Pollution and Global Pollution and Global WarmingWarming

The BeginningThe Beginning• The Earth was formed The Earth was formed

4,6 billion years ago and 4,6 billion years ago and its temperature has its temperature has always been changing. always been changing. But since the 19But since the 19thth century, its temperature century, its temperature has been changing has been changing rapidly, and it becomes rapidly, and it becomes apparent that human apparent that human beings, not nature, are beings, not nature, are causing this. This causing this. This process is known as process is known as global warming.global warming.

• Ever since people Ever since people started burning coal started burning coal to produce energy, to produce energy, gas emissions have gas emissions have been constantly been constantly increasing, as new increasing, as new technologies have technologies have been based on these been based on these principles. The Earth principles. The Earth is now hotter than in is now hotter than in the last millennium.the last millennium.

The Ice CapsThe Ice Caps• The melting ice caps The melting ice caps

are the most visible are the most visible effects of global effects of global warming. The more warming. The more ice caps melt, the ice caps melt, the more the worldwide more the worldwide ocean levels rise, ocean levels rise, and many and many continents could be continents could be flooded.flooded.

• Apart from the rising Apart from the rising oceans, other problems oceans, other problems could be the extinction could be the extinction of polar species, such of polar species, such as polar bears, as polar bears, penguins and seals, and penguins and seals, and the simple fact that if the simple fact that if we don’t have glaciers we don’t have glaciers to reflect the sun’s to reflect the sun’s energy, our oceans will energy, our oceans will heat up and melt the heat up and melt the ice caps even faster.ice caps even faster.

• This is the This is the Triftgletscher Triftgletscher glacier, in glacier, in Switzerland. Ever Switzerland. Ever since 1948, it has since 1948, it has been melting been melting slowly, but the full slowly, but the full effects were only effects were only noticed when a noticed when a large part of it large part of it disappeared from disappeared from 2002 to 2003.2002 to 2003.

Meteorological ExtremesMeteorological Extremes• Global warming can

cause extreme meteorological conditions worldwide. While natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes have been taking place since the beginning of the Earth, they are intensifying and becoming more frequent with global warming.

• Among these hurricanes is Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest hurricanes of all time and the sixth biggest hurricane in history, which killed 1836 people in 2005.

• Floods have Floods have increased in recent increased in recent years. Hard rains years. Hard rains and an increase in and an increase in overall water levels overall water levels threaten not only threaten not only people’s houses, people’s houses, but also entire but also entire countries.countries.

• Wildfires have also Wildfires have also increased, as high increased, as high

temperatures causetemperatures cause forests and fields to forests and fields to

become dry and become dry and catch on fire. Once catch on fire. Once these are out of these are out of control, they can control, they can destroy everything destroy everything in their path.in their path.

Major problems of pollutionMajor problems of pollution• Burning fossil fuels causes Burning fossil fuels causes

air pollution. Gases from air pollution. Gases from cars, factories and even cars, factories and even cigarettes all contain cigarettes all contain greenhouse effect gases greenhouse effect gases that cause smog and acid that cause smog and acid rains.rains.

Smog is a dense cloud of Smog is a dense cloud of nitrogen dioxide, ozone nitrogen dioxide, ozone and other noxious gases and other noxious gases that cause permanent that cause permanent lesions to the lungs. It lesions to the lungs. It also causes lethargy, also causes lethargy, migraines, stress and migraines, stress and asthma.asthma.

• The greenhouse The greenhouse effect, discovered in effect, discovered in 1896 is the heating of 1896 is the heating of a planet due to the a planet due to the presence of an presence of an atmosphere atmosphere containing gases that containing gases that absorb the Sun’s absorb the Sun’s heat. Thus, these heat. Thus, these gases trap heat within gases trap heat within the atmosphere.the atmosphere.

• Global warming is Global warming is considered by considered by some scientists to some scientists to be an enhanced be an enhanced greenhouse greenhouse effect. effect.

• Factories are Factories are polluting our air, polluting our air, our soil and our our soil and our waters more than waters more than ever before. ever before. Factory pollution Factory pollution is considered as is considered as the number one the number one source of pollution source of pollution in the world.in the world.

