Every thing present in this universe is a part of environment including ourselves. Whether they are animals , living thing, or nonliving things. All of the external factors affecting an organism. These factors may be other living organisms (biotic factors) or nonliving variables (abiotic factors), such as water, soil, climate, light, and oxygen. All interacting biotic and abiotic factors together make up an ecosystem. Organisms and their environment constantly interact, and both are changed by this interaction. Additionally, environmental factors, singly or in combination, ultimately limit the size that any population may attain. This limit, a population’s carrying capacity, is usually reached because needed resources are in short supply. Occasionally, carrying capacity may be dictated by the direct actions of other species, as when predators limit the number of their prey in a specific area. The problems facing the environment are vast and diverse. Destruction of the world’s rain forests, global warming, and the depletion of the ozone layer are just some of the problems that will reach critical proportions in the coming decades. Their rates will be directly affected by the size of the human population.
Human population growth may be seen to be at the root of virtually all of the world’s environmental problems. Increasingly large numbers of people are being added to the world every year. As the number of people increases, more pollution is generated, more habitats are destroyed, and more natural resources are used up. Even if new technological advances were able to cut in half the environmental impact that each person had, as soon as the world’s population size doubled, the earth would be no better off than before. Like the glass panes in a greenhouse, certain gases in the earth’s atmosphere permit the sun’s radiation to heat the earth but retard the escape into space of the infrared energy radiated back out by the earth. This process is referred to as the greenhouse effect. These gases, primarily carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor, insulate the earth’s surface, helping to maintain warm temperatures. Without FIG 1: Rainwater once was the purest form of water available but now is often contaminated by pollutants in the air. acid rain is caused when industrial emissions mix with atmospheric moisture. Pollutants may be carried in clouds for long distances before falling, which means that forests and lakes far away from factories may be damaged by acid rain. In the near vicinity of the factories, additional damage is caused by deposition, a kind of dry rain in which the larger pollutant particles fall to the ground. Air pollution has been increasing since the Industrial Revolution but only recently have side effects such as acid rain become severe and widespread enough to evoke international concern. these gases, the earth would be a frozen planet with an average temperature of about -18? C (about 0? F) instead of a comfortable 15? C (59? F).
The Essay on Rain Forest World Landscapes Globalization
Dr. Mills Paper #3 5/10/00 Globalization and Ideal Landscapes Globalization is a broad term that has several meanings to different factions, cultural Groups and nations. For our purposes globalization refers to the loss of time and space through the rapid development of technologies. It also refers to a world in which all nations and peoples are directly or indirectly connected through the ...
If the concentration of these gases were higher, more heat would be trapped within the atmosphere, and worldwide temperatures would rise. Within the last century, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased dramatically, largely because of the practice of burning fossil fuels-coal and petroleum and its derivatives. Global temperature has also increased 1? C (about 1.8? F) within the past century. Atmospheric scientists have now concluded that at least half of that increase can be attributed to human activity, and they have predicted that unless dramatic action is taken, temperature will continue to rise by between 1? and 3.5? C (between 1.8? and 6.3? F) over the next century. Although this may not seem like a great difference, global temperature was only 2.2? C (4? F) cooler during the last ice age than it is presently. The consequences of such a modest increase in temperature may well be devastating. Sea levels will rise, completely inundating a number of low-lying island nations and flooding many coastal cities such as New York and Miami. Many plant and animal species will probably be driven into extinction, agricultural regions will be disrupted, and the frequency of severe hurricanes and droughts is likely to increase.
The Term Paper on Acid Rain Sulfur Dioxide
... moisture in the atmosphere to make nitric and sulfuric acids. The two primary sources of acid rain are sulfur dioxide, and oxides of ... increase in the death of fish the decomposition takes up even more oxygen. This takes away from surviving fish. Another terms, acid rain ... air. A common reaction for sulfur dioxide to becomes sulfuric acid is by oxidation by ozone. This reaction occurs at a preferable ...
The ozone layer, a thin band in the stratosphere (a layer in the upper atmosphere), serves to shield the earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. In the 1970s, scientists discovered that the layer was being attacked by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), chemicals used in refrigeration, air-conditioning systems, cleaning solvents, and aerosol sprays. CFCs release chlorine into the atmosphere; chlorine, in turn, breaks ozone down into its constituent parts of oxygen. Because chlorine is not affected by its interaction with ozone, each chlorine molecule has the ability to destroy a large amount of ozone for an extended period of time. FIG 2 : Forests, lakes, ponds, and other terrestrial and aquatic environments throughout the world are being severely damaged by the effects of acid rain. Acid rain is caused by the combination of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen compounds with water in the atmosphere to produce rain with a very low pH. Normally, rainwater has a pH of 6.5, making it slightly acidic. However, with the addition of sulphur and nitrogen compounds, the pH of rainwater may drop to as low as 2.0 or 3.0, making it dangerously acidic. In addition to chemically burning the leaves of plants, acid rain poisons lake water, which kills most if not all of the aquatic inhabitants.
Carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and other types of contaminants pouring from industrial smokestacks contribute largely to the world’s atmospheric pollution. Carbon dioxide contributes significantly to global warming, while sulfur dioxide emissions are the principal cause of acid rain in northeastern United States, southeastern Canada, and eastern Europe. The consequences of the depletion of the ozone layer are dramatic. Increased ultraviolet radiation will lead to a growing number of skin cancers and cataracts and also reduce the ability of people’s immune systems to respond to infection. Additionally, the growth rates of the world’s oceanic plankton, the base of most marine food chains, will be negatively affected, perhaps leading to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and thus to global warming. Even if the manufacture of CFCs was immediately banned, the chlorine already released into the atmosphere would continue to destroy the ozone layer for many decades. Additionally, the latest studies suggest that global warming may increase the amount of ozone destroyed. A significant portion of industry and transportation is based on the burning of fossil fuels, such as gasoline.
The Essay on Automobile Air Pollution Cause Rain Acid
Automobile Air Pollution Efforts to improve the standard of living for humans, through the control of nature and the development of new products have also resulted in the pollution of the environment. Much of the world's air, water, and land is now partially poisoned by pollution. Some places have become uninhabitable. This pollution exposes people all around the globe to new risks from disease. ...
As these fuels are burned, chemicals and particulate matter are released into the atmosphere. Although a vast number of substances contribute to air pollution, the most common contain carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen. These chemicals interact with one another and with ultraviolet radiation in sunlight in various dangerous ways. Smog, usually found in urban areas with large numbers of automobiles, is formed when nitrogen oxides react with hydrocarbons in the air to produce aldehydes and ketones. Smog can cause serious health problems. When sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide are transformed into sulfuric acid and nitric acid in the atmosphere and come back to earth in precipitation, they form acid rain. Acid rain is a serious global problem because few species are capable of surviving in the face of such acidic conditions. Acid rain has made numerous lakes so acidic that they no longer support fish populations. Acid rain is also thought to be responsible for the decline of many forest ecosystems worldwide. Germany’s Black Forest has suffered dramatic losses, and recent surveys suggest that similar declines are occurring throughout the eastern United States. Estimates suggest that nearly 1.5 billion people lack safe drinking water and that at least 5 million deaths per year can be attributed to waterborne diseases.
The Essay on Pollution: Water And Ultra Violet Rays
Dictionary defines that the process of making Air, Water, Soil, etc. dangerously dirty and not suitable for use! Pollution plays havoc in man’s life. Pollution can be classified into many groups. Air Pollution: When fresh air gets mixed up with any one of these, like smoke emitted by vehicles, Industrial smoke, Fires, Dust storm, explosions, burning of waste, bombs and crackers, it kills the ...
Water pollution may come from point or nonpoint sources. Point sources discharge pollutants at specific locations-from, for example, factories, sewage treatment plants, or oil tankers. The technology exists for point sources of pollution to be monitored and regulated, although political factors may complicate matters. Nonpoint sources-runoff water containing pesticides and fertilizers from acres of agricultural land, for example-are much more difficult to control. Pollution arising from nonpoint sources accounts for a majority of the contaminants in streams and lakes. With almost 80 percent of the planet covered by oceans, people have long acted as if those bodies of water could serve as a limitless dumping ground for wastes. Raw sewage, garbage, and oil spills have begun to overwhelm the diluting capabilities of the oceans, and most coastal waters are now polluted. The pollution of rivers and streams with chemical contaminants has become one of the most critical environmental problems of the century. Chemical pollution entering rivers and streams can be classified according to the nature of its sources: point pollution and nonpoint pollution. Point pollution involves pollution from a single concentrated source that can be identified, such as an outfall pipe from a factory or refinery.
Nonpoint pollution involves pollution from dispersed sources that cannot be precisely identified, such as runoff from agricultural or mining operations or seepage from septic tanks or sewage drain fields. Effluent discharge represents one form of point pollution. Contaminants present in effluent discharge include heavy metals, mercury, raw sewage, coliform bacteria and various disease-causing protozoans. These contaminants accumulate in bottom sediments and become incorporated into bottom-dwelling fish and invertebrates. Once assimilated into living plants and animals, the contaminants move quickly through the food chain, affecting the health of animals and humans. Beaches around the world are closed regularly, often because of high amounts of bacteria from sewage disposal, and marine wildlife is beginning to suffer. Water that seeps through porous rocks and is stored beneath the ground is called groundwater. Worldwide, groundwater is 40 times more abundant than fresh water in streams and lakes, and although groundwater is a renewable resource, reserves are replenished relatively slowly. In the United States, approximately half the drinking water comes from groundwater. Presently, groundwater in the United States is being withdrawn approximately four times faster than it is being naturally replaced.
The Term Paper on Permanent Water Hardness of Water Sources from Pshs-Irc by Indirect Titration
Titration Researchers Anna Marie S. Cabatbat Crystal Jill R. Mangsat Jan Michael Maturan Charlene Lou A. Nicer Arian Paul D. Norcio Submitted to the Faculty of the Philippine Science High School – Ilocos Region Campus in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Science and Technology Research 2 March 2013 ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the permanent water hardness in terms of calcium ...
