European Environmental Issues Chart

Country Environmental Issue

(Problem)

Causes of the

Problem

Effects of the

Problem

Impacted other

countries

What is being done to stop it?

Summary of Environmental Issues In Europe…

Three Environmental Issues of Europe

• Acid Rain in Germany • Air Pollution in the United

Kingdom • Nuclear Disaster in

Chernobyl, Ukraine

Acid Rain

• Where? – Germany

• Causes? – Smoke from factories and power plants, car

and bus exhaust. Air Currents carries the toxic smoke into Germany and other European countries.

How Does Acid Rain Work?

• Effect? – Destroyed Germany’s Black Forest – Acid rain “eating” through statues and

buildings – Pollutes Rivers (Danube and Rhine Rivers)

Acid Rain

• Other Countries Impacted: – Countries to the EAST of Germany are

impacted by Germany’s pollution – Germany is impacted by the U.K. pollution.

Acid Rain

Who is hurting the most?

• What is being done to stop it? – Southern Germany starting to use

Hydroelectric Energy for power. – German Govt. passed laws to reduce

automobile emissions, and increase clean energy.

–Wind Turbines and Solar Energy

Acid Rain

Air Pollution

• Where? – United Kingdom

• Causes? – Gases from automobile and factory exhaust.

– London known for SMOG! Long history of Air Pollution

• Effect? – Burns lungs, eyes, nose, and endangers

human life. – Young and Old forced indoors – Blackens building and threatens wildlife

Air Pollution

• Other Countries Impacted? – U.K. is in the top ten in the world in harmful

industrial emissions. – Air Pollution in U.K. causes Acid Rain in

Western Europe.

Air Pollution

• What is being done to stop it? – History of trying to stop it as well… King

Edward I tried to ban coal fires. – Govt. created smokeless zones, where only

smokeless fuels could be used. – Laws created to make car companies produce

cars that don’t pollute as much.

Air Pollution

Nuclear Disaster

• Where? – Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station, Ukraine

• Causes? – Nuclear Power is very complicated, and

extreme caution is needed in order to safely produce power or nuclear fuel.

– This caution was not taken at Chernobyl

Nuclear Disaster

• Effect? – Acute Radiation Syndrome, Birth Defects,

Abandoned Cities, decrease in the use of Nuclear Power, and Cancer

• Impact on Other Countries? – Radioactive Material entered the air and fell

on Northern Europe and Scandinavia

• Reactor #4 after incident

Abandoned City of Pripyat

Nuclear Disaster

• What is Being Done to Stop It? – Less countries using Nuclear Power (Nuclear

Power is actually pretty clean)….☹ – Safety Increased at Nuclear Power Plants

= a Nuclear Power Plant

Question to Ponder?

• Which is the bigger risk to the environment, nuclear energy or fossil fuel?

– Pros and Cons, Half Page.