3.5 Environmental risks and benefits: resource conservation and management

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.