This laboratory relates to the following Terminal Course Objective (TCO): 8 Give

Question

This laboratory relates to the following Terminal Course Objective (TCO):


8 Given the two major problems of global warming and ozone layer depletion, compare and contrast the causes, environmental and health impacts, as well as the success or failure of international policies to solve these problems.


Introduction

We have heard for a long time that air pollution and the accumulation of greenhouse gases lead to global warming. In the animation below the rise in global temperature and the rise in sea level is predicted by a model built by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This model is based on a number of assumptions on the amount of ozone, particulate matter and other air pollutants.







Depletion of the Ozone Layer

Solar radiation emits electromagnetic waves with a wide range of wavelengths. Visible light is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be detected by the eye's photoreceptors. Ultraviolet radiation has slightly shorter wavelengths than visible light and can cause damage to the biological tissues that absorb it by destroying protein and DNA molecules. The damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation are mitigated by the ozone (O3) in the atmosphere. The ozone in the stratosphere is called the Ozone Layer. Without the Ozone Layer, it is doubtful that any life on earth could survive. Since World War ll, many atmospheric scientists began to measure the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere around the South Pole. They have noted some interesting trends. In the exercise below we will explore the issue of Ozone Depletion.



Wind Circulation in the Atmosphere

Wind circulation in the atmosphere is largely responsible for our weather, our climate zones, and the movement and concentration of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. The learning object below demonstrates the circulation of winds vertically and horizontally around the earth.



Man and Global Climate Change

The role of man in the creation of greenhouse gases and global warming has long been debated. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) commissioned a model to judge the effects of man on global temperature, the role of natural environmental processes, and the combination of both. This model is explored below.



One of the greenhouse gases that can be directly related to the activities of man is carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a product of industrial and transportation activities. While it is true that other processes, like respiration, can produce CO2, it is simple to look at the concentration of CO2 before and after the industrial revolution and clearly see the effects of man.



Concern about greenhouse gases led to representatives of 166 nations to sign the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, which attempted to limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The rise of the global economy has complicated the issue, as is demonstrated in the learning object below.



Greenhouse Gases and Health

In recent years we have been measuring the Air Quality Index (AQI), which is a measure of such pollutants as ozone, particulate matter, and CO2. In the exercise below you may explore the AQI in cities across the U.S.







Let's look at two locations less than 500 miles apart that represent both ends of the spectrum of the issue of greenhouse gases and global warming. Explore both virtual field trips and evaluate them in terms of whether they contribute to the greenhouse gas problem or help reduce it.

Kuala Lumpur

Rainforest / Terraced Rice Fields



Exercises

Exercise 1. Have a class debate between people representing the developing countries and people representing the developed countries OR write an essay comparing and contrasting the two. Characterize each side in terms of the issues surrounding population growth, energy use, resource use, and sustainable development. Find common interests between the two.

Exercise 2. Look at the two virtual field trips and define each of the environments depicted in terms of the global carbon cycle diagram below. Assuming that the cycle is in balance, how would each site change the balance.



Exercise 3. Develop a series of international agreements that would lead to the kind of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions called for in the Kyoto Protocol and that would satisfy the concerns for global equity between developed and developing countries.

Exercise 4. Using the table below keep track of your daily activities and how they affect the greenhouse gas crisis in the world. What does each activity produce? Are the products positive or negative. How do the sizes (volumes of gas) of the various products vary? After you have created your table define your personal global carbon footprint. Do you have a positive effect or a negative one?

Explanation / Answer

not quite sure if the full question was entirely viewable but here's what i'm seeing so far cause: what are the main causes? are they: pollution, smog, fires, dumpage of non biodegradable items that take forever to degrade, toxic waste materials that emit lots of byproducts/or contaminates and chemicals that affect the environment and into air and does the cycling cascade? the disparity in countries where there's a lacking in educating and the resources to provide adequate getting rid of the items and recycling and other criteria? the depleting of the ozone/global warming are pretty tied in together. environmental/health impact: affects the whole ecosystem of animals that rely on a sustainable population; impacts on the people who make a living off them and let alone population numbers of the animals/$$ - global warming in that case; weirder weather patterns and more destruction: floods/fire/snowstorms/hurricane ... basically it affects the environment: food/water shortage, famine, and higher mortality rates. Healthy Impact - slightly above said; mortality rate goes up, and as well with the ozone layer being depleted; rate of cancer is soaring since the environment is changing so much and other health impacts .... international polices: success will be if these causes can be drastically reduced and cleaned up with the work and cooperations of nations and the people that care enough to realize, educate, and be a part of; time and effort....smog emissions in cars, smoke stacks, nuclear power plants, pollutants being released into the air that are known to deplete the ozone. failure: not being able to agree on everything and getting it done before more damages are made without hitting many bumps in the road. not sure if this answers the lab...but i hope this might help

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