Soil erosion becomes a problem when human activity causes it to occur much faster than under natural circumstances.
Annual soil loss in South Africa is estimated at 300 - 400 million tonnes, nearly three tonnes for each hectare of land. For every tonne of maize, wheat, sugar or other agricultural crop produced, South Africa loses an average of 20 tonnes of soil.
The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation, a branch of United Nations) estimates that the global loss of productive land through erosion is 5-7 million ha/year.
Wind and water are the main agents of soil erosion. The amount of soil they can carry away is influenced by two related factors:
(1) Speed - the faster either moves, the more soil it can erode;
(2) plant cover - plants protect the soil and in their absence wind and water can do much more damage.
Plants provide protective cover on the land and prevent soil erosion for the following reasons:
* plants slow down water as it flows over the land(runoff) and this allows much of the rain to soak into the ground;
* plant roots hold the soil in position and prevent it from being washed away;
* plants break the impact of a raindrop before it hits the soil, thus reducing its ability to erode;
* plants in wetlands and on the banks of rivers are of particular importance as they slow down the flow of the water and their roots bind the soil, thus preventing erosion.
The loss of protective vegetation through deforestation, over-grazing, ploughing, and fire makes soil vulnerable to being swept away by wind and water.
In addition, over-cultivation and compaction cause the soil to lose its structure and cohesion and it becomes more easily eroded.
Erosion will remove the top-soil first, once this nutrient-rich layer of soil is gone, few plants will grow in the soil again. Without soil and plants the land becomes desert-like and unable to support life - this process is called desertification. It is very difficult and often impossible to restore desertified land.
To understand soil erosion we must be aware of the political and economic factors affecting land users. In South Africa apartheid policies ensured that 42% of the people lived on 13 % of the land (the"homelands"). This overcrowding has resulted in severe erosion. As the land became increasingly degraded and thus less productive, subsistence farmers were forced to further overuse the land.
The intensive agriculture and overgrazing that followed caused greater degradation. Soil erosion can be seen as both a symptom of underdevelopment (i.e. poverty, inequality and exploitation), and as a cause of underdevelopment.
A reduced ability to produce, invest one's profit and increase productivity, contributes to increasing poverty, and can lead to desertification, drought, floods, and famine.
On commercial farm lands, overstocking, mono-cropping, and the ploughing of marginal lands unsuitable for cultivation has led to soil erosion and desertification. Frequently these practices have been unwittingly encouraged by the state offering subsidies which made it profitable to exploit the land in the short-term.
PREVENTING SOIL EROSION
Preventing soil erosion requires political, economic and technical changes. Political and economic changes need to address the distribution of land as well as the possibility of incentives to encourage farmers to manage their land sustainably.
Aspects of technical changes include:* the use of contour ploughing and wind breaks;
* leaving unploughed grass strips between ploughed land;
* making sure that there are always plants growing on the soil, and that the soil is rich in humus (decaying plant and animal remains). This organic matter is the "glue" that binds the soil particles together and plays an important part in preventing erosion;
* avoiding overgrazing and the over-use of crop lands;
* allowing indigenous plants to grow along the river banks instead of ploughing and planting crops right up to the water's edge;
* encouraging biological diversity by planting several different types of plants together;
* conservation of wetland
In addition to the guidelines above, try the following:
* Pathways can be easily eroded when water flows over them. Prevent this by breaking the water flow with logs, stone packs or old tyres.
* Become a `Erosion Doctor' and repair erosion gullies.
Thursday 24 September 2015
Sunday 16 August 2015
SHRINKING GROUNDWATER
Groundwater is the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock. It is stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil, sand and rocks called aquifers.
How do we cope with the changing ground water is a question that need to be asked.
Although our domestic water requirement varies from 50 – 200 litre per capita per day depending on our life style, the quantity of water actually used for drinking is just about 4 litres per capita per day.
This water, however, has to be of best quality. For those who can afford, our drinking water in future would come essentially from specially treated bottled water or through high technology household level water treatment units.
The proposal for having water supply in duel qualities; one for domestic use and the other with recycled water for non-domestic use are to be taken seriously.
Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting (RTRH) has also been found to be a viable alternative source of fresh water. Therefore, in time to come, rainwater harvested from roof top particularly in high rainfall (1000 mm) areas is likely to become a convenient and economic source of fresh water supply.
Excess rain water harvested from roof top, if any, could also be used for artificial groundwater recharge. For this reason it should be made compulsory for all future housing projects to make provisions for collection and diversion of rain water from the roof top to a common location for further use.
Roof tops are also likely to be used for solar panels in the future. There would be no conflict if the solar panels are installed on stilts on the roof top. Procuring large scale fresh water by desalinization using the process of evaporation and condensation is another alternative source of fresh water.
Large scale desalination no doubt is expensive but would gradually become more and more acceptable as availability of fresh groundwater would become more and more scarce.
Solar desalination units are of low cost and free from any operating cost but the available units at present in the country produce only a few litres per day, not even adequate for a large family.
There is a scope for improved designs. Although, slightly polluted and treated waste water can be used conveniently for agriculture but water with TDS more than 2000 ppm is harmful to most crops. Besides, presence of heavy metals and unbreakable chemicals in irrigation water can cause health problems by concentrating these in the foods grown.