OverpopulationOverpopulation• Overpopulation is one of Overpopulation is one of

the most important the most important factors of global factors of global warming. More people warming. More people means more demand for means more demand for fuels, food and energy, fuels, food and energy, and thus, fresh water and thus, fresh water supplies run even lower, supplies run even lower, world hunger continues world hunger continues and fossil fuel usage and fossil fuel usage increases even further.increases even further.

• Other effects of Other effects of overpopulation include: overpopulation include: deforestation to deforestation to acommodate larger acommodate larger urban areas, which urban areas, which inevitably leads to mass inevitably leads to mass extinctions, pollution extinctions, pollution increasing even more, increasing even more, increased chances of increased chances of disease pandemics, disease pandemics, poverty and starvation.poverty and starvation.

• The list continues: low life expectancies, The list continues: low life expectancies, poor hygienic conditions, restrictive laws, poor hygienic conditions, restrictive laws, and finally, increased levels of warfare.and finally, increased levels of warfare.

DiseasesDiseases• As a result of global As a result of global

warming, the odds of warming, the odds of massive pandemics have massive pandemics have increased. Not only do increased. Not only do higher water levels allow for higher water levels allow for some waterborne diseases some waterborne diseases (cholera, typhoid fever), but (cholera, typhoid fever), but insect-borne diseases such insect-borne diseases such as malaria (which may be as malaria (which may be spreading as far north as spreading as far north as the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom and Scandinavia) and Scandinavia) and encephalitis can spread to encephalitis can spread to other areas due to higher other areas due to higher temperatures. temperatures.

Mass extinctionsMass extinctions• Since the dawn of man, and Since the dawn of man, and

Earth itself, plant and animal Earth itself, plant and animal species have always been species have always been disappearing. But now, disappearing. But now, species all around the Earth species all around the Earth are disappearing a thousand are disappearing a thousand times faster than they should times faster than they should be. The destruction of animal be. The destruction of animal habitats, can lead to extreme habitats, can lead to extreme meteorological conditions, meteorological conditions, higher temperatures, and higher temperatures, and animal extinctions in the first animal extinctions in the first place. Over 16000 plant and place. Over 16000 plant and animal species are, at this animal species are, at this very moment, in danger of very moment, in danger of extinction.extinction.

What can we do?What can we do?• If we do not act If we do not act

now, our planet now, our planet could soon become could soon become a barren a barren wasteland. Here is wasteland. Here is a list of things that a list of things that we can do to we can do to prevent this prevent this possibility.possibility.

Using alternative ways of Using alternative ways of transportationtransportation

• Exhaust gases from cars Exhaust gases from cars produce almost a quarter produce almost a quarter of all CO2 released in the of all CO2 released in the atmosphere. As more and atmosphere. As more and more people buy their more people buy their own cars, greenhouse gas own cars, greenhouse gas emissions increase. If we emissions increase. If we use public transportation, use public transportation, bicycles, or just walk, we bicycles, or just walk, we can help decrease these can help decrease these emissions.emissions.

Support alternative energiesSupport alternative energies• Engineers are Engineers are

designing amazing designing amazing new energies and new energies and fuels for our fuels for our vehicles. We can vehicles. We can support them by support them by buying their buying their products, such as products, such as hybrid cars, and hybrid cars, and other revolutionary other revolutionary new vehicles. new vehicles.

Save energySave energy• Many people Many people

underestimate the underestimate the importance of using less importance of using less electricity, when in fact it’s electricity, when in fact it’s the first thing we should the first thing we should do. Using a fluorescent do. Using a fluorescent light-bulb can save 135 light-bulb can save 135 kilograms of CO2 every kilograms of CO2 every year. Other small things, year. Other small things, such as completely such as completely shutting down or even shutting down or even unplugging television sets unplugging television sets and other electronic and other electronic devices.devices.

Save waterSave water• Saving water allows Saving water allows

for the energy that for the energy that goes into collecting goes into collecting it and cleaning it to it and cleaning it to be saved. Even the be saved. Even the smallest drop of smallest drop of water can help fight water can help fight against global against global warming.warming.

The endThe end• The fate of our The fate of our

planet depends on planet depends on us solving our us solving our climate problems. If climate problems. If we don’t reduce we don’t reduce quantities of quantities of greenhouse gases greenhouse gases and start using and start using renewable energies, renewable energies, we might lose our we might lose our planet for good.planet for good.