Environmental Issues In Europe

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Environmental Issues In Europe

• Acid Rain in Germany
• Air Pollution in the United Kingdom
• Nuclear Disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine

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Acid Rain In Germany

• is rain, snow, sleet, or other wet precipitation
  that is polluted by acids such as sulfuric and
  nitric acids.
• caused chiefly from the burning of coal, gas, and
  oil by cars, factories, and power plants

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Effects of Acid Rain In Germany

• harms the environment over large areas
• a) can damage statues, buildings, and
  bridges,
• b) has killed entire fish populations in
  lake,
• c) can harm forests and soil

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Areas Where Acid Rain Is A Major Problem

• Central Europe- Germany is hit particularly hard
  by this problem because of their large industrial
  based of their economy.
• Scandinavia
• Eastern North America

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Pollution Management

• German government passed laws to reduce emissions
  from automobiles and factories.
• Some factories developed devices that remove
  harmful particles from smokestack emissions, such
  as filters, by traps that use static
  electricity, or by devices called scrubbers that
  wash out particles with chemical sprays.

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Air Pollution in the United Kingdom

• Smog is a form of air pollution
• first used in 1905 to describe the combination of
  smoke and thick fog that at times hung over
  London and other cities in the United Kingdom
• also refers to a condition caused by the action
  of sunlight on the exhaust gases from automobiles
  and factories

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Effects of Smog

• Can kill (About 4,000 Londoners died within five
  days as a result of a thick smog in 1952)
• destroys plant life
• causes building materials to deteriorate faster
  than usual

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London-Type Smog

• occurs when moisture condenses with smoke
  produced by the burning of coal
• forms smog droplets
• sulfur dioxide is in air in London--attacks the
  lungs and makes breathing difficult (called
  sulfur smog)

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What is Being Done to Reduce Air Pollution in the
UK????

• The UK has been working hard to reduce air
  pollution since the Great London Smog occurred.
• The government has
• tightened emissions standards for vehicles,
• endorsed the use of cleaner fuels, and
• urged citizens to use public transportation like
  buses and subway systems.

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Chernobyl Disaster in the Ukraine

• the worst nuclear accident in history
• April 26, 1986
• Chernobyl nuclear power station in Ukraine (then
  part of the Soviet Union)
• caused numerous deaths and injuries
• widespread environmental contamination
• Note In the 1980s many countries were using
  nuclear power. Nuclear power plants were
  producing cheaper energy without filling the air
  with pollution and without using up Earths
  supply of fossil fuels.

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How Did The Disaster Happen?

• had four nuclear reactors (devices that produce
  and control nuclear energy) in service
• operators shut off several safety systems and
  began to power down the fourth reactor for a test
  of the plants emergency electrical power supply
• power surge caused fuel in the reactor to
  overheat, resulting in a steam explosion and fire
• produced a radioactive cloud more than 3,280 feet
  in height
• radioactive substances spread over parts of what
  are now Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus
• Air Currents/Winds carried the radioactive
  material into northern and central Europe.

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Radiation Found In the Ground After Chernobyl
Disaster
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Effects of Chernobyl Disaster

• 31 people reportedly died from radiation sickness
  or burns
• more than 200 others were seriously injured
• Fallout (radioactive material) from the accident
  caused a number of health and environmental
  problems
• increased rate of cancer, skin diseases,
  respiratory ailments, and heart problems

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Check Your Answers
Questions Acid Rain (Germany) Air Pollution (UK) Nuclear Disaster (Chernobyl, Ukraine)
What is the problem? Acid Rain Air Pollution (Smog) combination of smoke and thick fog. Nuclear Disaster
What are the causes of the problem? Sulfuric and Nitric Acids caused from the burning of coal, gas, and oil by cars, factories, and power plants caused by sunlight on the exhaust gases from automobiles and factories four nuclear reactors were in service at Chernobyl nuclear power plant. power surge caused fuel in the reactor to overheat, resulting in a steam explosion and fire produced a radioactive cloud more than 3,280 feet in height Air Currents/Winds carried the radioactive material into northern and central Europe
How has the problem affected the country? Damage statues, buildings, and bridges, Killed entire fish populations in lake, Harm forests and soil Can kill Destroys plant life Causes building materials to deteriorate faster than usual 31 people reportedly died from radiation sickness or burns increased rate of cancer, skin diseases, respiratory ailments, and heart problems
What are solutions to the problem? laws to reduce emissions factories developed devices filters and scrubbers tightened emissions standards for vehicles use of cleaner fuels nearby towns were evacuated Cleanup workers covered the reactor with a concrete shell