In many cities, vegetables are grown using drain water (sewage) directly. This practice must be discouraged as the vegetables are likely retain harmful microbes. If an advantage of the drain is to betaken at all, the water should be tapped indirectly through shallow dug wells constructed in the vicinity.
The Ground Water polluters should be forced to invest in adequate treatment facilities for the polluted effluents produced by them. So far the Pollution Control Authorities had been lenient in enforcing the norms under the Acts. Similarly, the Water Authorities have not been able to cope up with the gigantic task of treating urban effluents adequately. More progress are to be made in the direction of promoting water conservation practices, decentralized effluent treatment facilities, recycling of waste water, conservation of water bodies and watershed management.
Climate Change resulting from Global Warming is feared to be bringing in unpredictable changes all over the country in the distribution of water. The frequency and intensity of floods and droughts are expected to increase. To cope with the changing situations, it is strongly recommended that all water users are made aware about the impending dangers and their capacity to cope with the situation is enhanced.
Another popular recommendation is to create a large number of surface water reservoirs as insurance against climate variability.
Artificial groundwater recharge assumes greater importance in this regard.
Groundwater reservoirs have more storage capacity than all the surface water put together. Moreover, groundwater is not open to evaporation and do not occupy any valuable surface area.
At per the continuing trend, the demand for groundwater would continue to increase even though its availability would be shrinking. As a result of which water related conflicts would be on the rise.
In future, only the rich and resourceful would be able to extract the remaining available groundwater in the country using advanced technologies depriving the poor users at large.
It is time that we the common groundwater users understand the challenges and undertake compensatory groundwater recharge for every drop we extract.
The future of groundwater scenario in our country in general appears to be very bleak. There is no doubt that at the present level of groundwater extraction, the water table in most part of our country would continue to fall.
The blanket moratorium under the Environmental Protection Act (1997) on construction of new tube wells is logical and helpful but this at best would merely stabilize the present level of extraction. However, it should be noted that there should be no such undue restrictions in areas which are rich in groundwater occurrence and are categorized as “Safe” zones.
The most important step required to improve the groundwater availability in the over-exploited regions (including semi-critical and critical) of the country is to take up large scale artificial groundwater recharge activities. Although the concept is well appreciated but any major initiative for large scale construction of artificial recharge structures has so far remained neglected.
In countries where such programmes are going on, the implementation may be said to be tardy at best. The usual emphasis of Government programmes on low cost designs and high target is not very helpful. Unless, there is emphasis on quality and effectiveness, such efforts are likely to create a large number of poorly functioning and rapidly deteriorating structures.
Conversion of an abandoned dug well in to an artificial groundwater recharge (AGR) structure by connecting a rain water collection channel through a silt retention pit is basically a make shift arrangement. These structures may not be very effective but there are no harm if these are done in large numbers and maintained by the farmers themselves.
But in large scale national level programmes for construction of AGR structures under Government funding, the structures must be made more site specific, effective and durable. Programmes should also be designed to encourage the present groundwater users to construct compensatory AGR structures in their respective areas.
Presence of buildings and covered surface areas in metropolis do not allow much groundwater recharge as these produce high run-off.
The urban run-off known as storm water generated in large volume usually go away as waste water. Arrangements should be made in all metropolises to collect and divert the storm water in to various parks and available open space to form new water bodies.
All the existing water bodies in urban areas should also be cleaned and maintained as these are very important source of groundwater recharge.
As consumption of stored rainwater is still not acceptable in most urban areas, the roof tops must therefore be used necessarily to collect rainwater and divert the same exclusively for groundwater recharge through an appropriate structure. Large scale groundwater pollution on the other hand has been making a considerable quantity of fresh water permanently unsuitable for human use.
Decentralized waste water treatment plants are to be installed in all industries, hotels, housing societies and all places of mass water consumption for recycling. Treated sewage and waste water are to be used as far as possible for agriculture and similar other non domestic use. Industries should bring in technologies to enhance water conservation and recycle treated water.
All sewage and waste water must be treated adequately before releasing into the nearby rivers. Pollution control Acts for water are to be implemented more vigorously to protect our rivers.
It is true that groundwater has been over-exploited in most parts of the country. But this is not the case in some selected regions falling under large alluvium basins such as Ganga and Brahmaputra and similar other river basins.
As per groundwater zoning these areas fall under “Safe” category. Consequently, there should not be any undue restrictions in these areas for construction of new tube wells nor any need for undertaking artificial groundwater recharge programmes. In fact more and more groundwater should be extracted from the flood prone areas to create extra space within the groundwater reservoir.
Should a common person bother to understand groundwater? We all are groundwater users. Farmers use it for irrigation, industries for production and a vast majority of population use it for drinking and domestic purposes. Groundwater, although a renewable resource but is limited in its occurrence in time and space.
The mindless pursuit for extracting more and more groundwater by all the users has already started exerting tremendous pressure on this limited resource. A good part of groundwater is also fast becoming unfit for human use both due to natural and anthropological activities.
As water level is falling at an alarming rate in most part of the hard rock areas of the country, farmers are continuously struggling to cope up with the situation.
Millions of open dug wells have either gone dry or are yielding little water, and that too mostly seasonally. Deepening of a dug well in hard rock areas is expensive and difficult (needs blasting).
