Pollution

Air Pollution In the World

2008-06-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

[Continuation from previous]

3. Transportation

Yes indeed vehicles are another component which contrbutes to the 'bad/unhealthy air' on Earth. Techonology in the world is advancing, making everything easier and convenient for Man's use to get around; especially in large cities. Countries like China and Indonesia have thousands of cars and other motor vehicles on the road everyday because people use their vehicles to get from one place to another. This is rather a common sight in these countries, and the number of cars on the road are increasing due to the increasing population growth.

For example in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, which holds a population of 10 million people! Now that's alot of people.

Here is the statistics on the number of vehicles in Jakarta in 2003:

- Motorcycles, 3.4 million
- Passenger Cars, 1.99 million
- Trucks, 467, 000
- Buses, 392, 000

The demand for gasoline increased in Jakarta, leading to more air pollution. In 2004, 46 percent of cases of illnesses in Jakarta were related to respiratory.

But we are not here to blame the cause of air pollution on one country. We are all to blame for the harmful emissions. For a country like ours, Singapore, where vehicles of our own are not really necessary since journeys are usually short, we can always try to use the public transport system. Why not help to save the enivronment, while we still can?

Think of some ways which will help reduce the air pollution by vehicles.

Petrol prices are rising, so taking the public transport could save you couple of dollars on the gas. ;) You're helping yourself, and the environment. Give it a go, especially when you're not in a rush.

Transport emissions is account for 20-25% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Acknowledgements:
http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/fall07articles/addressing-ambient-air.html
http://www.greenspeed.us/electric_bicycle.htm
Image: http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0eMg1ke656f0U/340x.jpg

The Importance Of Trees.

2008-06-17T05:36:00.000-07:00

Definition: A tree is a perennial woody plant.
We have been learning since young, about the process of photosynthesis, a process by which plants "make food". In this post, we will zoom into photosynthesis, and try to find the conclusive link between trees and AP.
THE PROCESS:
Trees take in carbon dioxide(CO2), sunlight and water to make food. Oxygen(O2) is released as a by-product.
As we all know, we need O2 for respiration, so trees act as natural air purifiers. Since they also release water vapour, they give a cooling sensation. Now isn't that why a walk in the woods is so refreshing?

Here are some interesting tidbits to nibble on:
DO YOU KNOW?
#Trees trap and prevent pollutants like dust and ash from entering into our lungs by trapping and holding them.
#In each acre* of land, trees provide enough oxygen for 18 people.
*1 acre = 4 046.85642 square meters
*Singapore's land area = 682.7 square kilometers.

Now, how do we use this knowledge to promote awareness of AP?

Organising a nature trail:
A nature trail can be very fun with friends, and if it helps you to understand the environment better, why not? The main objective of the trail would be to open your friends' eyes and make them realise that trees are needed to STOP or at least SLOW DOWN the damage by AP. You can even jog along a neighbourhood park and treat your lungs to fresh oxygen!

Why not make it an interesting trek as well?

Prepare an "Anti-pollution" scavenger hunt and create a list that will help to clean the environment as well. The list can look something like this:

You can ask your friends to bring along a pair of gloves to pick up the bottles and litter.

Search high and low for your items!

And after a certain period, say one hour, the groups can meet again. The one with the most items from the list will be the winner! Now won't you feel the satisfaction of helping our environment?

At the end of the hunt, be sure to dispose the little collectables at the appropriate places, meaning...

The recycling bins

A perfect venue for those who have no clue on where to organise such treks would be

THE CHINESE/JAPANESE GARDEN (Really near the MRT station as well!)

HAVE FUN, AND REMEMBER, LEAVE THE PLACE CLEANER THAN IT WAS, AND NOT VICE VERSA!

Sources
Information: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/publications/urban2.html
Definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree

Photos: Parveen (Cambodia and Chinese/Japanese Garden)

Air Pollution In the World

2008-06-12T00:24:00.000-07:00

What is Air Pollution?

Air pollution is when the atmosphere is clogged with different types of toxins which results in many problems for us humans and also other living organisms, such as animals and plants. Air pollution is commonly due the excessive harmful gases in which factories emit during production of different chemicals and also products. For example, harmful gases such as chloroflocarbons are emitted out in the production of aerosols. Another common toxin that is emitted out of factories is sulphur dioxide, which causes harm to human health. Breathing in too much of it will cause lung diseases. The more In the meantime, the population of motors on the road in the world is also increasing, as technology advances. Fumes and toxins like carbon monoxide are emitted. When all these harmful gases accumulate in the air, the ozone layer would be blanketed and therefore warming up the Earth. This is also known as, Global Warming.

Air pollution in Indonesia
Causes 16.000 premature deaths a year”
“One in Ten suffer respiratory infections”
“One in Ten children suffer asthma” Articles from Jakarta Post, 2007

Examples of Air Pollution around the world, due to Man’s activities

1. Indonesia’s Forest Fires during hot seasons:

Many rural places around the world have many forested areas. When the hot season dawns upon these forested areas, the trees will catch fire and thus, burn, due to the extreme temperatures. This brings about smoke which will accumulate and becomes worse. This is when the country experiences haze. Due to the winds, the dust particles and smoke will be blown to regions near the affected area and these regions will experience haze as well.

2. Deforestation in rural places: E.g. Indonesia

Deforestation is the process when farmers or local people in rural parts of the world destroy trees in a certain plot of land to make way for more agricultural activities such as growing of crops for human consumption. Land areas in the world become more limited as the years go by, and every year, a new plot of land will be used for growing a new batch of crops. To do this, forested areas are cleared. To save costs and time, many farmers and local people use fires to clear the trees, instead of logging the trees which requires a lot of man power and tools. When these forests are burnt, they produce gases such as hydrogen and dust particles. Like being said before, winds will bring these dust particles and gases to neighbouring regions, and affecting these places as well. This can cause a lot of health risks for humans; such as lung diseases, breathing difficulties and throat irritations.

