Three Environmental Issues we will study:

1. Acid Rain in Germany

2. Air Pollution in United Kingdom
3. Nuclear Disaster in Ukraine

Acid Rain:
Acid Rain A mixture of air pollution and moisture in the air.

How acidic is acid rain?

Very strong acids will burn if they touch your skin and can
even destroy metals.
Acid rain is much, much weaker than this, never acidic
enough to burn your skin.
Vinegar has a pH value of 2.2 and lemon juice has a value
of pH2.3.
Even the strongest recorded acid rain is only about as
acidic as lemon juice or vinegar and we know that these
don't harm us
So why do we worry about acid rain?

Acid Rain:

The biggest source of the 'acid rain' chemicals that pollute the

atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels.

The original material used in making fossil fuels was full of
carbon, and it's decay created sulfur.
So the coal, oil and gas we burn today are rich in
hydrocarbons and sulfur.
The fossil fuels are used
In power stations to make electricity
In factories and oil refineries to make plastics and
other products
In our vehicles which produce huge amounts of
nitrogen and carbon gasses.

Acid Rain Effects:

Forests

Animals

Humans

Manmade
Objects

Acid rain can make

trees lose their leaves
or needles
Trees can also suffer
from stunted growth
Trees have damaged
bark and leaves,
which makes them
difficult to survive
some weather,
disease, and insects

Fish die off, and that

removes the main
source of food for
birds.
Birds can die from
eating "toxic" fish
and insects.
Fish can die from
eating animals that
are toxic.
Acid rain can even
kill fish before they
are born.

One of the major

problems that acid
rain can cause in a
human being is
respiratory problems.
Many can find it
difficult to breath.
When humans eat
plants or animals has
absorbed acid rain,
the toxins inside of
their meals can affect
them.

Architecture and
artwork can be
destroyed by acid
rain.
Acid particles can
land on buildings,
causing corrosion.
When sulfur
pollutants fall of the
surfaces of
buildings, they react
with the minerals in
the stone to form a
powdery substance
that can be washed
away by rain.

This picture shows a

forest devastated by
acid rain in the Jizera
mountains of the
Czeck Repulic

Branches from a tree in

Germanys Black
Forest show needle
loss and yellowed
boughs caused by acid
rain

In Scandinavia there are dead lakes, which are crystal

clear and contain no living creatures or plant life.
Many of Britain's freshwater fish are threatened, there
have been reports of deformed fish being hatched

Sandstone figure
over the portal of a
castle in Westphalia,
Germany,
photographed in
1908 (left) and again
in 1968 (right).
Acid rain produced by
air pollution generated
in the heavily
industrialized Ruhr
region of Germany
probably accounts for
the severe damage. The
castle was built in
1702.

Acid Rain in Germany

Germanys major natural resource is coal which contains
large amounts of sulfur.
Germany is among the world's largest and most
technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal,
cement, chemicals, and vehicles.
Germanys acid rain pollution greatly affects the
countries that surround it.
Because Europe has prevailing winds the air pollution is
often carried by the wind 1,000 miles in only five days.
Since Scandinavia and Poland is downwind from
Germany, they suffer the most from acid rain.

Prevailing
Wind

Air Pollution in the

United Kingdom
-What is air pollution
-What causes air pollution in the UK
-What are the effects of air pollution in UK
-How does air pollution in the UK affect the
rest of Europe

On a large scale, air pollution results in:

Smog - pollutant particles that often mix with fog and restrict visibility.
The Greenhouse Effect - a condition in which pollution stops radiation
from traveling out of the Earth's atmosphere. This upset to the natural
process means that temperatures on Earth may not be maintained
within natural ranges.
Global warming - temperatures on Earth become warmer due to the
Greenhouse Effect.
Holes in the ozone layer - this layer of ozone naturally keeps ultraviolet rays from the sun from reaching Earth. Holes make it possible for
the rays to reach us.

Sources of Air Pollution

Stationary sources
factories, power plants, and smelters
Mobile Sources
cars, buses, planes, trucks, and trains

Smog is the Main Type of Air Pollution in the United

Kingdom.
Smog is a type of large-scale outdoor pollution.
It is caused by chemical reactions between pollutants
derived from
primarily automobile exhaust
London
Fog
industrial emissions
Summer Smog:
Formed by:
Action of sunlight on these pollutants
forms low-level ozone close to the
ground

Winter Smog:

Formed by:
Pollutants building up at ground level in
urban areas. The 'lid' of cold air above
the warm air traps the pollutants

Effects of Air Pollution in UK

It kills plants and trees by destroying their leaves, and
can kill animals, especially fish in highly polluted
rivers.
Air pollution can affect our health in many ways with
both short-term and long-term effects.
short-term effects include irritation to the eyes,
nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections
such as bronchitis and pneumonia
Long-term health effects can include chronic
respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease,
and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or
kidneys

How Air Pollution in UK affects the

Rest of Europe
Because it is located in the atmosphere, air
pollution is able to travel easily.
As a result, air pollution is a global problem
The prevailing winds of Europe push the air
pollution eastward from the UK towards the
mainland of Europe and parts of Scandinavia
Air pollution in UK has been the subject of
cooperation and conflict with other European
countries

Prevailing
Wind

CHERNOBYL, UKRAINE
The worst nuclear disaster in the
world.
http://video.canadiancontent.net/18consumed-a-video-from-the-zone-ofchernobyl.html
And
http://www.revver.com/video/611915/life-afterpeople-2-min-sneak-peek/

Chernobyl, Ukraine
European Concerns regarding
Environmental Issues

Chernobyl, Ukraine
European Concerns regarding
Environmental Issues
Deadly radiation was released into the
atmosphere for 10 days. Radiation spread to
Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
The catastrophe was initially covered up by
the Soviet Union, potentially causing more
harm.
Experts predict that thousands will die from
cancer over the next several decades.

Chernobyl, Ukraine
European Concerns regarding
Environmental Issues

The agriculture industry was affected when rain

caused radiation to leak into the ground and
water supply.
Grains and cereals from these areas were
banned.
People were unable to sell their contaminated
land.
A 1,000 square mile area around Chernobyl was
cleared causing 135,000 people to relocate.
The area will not be inhabitable for 50 years.

Chernobyl, Ukraine
European Concerns regarding
Environmental Issues

Shows how
the
radiation
spread
throughout
Europe as a
result of the
weather
pattern