Sunday, July 22, 2007
Topic: Environment (Group Summary)
Environmental Problems
Land Pollution
- Littering
- Usage of pesticides/herbicides
- Improper disposal of waste materials
- Increasing urbanisation
- Increasing mechanisation
- Increasing agriculture activities
Water Pollution
- Industrial Discharge
- Eutrophication
- Oil spillage
Air Pollution
- Usage of CFCs
- Smoking
- Burning of Fossil Fuels
Aftermath of Environmental Problems
- Soil contamination
- Poisoning of ecosystyems
- Changes in global temperature
- Extreme Weather Patterns
- Increase in sea levels
- Increase in pests and diseases
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
8:24 pm
Have you ever thought of living on the earth with loads of rubbish around? Have you ever thought of living on the earth with limited amount of oxygen and worried about when we'll die? Have you ever thought of living on the earth with the humid weather and many people with skin cancer as the sun is too hot because of the depleted ozone layer?
Actually, the mankind is the main cause of the environmental problems. Its purly because that they are the one who created the pollutions and thus, lead to what we called, the environmental problems.
There are 3 kinds of main pollutions that lead to the environmental problems. They are land,water and air pollution.
LAND POLLUTION
Land pollution is often a consequence of increasing urbanisation and industrialisation. Man’s increasing demands on the environment and the resources it holds are putting our country under pressure.
The advent of the Industrial Revolution saw the beginning of this pressure and, although the emphasis may have changed, it still continues.
There are a series of events which all impinged on the countryside destroying habitats
1.INCREASED MECHANISATION
2.INCREASED URBANISATION
3.INCREASED AGRICULTURAL LAND AND FIELD SIZE
AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution is a chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth's ecosystems. Worldwide air pollution is responsible for large numbers of deaths and cases of respiratory diseases.
WATER POLLUTION
Water pollution is a large set of adverse effects upon water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater caused by human activities.Water is only called polluted when it is not able to be used for what one wants it to be used for. Water pollution has many causes and characteristics. Increases in nutrient loading may lead to eutrophication. Organic wastes such as sewage impose high oxygen demands on the receiving water leading to oxygen depletion with potentially severe impacts on the whole eco-system. Industries discharge a variety of pollutants in their wastewater including metals, organic toxins, oils, nutrients, and solids. Discharges can also have thermal effects, especially those from power stations, and these too reduce the available oxygen. Silt-bearing runoff from many activities including construction sites, deforestation and agriculture can inhibit the penetration of sunlight through the water column, restricting photosynthesis and causing blanketing of the lake or river bed, in turn damaging ecological systems.
The effects on human health:
Adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone pollution can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain, and congestion. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing countries. Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbance.
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
12:44 am
Saturday, July 21, 2007
we're losing our home!!!
It is the common understanding of natural environment that underlies environmentalism—a broad political, social, and philosophical movement that advocates various actions and policies in the interest of protecting what nature remains in the natural environment, or restoring or expanding the role of nature in this environment. While true wilderness is increasingly rare, wild nature (e.g., unmanaged forests, uncultivated grasslands, wildlife, wildflowers) can be found in many locations previously inhabited by humans.
Goals commonly expressed by environmentalists include reduction and clean up of man-made pollution, with future goals of zero pollution; reducing societal consumption of non-renewable fuels; development of alternative, green, low-carbon or renewable energy sources; conservation and sustainable use of scarce resources such as water, land, and air; protection of representative or unique or pristine ecosystems; preservation and expansion of threatened or endangered species or ecosystems from extinction; the establishment of natureand biosphere reserves under various types of protection; and, most generally, the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems upon which all human and other life on earth depends.
More recently, there has been a strong concern about climate change such as global warming caused by anthropogenic releases of greenhouse gases, most notably carbon dioxide, and their interactions with humans and the natural environment. Efforts here have focused on the mitigation of greenhouse gases that are causing climatic changes (e.g. through the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol), and on developing adaptative strategiesto assist species, ecosystems, humans, regions and nations in adjusting to the Effects of global warming.
A more profound challenge, however, is to identify the natural environmental dynamics in contrast to environmental changes not within natural variances. A common solution is to adapt a static view neglecting natural variances to exist. Methodologically this view could be defended when looking at processes which change slowly and short time series, while the problem arrives when fast processes turns essential in the object of the study.
MH:D
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:32 pm
LAND POLLUTION!
-is the adding of substance(pollutants) which have harmful or unpleasnant effects into the enviroment
-the pollutants have damaging effects on people, animals, plants, buildings or machines
-pollution may be due to natural or human activities
How land is polluted?
