14 - Global Environmental Issues
14 - Global Environmental Issues
14 - Global Environmental Issues
Contemporary
Environmental Issues
14
Notes
OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
describe acid rain and its harmful effects on living organisms, buildings and
monuments;
identify the causes of oil spills and their impact on marine and terrestrial
environment;
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Fig. 14.1: Solar radiations strike the earth. Some of these radiations are reflected
back by the atmosphere into the space, but some pass through the atmosphere
towards earth. About half of these are absorbed by the atmosphere and heat the
air. The rest reaches the earths surface. The earths surface now heats up and
gives off longer wavelength, lower energy (infra red or heat) radiations. These
infra-red radiations pass back up into the atmosphere. Instead of being radiated
100 percent back into the space, much of it is absorbed by the atmosphere and are
reradiated back to the earths surface. The temperature near the earths surface as
well as that of the atmosphere then rises.
Before industrialization, simple human activity did not cause any significant increase in the
atmospheric temperature. What is particularly worrisome is the increase in the emission of
green house gases due to urbanization and industrialization. These green house gases have
increased significantly in the atmosphere in recent years. Some important green house
gases and their major sources are listed in table 14.1.
Table 14.1: Greenhouse Gases: Their sources and Causes
Gas
Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)
Methane (CH4)
Global warming affects both living and non-living components of our planet.
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Weeds may proliferate rapidly, and that too at the expense of useful plants.
Insects and other pests that feed on plants may also increase in number.
Survival of other organisms gets affected.
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We must take immediate steps to minimize global warming by reducing emission of green
house gases especially carbon dioxides. Following steps would be useful in reducing
emission/release of green house gases into the atmosphere:
14.3 BIODIVERSITY
Plants and animals of a region constitute biodiversity. Biodiversity is a natural wealth essential
for human survival.
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Improved and
substantial aqua cultural
practices lead to capture
of more fish than they
can be reproduce. It
leads to loss of
biodiversity.
Marine fishing
endangers the existence
of eels, elvers
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14.4 DESERTIFICATION
As defined earlier (lesson no. 9) desertification is diminution or destruction of the biological
potential of the land which ultimately leads to the formation of desert.
Notes
The land that has lost its productivity (ability to grow plants) is called a desert. A desert
landscape supports a very limited growth of sparse vegetation and stunted growth of
plants. Substantial part of earths 132.4 million sq km of terrestrial area is facing
desertification due to overexploitation and mismanage of land resources for human activities.
Some of the principal causes, which promote desertification, are:
over cultivation,
overgrazing,
deforestation, and
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Overgrazing leads to
loss of most palatable
herbs and grasses,
because
This creates
imbalance and
remove only certain
plant species and.
Notes
The animals
remain hungry
With loss of
percotaling capacity of
soil, the spring, wells
dry up.
Overgrowth of
invader species and
unpalatable plants result
in the loss of plants of
nutritional value
Pulverized soil
hasten soil erosion
Earth get
denuded
Wind drives
away moisture
laden clouds
leading to
Desertification
Invader species
make their way
Microclimate of
earth devoid of
vegetation
becomes
inhospitable for
seed germination
Heated earth
causes
changes in
wind pattern
Earth
become
barren
Barren earth
reflects more sun
rays raising the
temperature at
base.
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O2 + O
O+O
High-energy
UV radiation
Oxygen
molecule
O
+
oxygen
atom
2 oxygen
atoms
uv
ozone
molecule
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Used in
CFCs
Halon
Fire fighting
HCFC-22
Methyl chloroform
Solvent
Carbon tetrachloride
Solvent
Notes
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Notes
Fuel
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Notes
Source
CH4 (Methane)
CO (Carbonmonoxide)
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Acid rains damage forests and kill vegetation and causes severe damage to the landscape.
(iv) Effect on buildings and monuments
Many old, historic, ancient buildings and works of art/textile etc. are adversely affected by
acid rain. Limestone and marble are destroyed by acid rain. Smoke and soot cover such
objects. They slowly dissolve/flake away the surfaces because of acid fumes in the air.
Many buildings/monuments such as Taj Mahal in Agra have suffered from acid rain.
Notes
December,1952
October,1957
November, 1995
Monju, Japan
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The quick devastating and immediate effects of nuclear radiations are well known as
witnessed following Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during world war II. Therefore,
military use of nuclear energy is always fraught with unimaginable consequences.
