Problems with development:
Soil erosion:
occurs in farms, where the rainforest is cleared – soil is washed away by rain
because there are no tree roots to retain it. In the Amazon rainforest, eroded
soil goes into rivers and pollutes the drinking water.
Global
warming: the greenhouse effect is
when infrared radiation passes through the atmosphere, and some is absorbed and
re-emitted in all directions by greenhouse gas molecules. The effect of this is
to warm the Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere. Global warming happens as a
result of too much greenhouse gas
The
effects:
-melting ice-sheets
-rising sea levels
-increase in storms
-change in the distribution of precipitation
-plants and wildlife might not have the time to
adjust
-lower crop yields in Africa, parts of Asia and
Latin America too, may increase in northern America and Europe
-more people at risk from insect-borne and
water-borne diseases
Greenhouse
gases are:
-CO2 from burning fossil fuels or
wood in power stations, cars and homes
-methane from decomposing organic matter and
waste gases from digestion – cows farting haha
-CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons from aerosols, air
conditioners, foam packaging and refrigerators (now banned)
-nitrous oxide from car exhausts, power
stations and agricultural fertiliser
Air
pollution: cars (transport) and
power stations (energy production)
Carbon monoxide – incomplete combustion of
carbon-containing substances causes oxygen starvation
Sulphur dioxide – combustion of fossil fuels
causes respiratory problems and acid rain
Nitrogen oxides – nitrogen and oxygen from air
combine in a hot environment (hot furnace or car engine) same effect as sulphur
dioxide
Lead oxide: damages nervous system, from
burning leaded petrol/diesel
Water
pollution:
-industrial waste because it is cheap, does not
take up land (as opposed to a land-fill site), and people favour economic
growth over the protection of the environment
-soil in rivers due to soil erosion (as shown
in the Amazon)
-nitrates from fertilisers and phosphates from
manure cause eutrophication
-oil spilling into the sea
-acid rain lowers pH (increases acidity) of
lakes/ponds and leaches aluminium out of the soil causing:
-the fishes gills to be damaged eventually
killing them, fixed by adding calcium
hydroxide (slaked lime)
-destroys the top of the trees and the
aluminium damages tree roots = dead tree, important nutrients leached away
-health hazards for humans
-damages limestone buildings and sculptures
-fewer crops can be grown on an acidic field
Visual
pollution: all those things are
ugly compared to unspoiled nature
Noise
pollution: vehicles (including
planes) – transport, tractors – agriculture, mining or quarrying (Lake
District) probably produces noise, noisy tourists who stay up late partying,
music – tourism.