Even after that, there is no guarantee that regional water level will not go down any further in the near future demanding more deepening. In the absence of proper guidance many farmers in their desperation take a chance and invest in drilling deep bore well. Unfortunately, many a times this gamble does not pay as the bore well fails to yield the requisite quantity of water. A failure like this not only causes a huge financial burden to the farmer but also takes away his spirit and hope for a longtime to come.
In order to have a dependable source of water, most farmers,industries, housing colonies and others construct their own bore well. But such ventures are not free from problems as the users face frequent financial losses and inconveniences due to associated uncertainties. Questions like what should be the depth and diameter of the well, how to find a good location for a yielding well, what would be the expected quantity and quality of water from the well etc continue to arise and remain unanswered.
As a common man starts understating the basics of groundwater occurrence and the associated limitations, future management of this vital resource become a more feasible task.
How do we cope with the changing ground water is a question that need to be asked.
Although our domestic water requirement varies from 50 – 200 litre per capita per day depending on our life style, the quantity of water actually used for drinking is just about 4 litres per capita per day.
This water, however, has to be of best quality. For those who can afford, our drinking water in future would come essentially from specially treated bottled water or through high technology household level water treatment units.
The proposal for having water supply in duel qualities; one for domestic use and the other with recycled water for non-domestic use are to be taken seriously.
Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting (RTRH) has also been found to be a viable alternative source of fresh water. Therefore, in time to come, rainwater harvested from roof top particularly in high rainfall (1000 mm) areas is likely to become a convenient and economic source of fresh water supply.
Excess rain water harvested from roof top, if any, could also be used for artificial groundwater recharge. For this reason it should be made compulsory for all future housing projects to make provisions for collection and diversion of rain water from the roof top to a common location for further use.
Roof tops are also likely to be used for solar panels in the future. There would be no conflict if the solar panels are installed on stilts on the roof top. Procuring large scale fresh water by desalinization using the process of evaporation and condensation is another alternative source of fresh water.
Large scale desalination no doubt is expensive but would gradually become more and more acceptable as availability of fresh groundwater would become more and more scarce.
Solar desalination units are of low cost and free from any operating cost but the available units at present in the country produce only a few litres per day, not even adequate for a large family.
There is a scope for improved designs. Although, slightly polluted and treated waste water can be used conveniently for agriculture but water with TDS more than 2000 ppm is harmful to most crops. Besides, presence of heavy metals and unbreakable chemicals in irrigation water can cause health problems by concentrating these in the foods grown.
In many cities, vegetables are grown using drain water (sewage) directly. This practice must be discouraged as the vegetables are likely retain harmful microbes. If an advantage of the drain is to betaken at all, the water should be tapped indirectly through shallow dug wells constructed in the vicinity.
The Ground Water polluters should be forced to invest in adequate treatment facilities for the polluted effluents produced by them. So far the Pollution Control Authorities had been lenient in enforcing the norms under the Acts. Similarly, the Water Authorities have not been able to cope up with the gigantic task of treating urban effluents adequately. More progress are to be made in the direction of promoting water conservation practices, decentralized effluent treatment facilities, recycling of waste water, conservation of water bodies and watershed management.
Climate Change resulting from Global Warming is feared to be bringing in unpredictable changes all over the country in the distribution of water. The frequency and intensity of floods and droughts are expected to increase. To cope with the changing situations, it is strongly recommended that all water users are made aware about the impending dangers and their capacity to cope with the situation is enhanced.
Another popular recommendation is to create a large number of surface water reservoirs as insurance against climate variability.
Artificial groundwater recharge assumes greater importance in this regard.
Groundwater reservoirs have more storage capacity than all the surface water put together. Moreover, groundwater is not open to evaporation and do not occupy any valuable surface area.
At per the continuing trend, the demand for groundwater would continue to increase even though its availability would be shrinking. As a result of which water related conflicts would be on the rise.
In future, only the rich and resourceful would be able to extract the remaining available groundwater in the country using advanced technologies depriving the poor users at large.
It is time that we the common groundwater users understand the challenges and undertake compensatory groundwater recharge for every drop we extract.
The future of groundwater scenario in our country in general appears to be very bleak. There is no doubt that at the present level of groundwater extraction, the water table in most part of our country would continue to fall.
The blanket moratorium under the Environmental Protection Act (1997) on construction of new tube wells is logical and helpful but this at best would merely stabilize the present level of extraction. However, it should be noted that there should be no such undue restrictions in areas which are rich in groundwater occurrence and are categorized as “Safe” zones.
The most important step required to improve the groundwater availability in the over-exploited regions (including semi-critical and critical) of the country is to take up large scale artificial groundwater recharge activities. Although the concept is well appreciated but any major initiative for large scale construction of artificial recharge structures has so far remained neglected.
In countries where such programmes are going on, the implementation may be said to be tardy at best. The usual emphasis of Government programmes on low cost designs and high target is not very helpful. Unless, there is emphasis on quality and effectiveness, such efforts are likely to create a large number of poorly functioning and rapidly deteriorating structures.
Conversion of an abandoned dug well in to an artificial groundwater recharge (AGR) structure by connecting a rain water collection channel through a silt retention pit is basically a make shift arrangement. These structures may not be very effective but there are no harm if these are done in large numbers and maintained by the farmers themselves.
