Other Environmental Problems

Greenhouse Effect
The Greenhouse effect is an extremely vital process where infrared rays from the sun came into the
Earth’s Atmosphere. The atmosphere then traps these rays after they have come in keeping the Earth
warm and habitable. CO2 (Carbon Dioxide), N20 (Nitrous Oxide) and CH4 (Methane) are destroying the
atmosphere, causing more infrared rays to reflect on Earth.

Causes

The main causes of Greenhouse Gas Effect are called CO2 (Carbon Dioxide), N20 (Nitrous Oxide) and
CH4 (Methane). Small amount of Carbon Dioxide in the air helps keep the heat in the Earth in the vital
process of the Greenhouse Effect. As car exhausts and industries continue to shoot CO2 in the air, the
amount of CO2 will increase. This causes more heat to be kept, increasing the Earth’s temperature.
Methane and Nitrous Oxide has the same effects CO2, but they have a less harmful effect on the
Greenhouse Effect.

Solutions

1. Reduce usage of Greenhouse gas emissions

2. Prevent forest fires and depletion of trees
3. Do not use nitrogen based fertilizer to reduce the amount of nitrous oxide)

Acid Rain
Acid rain is a broad term used to describe several ways that acids fall out of the atmosphere. A more
precise term is acid deposition, which has two parts; wet and dry.

Wet Deposition refers acidic rain, fog and snow. As this acidic water flows through the ground, it affects
a variety of plants and animals. The Strength of the effects depend on many factors, including how acidic
the water is, the chemistry and the capacity of the soils involved, and the types of fish, trees, and other
living things that rely on water.

Dry Deposition refers to the acidic gases and particles. About half of the acidity in the atmosphere falls
back to earth through dry deposition. The wind blows through these acidic particles and gases onto
buildings, cars, homes, and trees. Dry deposited gases and particles can also be washed from trees and
other surfaces by rainstorms. When that happens, the runoff water adds those acids to the acid rain,
making the combination more acidic than the falling rain alone.
Measurement of Acid Rain

Acid rain is measured using the scale of “pH”. The lower the substance’s ‘pH’, the more acidic it is.

The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. It ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. A
pH less than 7 is acidic. A pH greater than 7 is basic. Each whole pH value below 7 is ten times more
acidic than the next higher value.

Pure water is neutral, with a pH of 7.0. When chemicals are mixed with water, the mixture can become
either acidic or basic. Vinegar and Lemon juice are acidic substances, while laundry detergents and
ammonia are basic substances

Effects

Acid deposition has a variety of effects, including damage to forests and soil, fish and other living things,
materials, and human health. Acid rain also reduces how far and how clear we can see though air an
effect called visibility reduction. The acid rain effects section provides more details on each of these.

Solutions

There are several ways to reduce acid deposition, more properly called acid deposition ranging from
societal changes to individual action.

1. Clean up smokestacks and exhaust pipes

2. Use alternative energy sources
3. Restore a damaged environment
4. Individuals can contribute directly by conserving energy, since energy production causes the
largest portion of the acid deposition problem.

Ozone Layer Depletion

The ozone layer is a gaseous cover in the earth’s atmosphere that serves as a shield against dangerous
ultraviolet radiation. Excessive levels of UV radiation can cause cataracts, skin cancer, and immune
system suppression in humans as well as having harmful on other living systems. Toxic emissions and
the burning of fossil fuels by power plants, factories, and engines also play a role in the alteration of
ozone layer functioning.

Solution

1. Avoid using Styrofoam whenever possible.

2. Avoid using a Car when its crucial
3. Avoid using excessive power
Pollution Problems
There is a variety of possible pollution in the lower atmosphere and these are divided into 2 main
categories: primary pollutant and secondary pollutant. Primary pollutant is those, which are produced
directly by the automobile. These include the products from the combustion of fossil fuels and other
products, which the engine produces. These have very little effects by itself, but as we shall see later,
when combined with some other chemicals present in the atmosphere, it can cause a lot of damages

Water Pollution

There are many causes for water pollution but two general categories exist: direct and indirect
contaminant resources

Direct sources include effluent outfalls from factories, refineries, waste treatment plants, etc.. that emits
fluids of varying quality directly into urban water supplies.

Indirect sources include contaminants that enter the water supply from soils/groundwater systems and
from the atmosphere via rainwater. Soils and groundwater contain the residue of human agricultural
practices and improperly disposed of industrial wastes.

Effects of Water Pollution

The effects of water pollution are varied. They include poisonous drinking water, poisonous food,
animal’s depletion, loss of an entire species, ecological effects in communities, disruption of food chains,
and destruction of aquatic ecosystems.

Solution

There are many ways to preventing water pollution but primarily and possibly the best solution is to
stop it at the source. But of course, contaminated waters don’t only mean it came from chemicals of
factories or groundwater soils, rather from the carelessness of man.