One of the recent air pollution problems that Singapore experienced was in year 2006 when smoke haze has been choking the region.

On October 11, the Singapore government decided to hold an important meeting of Southeast Asian environment to tackle the problem.

The thick haze or rather smog due to forest fires in Indonesia during the dry and hot season has clouded parts of the region for the past week, making air quality in Singapore, Malaysia and parts of Indonesia to pulnging levels, and threatening to cause friction between countries because of the recurring problem.

For more information on this issue, go here:
FindArticles - S.E. Asian environment ministers to meet in Singapore on haze problem
Asian Economic News, Oct 16, 2006

Newspaper Article

2008-06-12T00:04:00.000-07:00

The Strait’s Times Article WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11 2008

Tokyo’s emissions plan under attack from both sides

Japan’s new plan to force industries to slash carbon emissions came under fire yesterday both from business leaders fearing it was too costly and environmentalists who said it was not enough.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fakuda on Monday announced a “cap-and-trade” system that restricts emissions while providing an economic incentive through credit trading.

Launched weeks ahead of the Group of Eight summit of rich nations, at which global warming is high on the agenda, the plan is part of Japan’s goal to slash carbon emissions by 60 to 80 percent by 2050.

Industries such as steelmakers have slammed the move, saying it could hurt their bottom line.

“Regarding a carbon trading market, we hope that discussions take place incorporating opinions from the business community,” said Mr Fujio Mitarai, chairman of Japanese Business Federation, the country’s powerful lobby that represents major companies.

Mr Shoji Muneoka, chairman of steelmakers’ federation, said businesses would have no choice but to buy carbon credits overseas.

“It would also prompt off-shoring of production plants to developing countries, leading to an increase in emissions at the global level and reversing efforts to tackle global warming,” he said.

Environmentalists have in turn said the plan does not go far enough, with no key goals set for the levels of emission cuts and mid-term targets.

Mr Fukada has estimated a 14 percent cut in emissions by 2020, but he did not commit to the figure.

Opposition lawmaker Katsuya Okada said Mr Fukada’s plan was too vague. “It is completely unclear how he will confront the G-8 summit with such content and what he will try to achieve.”

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

Air Pollution

2008-05-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

The contamination of the atmosphere is commonly regarded to as air pollution, a growing problem in today's society. The presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one or more contaminants such as dust, fumes, gas, mist, odor, smoke, or vapor in quantities and of characteristics and duration such as to be injurious to human, plant, or animal life or to property, or to interfere unreasonably with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property.

Air pollution can affect and damage the well-being of living things, and is a potential threat even right now. From the haze caused by forest fires, to the smog and green-house gases released by fume factories, air pollution exists as an imminent problem unless we do something about it.

What are Greenhouse Gases?

Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that traps heat and reduce the loss of heat, therefore creating what is known as the "greenhouse effect".

It is this effect that affects the global temperatures, thus causing the big problem of global warming.

On Earth, the most abundant greenhouse gases are, in order of relative abundance:
# Water vapour (causes 36-70% of greenhouse effect)
# Carbon Dioxide (causes 9-26% of greenhouse effect)
# Methane (causes 4-9% of greenhouse effect)
# Nitrous Oxide
# Ozone (causes 3-7% of greenhouse effect)
# CFCs

What is the relationship between Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases?
Air pollution is the toxification of the atmosphere with wastes, usually man-made. There is the common misconception that Air Pollution is somewhat about smoke and nothing else. Let us clear the doubts. Air pollution is also about polluting the atmosphere with UNWANTED gases, which includes the greenhouse gases.

What is the relationship between Air Polltuion and Global Warming?

Though they may be two different environmental threats, they are related indirectly. Now we know that Air Pollution includes polluting the environment with greenhouse gases. Since the problem of global warming arises due to the presence of the greenhouse gases in abundance, air pollution is indirectly a cause of it.

STOP AIR POLLUTION, AND WE STOP GLOBAL WARMING.

As you all may know, trees play an important role by producing oxygen from Carbon Dioxide. With the persistent prolem of Air Pollution, trees get directly damaged. Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and peroxyacl nitrates (PANs), cause direct damage to leaves of crop plants and trees when they enter leaf pores (stomata). Chronic exposure of leaves and needles to air pollutants can also break down the waxy coating that helps prevent excessive water loss and damage from diseases, pests, drought and frost. "In the midwestern United States crop losses of wheat, corn, soybeans, and peanuts from damage by ozone and acid deposition amount to about $5 billion a year". (Miller 498)

This problem of AP has many devastating impacts. You have to read it to belive it.
# DEATHS
# RESPIRATORY DISEASE AND INFECTIONS (such as asthma and pneumonia)
Children are the most vulnerable to these. Do we want AP to affect the future generation? In the 1980s, the prevalence of childhood asthma increased by nearly 40%. Do we want the next generation of children to suffer?

"The Earth is our home, and the atmosphere is like the air in it. We decide how clean we want it to be." Perfume or dust? You decide.

Sources
Cartoon: http://www.chrismadden.co.uk/
Information(Greenhouse Gases): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas
Research(Air Pollution): http://healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_causes.htm
Statistics(Respiratory Illnesses): http://www.nrdc.org/health/kids/ocar/chap4.asp
Photo taken by: Parveen