Manufacturing And Environmental

Issues

Environmental Threats from Industries

Industries have waste which is also an output.

Three of the many types of waste are:

1. Greenhouse gasses - Carbon dioxide or methane, which causes global warming & associated problems.

Pg. 238-239

2. Acid Rain - Sulphur & nitrogen, which decreases soil fertility, kills fish, or corrodes buildings.

Canadian scientists dosed a lake for eight years with sulphuric acid to simulate acid rain. Top, a healthy trout in 1979, before the lake had been completely acidified. Middle, an emaciated trout in 1983, showing clear signs of damage. Bottom, a year later, after dosing had stopped, the effects of acidification were being reversed and the trout population was coming back.

3. CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons) - Refrigerants & sprays, which break down the ozone layer that filters harmful UV rays, causing cancer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWEGhdBLm8E&feature=related

E-Waste

The Role of Government & Interest Groups

Interest groups• The extremist. • They raise valid points of

concern and argue them with force and conviction.

• Ie. Greenpeace!!

Government• Balancing environmental

concerns VS. encouraging economic development.

Averting an environmental threat posed by an industry.

• A threat can be caused by prevailing winds. The winds

transport acid rain from industrialized areas and deposit it in locations down wind. (See Fig. 13.6 and Fig. 13.17).

• Any solution needs cooperation and consultation between different nations, interest groups, business and governments.

EX: The recent Kyoto summit and the summit held in Rio de Janeiro several years ago attempted to get countries to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

• government regulation to reduce sulphur & nitrogen emission & clean up damaged environment.

• development of sulphur filtering equipment. (Smoke stacks)• tax breaks for companies if they reduce pollution or use

ALTERNATIVE energy sources• consultation between business, environmentalists and

government to decide on a plan of action.

Solutions to solving the acid rain problem

• “Have you Ever Seen the Rain?”– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQrgCoJtPNc&feature=relat

ed

• “Environmental Issues: Acid Rain”

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdXtZFoYA_4

• “Problems of the Earth”– http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=3whBtkLueNQ&feature=related

Moral Issues and IndustryPg. 233

Social/moral issues associated with manufacturing:

• child labour, safety of workers and a Company’s responsibility to be environmentally friendly.

• In Canada and most well developed nations there are strict regulations about safety, waste emissions, age of workers, and corporate responsibility. 

• In some developing nations the regulations might

not be in place or they may be decreased in hope of stimulating business instead of preventing it.

• “Child Labour in Yemen”– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p8pUr_BGgM

• “Child Labour”– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruh0O_mj1v0

• “Stop Child Slavery”– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9JvPEngAQE

Case Study

“When Children Do Not Play”

Page 235-236