But in large scale national level programmes for construction of AGR structures under Government funding, the structures must be made more site specific, effective and durable. Programmes should also be designed to encourage the present groundwater users to construct compensatory AGR structures in their respective areas.
Presence of buildings and covered surface areas in metropolis do not allow much groundwater recharge as these produce high run-off.
The urban run-off known as storm water generated in large volume usually go away as waste water. Arrangements should be made in all metropolises to collect and divert the storm water in to various parks and available open space to form new water bodies.
All the existing water bodies in urban areas should also be cleaned and maintained as these are very important source of groundwater recharge.
As consumption of stored rainwater is still not acceptable in most urban areas, the roof tops must therefore be used necessarily to collect rainwater and divert the same exclusively for groundwater recharge through an appropriate structure. Large scale groundwater pollution on the other hand has been making a considerable quantity of fresh water permanently unsuitable for human use.
Decentralized waste water treatment plants are to be installed in all industries, hotels, housing societies and all places of mass water consumption for recycling. Treated sewage and waste water are to be used as far as possible for agriculture and similar other non domestic use. Industries should bring in technologies to enhance water conservation and recycle treated water.
All sewage and waste water must be treated adequately before releasing into the nearby rivers. Pollution control Acts for water are to be implemented more vigorously to protect our rivers.
It is true that groundwater has been over-exploited in most parts of the country. But this is not the case in some selected regions falling under large alluvium basins such as Ganga and Brahmaputra and similar other river basins.
As per groundwater zoning these areas fall under “Safe” category. Consequently, there should not be any undue restrictions in these areas for construction of new tube wells nor any need for undertaking artificial groundwater recharge programmes. In fact more and more groundwater should be extracted from the flood prone areas to create extra space within the groundwater reservoir.
Should a common person bother to understand groundwater? We all are groundwater users. Farmers use it for irrigation, industries for production and a vast majority of population use it for drinking and domestic purposes. Groundwater, although a renewable resource but is limited in its occurrence in time and space.
The mindless pursuit for extracting more and more groundwater by all the users has already started exerting tremendous pressure on this limited resource. A good part of groundwater is also fast becoming unfit for human use both due to natural and anthropological activities.
As water level is falling at an alarming rate in most part of the hard rock areas of the country, farmers are continuously struggling to cope up with the situation.
Millions of open dug wells have either gone dry or are yielding little water, and that too mostly seasonally. Deepening of a dug well in hard rock areas is expensive and difficult (needs blasting).
Even after that, there is no guarantee that regional water level will not go down any further in the near future demanding more deepening. In the absence of proper guidance many farmers in their desperation take a chance and invest in drilling deep bore well. Unfortunately, many a times this gamble does not pay as the bore well fails to yield the requisite quantity of water. A failure like this not only causes a huge financial burden to the farmer but also takes away his spirit and hope for a longtime to come.
In order to have a dependable source of water, most farmers,industries, housing colonies and others construct their own bore well. But such ventures are not free from problems as the users face frequent financial losses and inconveniences due to associated uncertainties. Questions like what should be the depth and diameter of the well, how to find a good location for a yielding well, what would be the expected quantity and quality of water from the well etc continue to arise and remain unanswered.
As a common man starts understating the basics of groundwater occurrence and the associated limitations, future management of this vital resource become a more feasible task.
Friday 14 August 2015
ACID RAIN
Acid rain is rain consisting of water droplets that are unusually acidic because of atmospheric pollution - most notably the excessive amounts of sulfur and nitrogen released by cars and industrial processes.
Acid rain is also called acid deposition because this term includes other forms of acidic precipitation such as snow.
Acidity itself is determined based on the pH level of the water droplets. PH is the scale measuring the amount of acid in the water and liquid.
the pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with lower pH being more acidic while a high pH is alkaline; seven is neutral.
Normal rain water is slightly acidic and has a pH range of 5.3-6.0. Acid deposition is anything below that scale.
Today, acid deposition is present in the northeastern United States, southeastern Canada, and much of Europe including portions of Sweden, Norway, and Germany. In addition, parts of South Asia,South Africa,Sri Lanka, and Southern India are all in danger of being impacted by acid deposition in the future. Continue Acid deposition can occur through natural sources like volcanoes but it is mainly caused by the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide during fossil fuel combustion. When these gases are discharged into the atmosphere they react with the water, oxygen, and other gases already present there to form sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. These acids then disperse over large areas because of wind patterns and fall back to the ground as acid rain or other forms of precipitation. The gases responsible for acid deposition are normally a byproduct of electric power generation and the burning of coal.
As such, it began entering the atmosphere in large amounts during the Industrial Revolution and was first discovered by a Scottish chemist, Robert Angus Smith, in 1852. In that year, he discovered the relationship between acid rain and atmospheric pollution in Manchester, England.
Although it was discovered in the 1800s, acid deposition did not gain significant public attention until the 1960s and the term acid rain was coined in 1972.
Public attention further increased in the 1970s when the New York Times published reports about problems occurring in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire.
After studying the Hubbard Brook Forest and other areas today, there are several important impacts of acid deposition on both natural and man-made environments. Aquatic settings are the most clearly impacted by acid deposition though because acidic precipitation falls directly into them. Deposition also runs off of forests, fields, and roads and flows into lakes, rivers, and streams.