-a large amount of waste is produced everyday
-excessive amount of waste pollutes the land
-land is also polluted when waste is not disposed of properly
-sometime wasre is disposed on roadsides as litter
-at other times, it is left in great heaps at public places not designated as rubbish dumps
-a lot of time and effort is required to clean the land
-improper disposal of waste occurs on mining sites where heaps of waste materials are left behind after the minerals have been extracted
PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES
-pesticides are used by farmers to kill insects and other animals that may eat their crops or spread diseases
-herbicides are used to kill weeds that compete with the crops for water and nutrient in the soil
-unfortunately, pesticides and herbicides can pollute the land when they are washed into the soil
EFFECTS OF LAND POLLUTION
-negative effect on public health
- waste that is carelessly thrown away can be smelly, unhygenic or even dangerous
- attract pests such as flies and rats
-poisoning of plants and animals
- pesticides and herbicides are toxic
- they may be washed into the soil and consume by the earthworms
- the earthworms accumulate toxic and chemical in their body
- when they are eaten by bigger animals, the chemical pass to the predators, causing side effects
-Soil contamination
- it can affects plant growth
- groundwater, rivers and streams can be affected
- chemical may seep into groundwater and pollutes it.
samantha
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:21 pm
Protect the Earth!
The earth seen from space is a single pearl of blue and green, floating against a dark and cold universe. Such a vision of our planet and ourselves unifies us. To care for nature and endangered species. To be concerned about global warming and forest fires that cause transboundary pollution. To protest against dams that block up reivers, and large companies that dislodge local peoples from their traditional ways of life.
These are archetypal concerns of the environmentalist. They transcend the limits of place and time. To care about the environment is to look beyond borders. Environmentalists, like time travellers, also look beyond the present, to care about events that might affect future generations. But what about us? Everything we do - driving, writing on paper - is destroying a little bit of the environment!
Now, the earth is angry! Natural disasters, the sudden loss of diversity, climate changes and global warming, it's all taking its toll on the humanity. This is a serious problem!
Rapid changes in global temperature
The levels of carbon dioxide were currently at their highest levels in the past 450, 000 years. Increased greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect is feared to contribute to an overall warming of the Earth's climate, leading to global warming. Some regions may experience cooling, or wetter weather, while the temperature of the planet on average would rise.
Extreme Weather Patterns
The warming of the climate will lead to more extreme weather patterns such as more hurricanes and drought; longer spells of dry heat and intense rain; Northern Europe could be sevrely affected with colder weather if climate change continues, as the arctic begins to melt and sned fresher waters further south, keeping countries such as Britain warmer than expected; In South Asia, the Himalayan glaciers could retreat causing water scarcity in the long run.
Ecosystem Impacts
With global warming on the increase and species' habitats on the decrease, the chances for various ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many studies have pointed out the rates of extinction of animal and plant species, and the temperature changes around the world since the industrail revolution, have been significantly different to normal expectations.
Rising Sea Levels
Water expands when heated, and sea levels are expected to rise due to climate change. Rising sea levels will also results as the plar caps begin to melt. Rising sea levels is already affecting many small islands.
Increase in Pests and Disease
An increase in pests and disease is also feared. The is an alarming increase in outbreaks and epidemics of diseases throughout the land and ocean based wildlife due to climate changes. Climate change is disrupting natural ecosystems in a way that is making life better for infectious diseases. IF some of this does get worse, it is likely that the poorest regions and people are likely to suffer the most, as they would have the least resources in hand to deal with the effects.
Most people think environmental effrots take too much trouble. Others are indifferent to the need to save the environment. But amid to despiar, there is one hope. Technology would be the key. We are living in a technology age, we can utilise the resources and teh knowledge we have to save the environment. If everyone is willing to put in more effort to preserve what we have now, we will not only ensure the surviail of our future generations, but also protect the wonders Nature has given us.
Angela
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
8:38 pm
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The ever arising global environmental problems have taken centrestage into today's society. The need to preserve the environment has widely been raised to prevent the world from suffering from a castastrophe. The United States and the other countries of the developed world are largely responsible for our current situation. We and the other countries of the world have to channel our technological resources toward creating a global economy that is environmentally sustainable for generations to come. Like never before in human history, the environmental crisis requires that people everywhere work together for the good of our common earth.
With the survival of the planet at stake, global environmental problems outweigh national interests and must rank as the top priority on our national agenda. We carry the responsiblity of channeling our technology resources towards creating a global economy that will eventual sustain for generations to come.
However, not everyone concur to the decision of prioritising the need to protect our Mother earth. In the fiercely competitive global market, the health of our nation’s economy must assume top priority. To be able to gain a foothold in today's economy, environmental plans will only derial the economy. The answer to environmental
problems does not lie in strengthening the role of international organizations in our lives. It will be foolish to hamstring one's economy with environmental restriction while other developing countries will seize the chance of emerging into the global market.
Hence, we have to stand up for what's right for us in order to live the best days of our lives. Like never before in human history, the environmental crisis
requires that people everywhere work together for the good of our common earth. Pollution caused in developing countries notably china have endanger the future of the next generation or so. The only way to curb this disaster is to make sure the world act as one and work towards solutions to reduce global warming. Government of different countries also must shoulder the responsibility to ensure enviromental plans can be implemented.
Alfone a.k.a David Villa
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:31 pm
Hello mates! Please blog about the topic under ENVIRONMENT by this Saturday (21st July) 10pm. Thank you.
Angela
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:30 pm
A newspaper article from The Straits Times(Insights) on Family - Homosexuality.
Click on the picture for larger view.
Angela.
Labels: Family
Y 07S10-GRP02
7:29 pm
