ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

AGENDA

1) Types of pollution
2) Possible solutions
3) Nuclear energy
4) Recycling
5) Environmental diseases
6) Global warming
7) Greenhouse effect
8) Regulations
9) Endangered species
10) The green party
Types of pollution
AIR pollution
 The release of chemicals and
particulates into the
atmosphere
 CO2, CFCs, SO2…
 Smog- reduces the amount of
sunlight received by plants…
 Exhaust fumes, coal-fired
power plants, incinerators, oil
rafineries, deforestation
 Noxious gases: smoke, fly-
ash, dust…
 Acid rain - rain mixed with toxic
chemicals from factories
WATER pollution

 Liquid industrial waste

 Industrial and municipal
waste
 Artificial fertilizers
 Off-shore oil wells
 Contaminated
subterranean water
 (sea) traffic accidents
SOIL CONTAMINATION

 Presence of man-made chemicals in the soil

environment
 Artificial fertilizers: pesticides, herbicides
 Direct discharge of industrial waste
 Acid rain reduces the pH value of the soil →
soil can become infertile → affects other
organisms in the food web
Light pollution

 Excessive and
annoying light, side
effect of industrial
civilization
 exterior+interior lighting
 Street lights, ads,
sporting venues…
 Energy waste
NOISE pollution

 Unwanted human-created
sounds that disrupt the
environment
 Traffic-
motorways/highways
 Air and rail transport
 Factories
 Construction work
 Amplified music
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
 Afforestation
 Recycling
 Water cleaning stations
 Alternative sources of
energy: solar, wind, water,
geothermal, tidal
 Fly-ash separators
 Smokeless zones
 Green fertilizing
 Ecofarming
 Installing sound barriers
 Car pooling
 Unleaded petrol
 Natural parks and reserves
 Cars fitted with catalytic
convertors
 Use public transport
 Sort out waste
 …
What are advantages and drawbacks
of nuclear energy?

 +…

 -…
RECYCLING- What can be recycled?
Environmental diseases

 Sleeplessness
 Headaches
 Stress
 Respiratory diseases
 Alergies
 Brain damage
 forgetfulness
 Deffective hearing
 Asthma attacks
 Skin cancer
GLOBAL WARMING
The gradual rise in the Earth´s temperature.
GLOBAL WARMING - consequences

Climatic changes
 Flooding of lowlands
 Forest fires
 Ice-caps melting
 Sea-level rising
 Melting of glaciers
 Cooling down of seas
 Salinity change
 …
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Heat trapped in the Earth´s
atmosphere

 CO2 emissions from the

burning of fossil fuels
contribute to the GE
 CFCs diffused into the
atmosphere
 Depletion of the ozone
layer
 Cancer causing UV
radiation from the sun
CO2 EMISSIONS BY COUNTRY
Regulations and monitoring
 The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), an international treaty on global warming.
Countries which ratify this protocol commit to reduce their
emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases,
or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase
emissions of these gases. A total of 141 countries have ratified
the agreement. Notable exceptions include the United States
and Australia, who have signed but not ratified the agreement.
The stated reason for the United States not ratifying is the
exemption of large emitters of greenhouse gases who are also
developing countries, like China and India.
Global warming 
Endangered species

 Shrinking habitats
 Growth of human
population
 Deforestation
 Invasive species can
out compete native
species and reduce
biodiversity
What do these two people have in
common in relation to global warming?
What measures would you push forward if
you were a member of the Green party?

 My agenda
1) …
2) …
3) …
4) …
5) …
THE END