As this acidic liquid flows into larger bodies of water, it is diluted but over time, acids can accrue and lower the overall pH of the body. Acid deposition also causes clay soils to release aluminum and magnesium further lowering the pH in some areas. If the pH of a lake drops below 4.8, its plants and animals risk death and it is estimated that around 50,000 lakes in the United States and Canada have a pH below normal (about 5.3 for water).Several hundred of these have a pH too low to support any aquatic life.
Aside from aquatic bodies, acid deposition can significantly impact forests. As acid rain falls on trees, it can make them lose their leaves, damage their bark, and stunt their growth. By damaging these parts of the tree, it makes them vulnerable to disease, extreme weather, and insects. Acid falling on a forest’s soil is also harmful because it disrupts soil nutrients, kills microorganisms in the soil, and can cause calcium deficiency.
Trees at high altitudes are also susceptible to problems induced by acidic cloud cover as the moisture in the clouds blankets them. Damage to forests by acid rain is seen all over the world, but the most advanced cases are in Eastern Europe.
It’s estimated that in Germany and Poland, half of the forests are damaged, while 30% in Switzerland have been affected. Acid deposition also has an impact on architecture and art because of its ability to corrode certain materials. As acid lands on buildings (especially those constructed with limestone) it reacts with minerals in the stones sometimes causing it to disintegrate and wash away.
In conclusion acid deposition can corrode modern buildings, cars, railroad tracks, airplanes, steel bridges, and pipes above and below ground.
Acid rain is also called acid deposition because this term includes other forms of acidic precipitation such as snow.
Acidity itself is determined based on the pH level of the water droplets. PH is the scale measuring the amount of acid in the water and liquid.
the pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with lower pH being more acidic while a high pH is alkaline; seven is neutral.
Normal rain water is slightly acidic and has a pH range of 5.3-6.0. Acid deposition is anything below that scale.
Today, acid deposition is present in the northeastern United States, southeastern Canada, and much of Europe including portions of Sweden, Norway, and Germany. In addition, parts of South Asia,South Africa,Sri Lanka, and Southern India are all in danger of being impacted by acid deposition in the future. Continue Acid deposition can occur through natural sources like volcanoes but it is mainly caused by the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide during fossil fuel combustion. When these gases are discharged into the atmosphere they react with the water, oxygen, and other gases already present there to form sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. These acids then disperse over large areas because of wind patterns and fall back to the ground as acid rain or other forms of precipitation. The gases responsible for acid deposition are normally a byproduct of electric power generation and the burning of coal.
As such, it began entering the atmosphere in large amounts during the Industrial Revolution and was first discovered by a Scottish chemist, Robert Angus Smith, in 1852. In that year, he discovered the relationship between acid rain and atmospheric pollution in Manchester, England.
Although it was discovered in the 1800s, acid deposition did not gain significant public attention until the 1960s and the term acid rain was coined in 1972.
Public attention further increased in the 1970s when the New York Times published reports about problems occurring in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire.
After studying the Hubbard Brook Forest and other areas today, there are several important impacts of acid deposition on both natural and man-made environments. Aquatic settings are the most clearly impacted by acid deposition though because acidic precipitation falls directly into them. Deposition also runs off of forests, fields, and roads and flows into lakes, rivers, and streams.
As this acidic liquid flows into larger bodies of water, it is diluted but over time, acids can accrue and lower the overall pH of the body. Acid deposition also causes clay soils to release aluminum and magnesium further lowering the pH in some areas. If the pH of a lake drops below 4.8, its plants and animals risk death and it is estimated that around 50,000 lakes in the United States and Canada have a pH below normal (about 5.3 for water).Several hundred of these have a pH too low to support any aquatic life.
Aside from aquatic bodies, acid deposition can significantly impact forests. As acid rain falls on trees, it can make them lose their leaves, damage their bark, and stunt their growth. By damaging these parts of the tree, it makes them vulnerable to disease, extreme weather, and insects. Acid falling on a forest’s soil is also harmful because it disrupts soil nutrients, kills microorganisms in the soil, and can cause calcium deficiency.
Trees at high altitudes are also susceptible to problems induced by acidic cloud cover as the moisture in the clouds blankets them. Damage to forests by acid rain is seen all over the world, but the most advanced cases are in Eastern Europe.
It’s estimated that in Germany and Poland, half of the forests are damaged, while 30% in Switzerland have been affected. Acid deposition also has an impact on architecture and art because of its ability to corrode certain materials. As acid lands on buildings (especially those constructed with limestone) it reacts with minerals in the stones sometimes causing it to disintegrate and wash away.
In conclusion acid deposition can corrode modern buildings, cars, railroad tracks, airplanes, steel bridges, and pipes above and below ground.
VEHICLE POISON ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Moving vehicles involves combustion
of fossil fuel, a process that emits gasses and affects the environment negatively.
According to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, more than half of the air pollution in the nation is caused by mobile sources, primarily automobiles. contributing to the
pollution capabilities of cars is the fact that they are loaded with various fluids, which adversely affect the environment in the cases of
leakage or improper disposal.