The Ogallala Aquifer, a huge underground reservoir stretching under eight states of the Great Plains, is being drawn down at rates exceeding 100 times the replacement rate, suggesting that agricultural practices depending on this source of water may have to change within a generation. When groundwater is depleted in coastal regions, oceanic salt water commonly intrudes into freshwater supplies. Saltwater intrusion is threatening the drinking water of many areas along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. The EPA has estimated that, on average, 25 percent of usable groundwater is contaminated, although in some areas as much as 75 percent is contaminated. Contamination arises from leaking underground storage tanks, poorly designed industrial waste ponds, and seepage from the deep-well injection of hazardous wastes into underground geologic formations. Because groundwater is recharged and flows so slowly, once polluted it will remain contaminated for extended periods. 7-Habitat Destruction and Species Extinction : It is difficult to estimate the rate at which humans are driving species extinct because scientists believe that only a small percentage of the earth’s species have been described.
What is clear is that species are dying out at an unprecedented rate; minimum estimates are at least 4000 species per year, although some scientists believe the number may be as high as 50,000 per year. The leading cause of extinction is habitat destruction, particularly of the world’s richest ecosystems-tropical rain forests and coral reefs. At the current rate at which the world’s rain forests are being cut down, they may completely disappear by the year 2030. If growing population size puts even more pressure on these habitats, they might well be destroyed sooner. Pesticide residues on crops and mercury in fish are examples of toxic substances that may be encountered in daily life. Many industrially produced chemicals may cause cancer, birth defects, genetic mutations, or death The world cannot continue to rely on the burning of fossil fuels for much of its industrial production and transportation. Fossil fuels are in limited supply; in addition, when burned they contribute to global warming, air pollution, and acid rain. One reasonable solution is to combine conservation strategies with the increased use of solar energy. The price of solar energy relative to traditional fuels has been dropping steadily, and if environmental concerns were factored into the cost, solar power would already be significantly cheaper.
The Essay on Water Pollution 16
Water Pollution People keep on throwing trash and industrial wastes into our clean water. If this continues, the quality of our water will deteriorate, and without it everything dies, including us. Water pollution is destroying our world, but fortunately we can count on special treatments for this kind of problem. What is water pollution? "It is the contamination of water by foreign matter such as ...
Although it is desirable to have a wider range of energy options, other alternative sources of power (such as wind, geothermal, or hydroelectric) are not likely to provide large-scale solutions in the forseeable future. ” Environmental engineering deals with the applied application of engineering knowledge and principles for the protection and preservation of the environment for the benefit of mankind.” ” Environmental engineering is manifest by sound engineering thought and practice in the solution of problems of safe , palatable and ample public water supplies , the proper disposal of or recycle of waste water and solid wastes , the adequate drainage of urban and rural areas for proper sanitation ; and the control of water, soil and the atmospheric pollution and the social and environmental impacts of these solution. It is also concerned with engineering in the field of public health. Such as control of arthropod- borne diseases, the elimination of industrial health hazards, and the provision of adequate sanitation in urban, rural and recreational areas, and the effect of technological advances on the environment.” ROLE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING IN ENVIRONMENT Due to transportation system many environmental problems occur.
Such as congestion, energy consumption, local and global air pollution, noise pollution, and traffic accidents. All above environmental problems can be minimize by applying the laws of transportation engineering. Traffic engineer can also give policies like , ? Start mass transit program instead of permitting new route permit of coaches . ? Ban rickshaws and without silencers vehicle. FIG-6 AIR POLLUTION BY TRAFFIC In urban areas ground contamination is very common. This can be lessen by good planning. ? Nalas (which are caring sewage) should be covered to control seepage in grond. ? By separating the strom,industrial and domestic waste. In this way, it will be easier to ? By controlling the leakage from conduits. Plants are assets of any country. They help to provide healthy environment. Therefore in the construction of any project we should not destroy them blindly. file:///C|/imranras/Environment/assingnment/golmar.jpg ? There are two major roads in my locality called “IBN- E – SINA ROAD” and “NAWAB SIDDIQ ALI KHAN ROAD”. IBN- E-SINA road carry heavy traffic from site and by NAWAB SIDDIQ ALI KHAN road traffic flows towards sadder and tower.
? Automobile exhaust contains unburned hydrocarbons, particulates, carbon dioxide, and oxides of nitrogen and sulfur that contribute to acid rain, smog, and global warming. The oxides combine with water vapor in the air to form acids, which return to the ground as acid rain. Smog, a mixture of smoke (particulates) and fog, irritates the eyes, throat, and lungs and also damages plants. ? One of the reasons of noise pollution two major roads caring heavy traffic. ? Another reason of noise pollution is the so many workshops of vehicles in the vicinity where car repairers produce unbearable noise. ? In central market, shopkeepers (vegetables, fruits, butchers,) don’t have proper place to dispose of their garbage, so they throw them on road. which cause malarial diseases. ? By overflowing of gutters mostly in the rainy season. ? Open Orangi nala across the ibn-e-sina road.
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