The slow nuclear radiations can also emanate from a variety of sources viz: nuclear
reactors, laboratories, hospitals, and direct exposures to radiation for diagnostic purposes
(eg X-rays)
Such low dose radiations could have substantial impact on life forms and ecosystems. It is
now established that continued small dose exposure to nuclear radiation is very harmful. It
can cause: childhood leukemia, miscarriage; underweight babies; infant deaths; increased
susceptibility to AIDS and other immune disorders and increased criminilalities.
Underground bomb testing releases radiations in very small doses of radicals that enter
water in the soil. This radioactive water is taken by plants through roots. The radioactivity
enters food chain when such plants are eaten by animals and humans. Such radioactivity
has been detected even in the milk.
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toxicity
ignibility
corrosivity
reactivity (explosive)
Thus, any waste that contains hazardous or very hazardous substance is called hazardous
waste.
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Disposed/used as
Polluting agent
Effect
Incineration of
waste
Incomplete
combustion
Dioxins/organo chlorides
Carcinogenic
Cause environmental
pollution
Plastic
Nuclear waste
Hospitals
Laboratories
Slow/sustained in medical/agriculture
use
Health hazard,
carcinogenic, mutation
Agricultural
waste
Forms of Nitrogen
wastes
Accumulate in vegetables,
cause methanoglobenemia
cyanosis
Nitrosamines/ NO3-/NO 2-
Carcinogenic contribute to
acid rain
N2 O
Phosphates
Eutrophicastion of aquatic
environment
Phyto sanitary
product
Insecticides/pesticides/fungicides/herbi
cides
Methane
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______________________________________________________________
4. What are phytosanitory products? How are they harmful?
______________________________________________________________
Notes
All of us are responsible for its growing deterioration. If the deterioration exceeds a
limit, it shall be a dangerous place to live in.
A green house is a glass chamber in which plants are grown to provide them warmth
by trapping solar radiations and heat. Infrared rays pass through glass and the heat
generated there from, cannot escape out of the glass chamber.
Increased fuel efficiency in vehicles; development/implementation of solar energy/nonfossil fule alternatives; halting further deforestation; support and undertake tree planting
(afforestation); reduce air-pollution are the strategies for coping with green house
effect.
Biodiversity can be classified into three types i.e. species biodiversity, genetic
biodiversity and ecosystem biodiversity.
Loss of habitat, pollution, and overuse, introduction of foreign species and contribution
of other environmental degradation factors are the reasons of biodiversity loss.
Acid precipitation affects both aquatic and terrestrial life. It also damages buildings
and monuments.
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TERMINAL EXERCISE
1. Name an introduced weed in India.
Notes
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14.2
1. Species biodiversity, generic biodiversity, ecosystem biodiversity.
2. Because of loss of habitat, overuse, introduction of foreign species.
Notes
3. Because, they help locate shoals of fish very accurately and efficiently.
4. When its habitat is destroyed to make way to housing, industry, agriculture, sports etc.
5. Over cultivation, over grazing, deforestation, salting due to irrigation.
6. Tractor-sowing.
7. The land that has lost the productivity capacity is called a desert.
14.3
1. Ultraviolet, 200-400 nm
2. Three
3. By releasing significant amount of chlorine.
4. Any activity that release chlorine atoms into the atmosphere.
5. Causes skin cancer, retinal diseases, damage cornea etc.
14.4
1. H2SO4, HNO3
2. Acid rain lowers the pH of water in which the organism lives. At low pH gametes (egg/
sperms) of the organisms cannot survive. It affects the life cycle. Leading to generation/
population loss.
3. Solar / nuclear energy.
14.5
1. Ignibility, corrosively, reactivity, toxicity.
2. Any substance that could have serious, irreversible health after affects from a
single dose of exposure.
14.6
1. It may either poisonous or suffocate, damage marine ecosystem
2. Lack of oxygen in the water body is responsible for the deaths of enormous number of
fish or marine life.
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14.7
1. From nuclear reactors, laboratories, hospitals and direct exposure to radiation for
diagnostic purposes (X-rays).
Notes
2. Quick devastating effect on human and other life forms. Slow effect childhood
leukemia, miscarriages, infant mortality, increased susceptibility to AIOs.
3. It suffocates them, poisons them.
4. If sea water deficient in oxygen, that is very essential for aerobic respiration for the
organism living in water.
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