A running car engine release
various types of gasses and particles into the environment which have negative effects on the environment. Of particular concern to the environment are carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, various volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides; sulfur oxides and particulate matter, Other emissions that affect human health and create smog include ozone and carbon monoxide.
Cars emit gases that affect the
environment in several ways.
carbon a member of green house gases which contribute to global warming is released by vehicles into the environment. Some air pollutants
and particulate matter from cars can be deposited on soil and surface waters where they enter the food chain; these substances can affect the reproductive, respiratory,
immune and neurological systems of
animals.
Nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are major contributors to acid rain, which changes the pH of waterways and soils and can harm the organisms that rely on these resources.
Has if not bad enough gases emitted by moving cars is gradually destroying the ozone layer that helps to protect life on earth from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Substances that contribute to ozone depletion usually have high concentrations of chlorine or bromine atoms and include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, methyl bromide, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform.
Vehicle emissions contain chlorine or
bromine, and therefore have effects on ozone depletion.
Vehicles contain different fluids,
including motor oil, antifreeze, gasoline, air-conditioning refrigerants, and brake,
transmission, hydraulic and windshield-wiper fluids. These fluids are toxic to humans and animals, and can pollute waterways if they leak from a vehicle or are not properly disposed off . Vehicle fluids are exposed to heat and oxygen when an engine is running, and undergo chemical changes. These fluids also pick up heavy metals from engine wear and tear, making them even more toxic to the environment. Most vehicles manufactured before 1994 use CFC-12 as a coolant, Alternative refrigerants are available, but some still have an impact on the ozone layer.
Why not leave your car in the garage today and join the bus.
of fossil fuel, a process that emits gasses and affects the environment negatively.
According to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, more than half of the air pollution in the nation is caused by mobile sources, primarily automobiles. contributing to the
pollution capabilities of cars is the fact that they are loaded with various fluids, which adversely affect the environment in the cases of
leakage or improper disposal.
A running car engine release
various types of gasses and particles into the environment which have negative effects on the environment. Of particular concern to the environment are carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, various volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides; sulfur oxides and particulate matter, Other emissions that affect human health and create smog include ozone and carbon monoxide.
Cars emit gases that affect the
environment in several ways.
carbon a member of green house gases which contribute to global warming is released by vehicles into the environment. Some air pollutants
and particulate matter from cars can be deposited on soil and surface waters where they enter the food chain; these substances can affect the reproductive, respiratory,
immune and neurological systems of
animals.
Nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are major contributors to acid rain, which changes the pH of waterways and soils and can harm the organisms that rely on these resources.
Has if not bad enough gases emitted by moving cars is gradually destroying the ozone layer that helps to protect life on earth from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Substances that contribute to ozone depletion usually have high concentrations of chlorine or bromine atoms and include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, methyl bromide, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform.
Vehicle emissions contain chlorine or
bromine, and therefore have effects on ozone depletion.
Vehicles contain different fluids,
including motor oil, antifreeze, gasoline, air-conditioning refrigerants, and brake,
transmission, hydraulic and windshield-wiper fluids. These fluids are toxic to humans and animals, and can pollute waterways if they leak from a vehicle or are not properly disposed off . Vehicle fluids are exposed to heat and oxygen when an engine is running, and undergo chemical changes. These fluids also pick up heavy metals from engine wear and tear, making them even more toxic to the environment. Most vehicles manufactured before 1994 use CFC-12 as a coolant, Alternative refrigerants are available, but some still have an impact on the ozone layer.
Why not leave your car in the garage today and join the bus.
Thursday 13 August 2015
EFFECT OF EATING MEAT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
enough to undo the environmental damage that farming industries caused. The UN Environmental Program (Unep) is asking us to reduce our meat consumption in half.
If the early man doesn’t control his dying appetite for meat, the fragile balance of the natural world will fall off. As reported by the Unep, the huge expansion of industrial beef-farming methods in the Europe and the US causes “a web of water
and air pollution.” The fertilizers, pesticides and chemical weed-killers so freely used in growing grain to feed ruminants don’t only pass
into the bodies of beasts (and eventually man).
The sea animals are dying from toxic
runoff. The bees that pollinate our plants are dying out . And methane emissions produced by our ruminants industries are proved to cause global warming on a very high scale.
And while people in poor countries actually need more animal protein, advanced countries are consuming much more meat than they need
to maintain healthy living.
Professor Mark Sutton, author of the Unep study, says, “Eat meat, but less often – make it special. Portion size is key. Many portions are too big, more than you want to eat.”.
The UN scientists paint an optimistic picture in which the undernourished in the world are given more meat, while developed countries conscientiously reduce meat in their diet.
The best people can do is start
planning more meatless meals every week. One less cow killed, one less cow raised. At least, people can turn to poultry and pork.
Chicken in particular is the most
environmentally friendly meat, according to Professor Sutton.
” Chicken is one of the most efficient
meats, as it grows very quickly and
you can collect the manure,” he says.
The Unep study forewarns of dark scenario for the planet. “Unless action is taken, increases in
pollution and per capita consumption
of energy and animal products will
exacerbate nutrient losses, pollution
levels and land degradation, further
threatening the quality of our water,
air and soils, affecting climate and
biodiversity.”
Deadly Effect of Deforestation
The permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses can easily be explain has Deforestation.
