Global Change
1. Greenhouse Effect
• Causes: green house gases (water vapor, carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide (acid rain0,
halogenated fluorocarbons, perflorinated
carbons, hyddrofluorocarbons, ozone
(troposphere).
• Where do green house gases come from?:
transportation, landfills, burning fossil fuels,
digestive gases of sheep and cattle, rice, released
with natural gas,
• Results: Global warming
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
• Causes: CFC’s
• Effects: holes in good ozone which protects us
from UV light.
Global Climate Change
Evidence
• Sea levels rising
• Global temps rising
• Warming oceans
• Shrinking ice sheets
• Extreme weather events
• Ocean acification
• Declining artic sea
• Glacial retreat
Clean Air Act
•
In October 1948, Donora, Pennsylvania. The cloud which lingered for five days, killed 20
people and caused sickness in 6,000 of the town's 14,000 people.
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In 1952, over 3,000 people died in what became known as London's "Killer Fog." The
smog was so thick that buses could not run without guides walking ahead of them
carrying lanterns.
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Events like these alerted us to the dangers that air pollution poses to public health.
Several federal and state laws were passed, including the original Clean Air Act of 1963,
which established funding for the study and the cleanup of air pollution.
•
But there was no comprehensive federal response to address air pollution until
Congress passed a much stronger Clean Air Act in 1970. That same year Congress
created the EPA and gave it the primary role in carrying out the law.
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In 1990, Congress dramatically revised and expanded the Clean Air Act, providing EPA
even broader authority to implement and enforce regulations reducing air pollutant
emissions. The 1990 Amendments also placed an increased emphasis on more costeffective approaches to reduce air pollution.
1. What is Air Pollution?
• The introduction of chemicals, particulate
matter or microorganisms into the air in high
enough concentrations to harm plants,
animals and alter ecosystems.
• AKA: pollution in the troposphere.
2. Sources
• Anthropogenic vs natural
3. Examples
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Sulfur dioxide*
Nitrogen oxide*
Carbon monoxide*
Carbon dioxide
Particulate matter*
Lead*
Ozone*
VOC’s Volatile organic compounds
Mercury
4. Primary vs. Secondary Pollutants
Acid Rain aka Acid Deposition
• http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/chann
el/videos/acid-rain-invisible-menace/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc6j7zz1_
do
Pages 122-124 and 129-134
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Sulfur dioxide*
Nitrogen oxide*
Carbon monoxide*
Carbon dioxide
Particulate matter*
Lead*
Ozone*
VOC’s Volatile organic compounds
Mercury
Pollutant
Mercury
Source
(anthropogenic and natural)
Coal, oil, and gold mining
Effects/Impacts
Impairs nervous system
and bio-accumulates in
the food chain.
Symbol
Hg
Pollutant
Source
(anthropogenic
and natural)
Effects/Impacts
Symbol
Mercury
Coal, oil, and gold mining
Impairs nervous system
Hg
and bio-accumulates in the
food chain.
Sulfur dioxide
Burning coal, volcanic
eruptions and forest fires
Respiratory irritation,
harms plant tissues,
converts to sulfuric acid
SO2
Nitrogen oxide
Cars, coal burning, lightning,
fertilizer and animal waste
Converts to nitric acid,
component of acid rain.
NO
Carbon Monoxide
Cars, forest fires, tobacco
smoke and inefficient stoves
Reduces blood’s ability to
transport oxygen
CO
Carbon Dioxide
Burning fossil fuels and
deforestation
Global warming, climate
change
CO2
Particulate matter
Dust, wildfires, sea salt, coal
burning, cars, plows, smoke
Asthma, shorten life,
reduce visibility, corrode
metals
PM
Lead
Paint, leaded gasoline
Harm nervous system,
palsy and MR
Pb
Ozone
Secondary pollutant from
sunlight, water, Oxygen and
Major component of
photochemical smog,
O3
Ozone
Secondary pollutant from
sunlight, water, Oxygen and
VOC’s
Major component of
photochemical smog,
damages plants, heart
disease and breathing
problems.
O3
Volatile Organic
Compounds
Hydrocarbons from plants,
landfills, oil and natural gas
wells,
Leukemia, blood
disorders, and immune
system damage
VOC’s
Secondary Pollutants
• Smog:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6LHtQRgdII
– Industrial
– Photochemical
Photochemical
Nitrogen based
Brown-air
Industrial
Sulfur based
Grey-air
Catalyzed by UV
Not catalyzed by
UV
Developed
countries
Non developed
countries
• Temperature Inversions and Heat Islands
What can we do?
• Emphasizing tax incentives for pollution control rather than
fines and penalties.
• Setting legislative standards for energy efficiency.
• Increasing funds for research.
• Distribute solar cook stoves to developing countries to
replace coal and wood burning.
• Phase out two-cycle gas engines.
• For sick building: control materials in construction, replace
and make repairs that have had water damage. Use paints,
adhesives, etc in well ventilated areas, increase air
circulation
• Provide incentives for mass transit.
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1abN9E-Ojrc
• Either a short comic strip (6 frames) or a short
children’s book, or an informative brochure.
• Pages 90-96
• Must include
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Where is the ozone layer?
Major function
How are we depleting it?
What effects does this have on us?
What can we do about it?
5 Questions to know about
stratospheric ozone depletion.
1. How is ozone formed in the atmosphere?
2. Why do we care about atmospheric ozone?
3. What is the total ozone depletion distributed
over the globe?
4. What emissions from human activities lead
to ozone depletion?
5. Are there controls on the production of
ozone-depleting substances?