories.
 Trash from
people
littering.
 Acid Rain.
What are the Effects of Water Pollution in the Great Lakes?
 Fishing was unsafe; tons of animals and plants were harmed or killed.
 Bacteria in the water can develop.
 Can destroy marine habitats.
 Drinking dirty, polluted (contaminar) water can make humans sick.
Now What Happens?
The governments of both countries are working together to clean up the pollution and the
acid rain. Several methods (método) include regulating (transitivo) industries, replacing
coal-fired power stations with gas-powered ones, and adding lime to lakes, rivers, and soil
to try to neutralize (neutralizer) the effects of acid.