An estimated 18 million acres (7.3 million hectares) of forest, which is roughly the size of the country of Panama, are lost each year, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).About half of the world's tropical forests have been cleared (FAO)Forests currently cover about 30 percent of the world’s land mass (National Geographic)Forest loss contributes between 6 percent and 12 percent of annual global carbon dioxide emissions (Nature Geoscience)
About 36 football fields worth of trees lost every minute (World Wildlife Fund (WWF))
Deforestation occurs around the world, though tropical rainforests are particularly targeted. NASA predicts that if current deforestation levels proceed, the world's rainforests may be completely in as little as 100 years.
Countries with significant deforestation include Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of Africa, and parts of Eastern Europe, according to GRID-Arendal, a United Nations Environment Program collaborating center. The country with the most deforestation is Indonesia.
Since the last century, Indonesia has lost at least 15.79 million hectares of forest land, according to a study by US University of Maryland and the World Resource Institute.
Though deforestation has increased rapidly in the past 50 years, it has been practiced throughout history. For example,90 percent of continental United States’ indigenous forest has been removed since 1600. The World Resources Institute estimates that most of the world’s remaining indigenous forest is located in Canada, Alaska, Russia and the Northwestern Amazon basin. There are many causes of deforestation. The WWF reports that half of the trees illegally removed from forests are used as fuel.
Some other common reasons are: To make more land available for housing and urbanization, to harvest timber to create commercial items such as paper, furniture and homes, to create ingredients that are highly prized consumer items, such as the oil from palm trees, to create room for cattle ranching.
Common methods of deforestation are burning trees and clear cutting. These tactics leave the land completely barren and are controversial practices.
Clear cutting is when large swaths of land are cut down all at once.
A forestry expert quoted by the Natural Resources Defense Council describes clear cutting as "an ecological trauma that has no precedent in nature except for a major volcanic eruption."Burning can be done quickly, in vast swaths of land, or more slowly with the slash-and-burn technique.
Slash and burn agriculture entails cutting down a patch of trees, burning them and growing crops on the land. The ash from the burned trees provides some nourishment for the plants and the land is weed-free from the burning. When the soil becomes less nourishing and weeds begin to reappear over years of use, the farmers move on to a new patch of land and begin the process again.
According to Michael Daley, associate professor of environmental science at Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts, the No. 1 problem caused by deforestation is the impact on the global carbon cycle. Gas molecules that absorb thermal infrared radiation are called greenhouse gases.
If greenhouse gases are in large enough quantity, they can force climate change, according to Daley. While oxygen (O2) is the second most abundant gas in our atmosphere, it does not absorb thermal infrared radiation, as greenhouse gases do. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prevalent greenhouse gas.
In 2012, CO2 accounted for about 82 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Trees can help, though. 300 billion tons of carbon, 40 times the annual greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, is stored in trees, according to Greenpeace.
The deforestation of trees not only lessens the amount of carbon stored, it also releases carbon dioxide into the air. This is because when trees die, they release the stored carbon. According to the2010 Global Forest Resources Assessment, deforestation releases nearly a billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere per year, though the numbers are not as high as the ones recorded in the previous decade.
Deforestation is the second largest human-caused source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, ranging between 6 percent and 17 percent. (Van Der Werf, G. R. et al., 2009).
Carbon isn't the only greenhouse gas that is affected by deforestation.
Water vapor is also considered a greenhouse gas. "The impact of deforestation on the exchange of water vapor and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the terrestrial land surface is the biggest concern with regard to the climate system," said Daley.
Changes in their atmospheric concentration will have a direct effect on climate.
Deforestation has decreased global vapor flows from land by 4 percent, according to a study published by the National Academy of Sciences. Even this slight change in vapor flows can disrupt natural weather patterns and change current climate models.
Forests are complex ecosystems that affect almost every species on the planet. When they are degraded, it can set off a devastating chain of events both locally and around the world.
Seventy percent of the world’s plants and animals live in forests and are losing their habitats to deforestation, according to National Geographic. Loss of habitat can lead to species extinction. It also has negative consequences for medicinal research and local populations who rely on the animals and plants in the forests for hunting and medicine.
Trees are also important to the water cycle. They absorb rain fall and produce water vapor that is released into the atmosphere. Trees lessen the pollution in water, according to the North Carolina State University, by stopping polluted runoff. In the Amazon, more than half the water in the ecosystem is held within the plants, according to the National Geographic Society.
Tree roots anchor the soil. Without trees, the soil is free to wash or blow away, which can lead to vegetation growth problems. The WWF states that scientists estimate that a third of the world’s arable land has been lost to deforestation since 1960. After a clear cutting, cash crops like coffee, soy and palm oil are planted. Planting these types of trees can cause further soil erosion because their roots cannot hold onto the soil. "The situation in Haiti compared to the Dominican Republic is a great example of the important role forests play in the water cycle," Daley said. Both countries share the same island, but Haiti has much less forest cover than the Dominican Republic. As a result, Haiti has endured more extreme soil erosion, flooding and landslide issues.
Soil erosion can also lead to silt entering the lakes, streams and other water sources. This can decrease local water quality and contribute to poor health in populations in the area.
Solving problem of deforestation. Many believe that to counter deforestation, people simply need to plant more trees. Though a massive replanting effort would help to alleviate the problems deforestation caused, it would not solve them all. Reforestation would facilitate:Restoring the ecosystem services provided by forests including carbon storage, water cycling and wildlife habitat, Reducing the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, Rebuilding wildlife habitats.
Reforestation won't completely fix the damage, though. For example, Daley points out that forests cannot sequester all of the carbon dioxide humans are emitting to the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels and a reduction in fossil fuel emissions. It is still necessary to avoid buildup in the atmosphere. Reforestation will not help with extinction due to deforestation, either."Unfortunately, we have already diminished the population of many species to such an extreme that they might not recover, even with a massive reforestation effort," Daley told Live Science.
In addition to reforestation, some other tactics are being taken to counteract or slow deforestation. Some of them include shifting the human population to a plant-based diet. This would lower the need for land to be cleared for raising livestock.
An estimated 18 million acres (7.3 million hectares) of forest, which is roughly the size of the country of Panama, are lost each year, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).About half of the world's tropical forests have been cleared (FAO)Forests currently cover about 30 percent of the world’s land mass (National Geographic)Forest loss contributes between 6 percent and 12 percent of annual global carbon dioxide emissions (Nature Geoscience)
About 36 football fields worth of trees lost every minute (World Wildlife Fund (WWF))
Deforestation occurs around the world, though tropical rainforests are particularly targeted. NASA predicts that if current deforestation levels proceed, the world's rainforests may be completely in as little as 100 years.
Countries with significant deforestation include Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of Africa, and parts of Eastern Europe, according to GRID-Arendal, a United Nations Environment Program collaborating center. The country with the most deforestation is Indonesia.
Since the last century, Indonesia has lost at least 15.79 million hectares of forest land, according to a study by US University of Maryland and the World Resource Institute.
Though deforestation has increased rapidly in the past 50 years, it has been practiced throughout history. For example,90 percent of continental United States’ indigenous forest has been removed since 1600. The World Resources Institute estimates that most of the world’s remaining indigenous forest is located in Canada, Alaska, Russia and the Northwestern Amazon basin. There are many causes of deforestation. The WWF reports that half of the trees illegally removed from forests are used as fuel.
Some other common reasons are: To make more land available for housing and urbanization, to harvest timber to create commercial items such as paper, furniture and homes, to create ingredients that are highly prized consumer items, such as the oil from palm trees, to create room for cattle ranching.
Common methods of deforestation are burning trees and clear cutting. These tactics leave the land completely barren and are controversial practices.
Clear cutting is when large swaths of land are cut down all at once.
A forestry expert quoted by the Natural Resources Defense Council describes clear cutting as "an ecological trauma that has no precedent in nature except for a major volcanic eruption."Burning can be done quickly, in vast swaths of land, or more slowly with the slash-and-burn technique.
Slash and burn agriculture entails cutting down a patch of trees, burning them and growing crops on the land. The ash from the burned trees provides some nourishment for the plants and the land is weed-free from the burning. When the soil becomes less nourishing and weeds begin to reappear over years of use, the farmers move on to a new patch of land and begin the process again.
According to Michael Daley, associate professor of environmental science at Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts, the No. 1 problem caused by deforestation is the impact on the global carbon cycle. Gas molecules that absorb thermal infrared radiation are called greenhouse gases.
If greenhouse gases are in large enough quantity, they can force climate change, according to Daley. While oxygen (O2) is the second most abundant gas in our atmosphere, it does not absorb thermal infrared radiation, as greenhouse gases do. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prevalent greenhouse gas.
In 2012, CO2 accounted for about 82 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Trees can help, though. 300 billion tons of carbon, 40 times the annual greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, is stored in trees, according to Greenpeace.
The deforestation of trees not only lessens the amount of carbon stored, it also releases carbon dioxide into the air. This is because when trees die, they release the stored carbon. According to the2010 Global Forest Resources Assessment, deforestation releases nearly a billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere per year, though the numbers are not as high as the ones recorded in the previous decade.
Deforestation is the second largest human-caused source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, ranging between 6 percent and 17 percent. (Van Der Werf, G. R. et al., 2009).
Carbon isn't the only greenhouse gas that is affected by deforestation.
Water vapor is also considered a greenhouse gas. "The impact of deforestation on the exchange of water vapor and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the terrestrial land surface is the biggest concern with regard to the climate system," said Daley.
Changes in their atmospheric concentration will have a direct effect on climate.
Deforestation has decreased global vapor flows from land by 4 percent, according to a study published by the National Academy of Sciences. Even this slight change in vapor flows can disrupt natural weather patterns and change current climate models.
Forests are complex ecosystems that affect almost every species on the planet. When they are degraded, it can set off a devastating chain of events both locally and around the world.
Seventy percent of the world’s plants and animals live in forests and are losing their habitats to deforestation, according to National Geographic. Loss of habitat can lead to species extinction. It also has negative consequences for medicinal research and local populations who rely on the animals and plants in the forests for hunting and medicine.
Trees are also important to the water cycle. They absorb rain fall and produce water vapor that is released into the atmosphere. Trees lessen the pollution in water, according to the North Carolina State University, by stopping polluted runoff. In the Amazon, more than half the water in the ecosystem is held within the plants, according to the National Geographic Society.
Tree roots anchor the soil. Without trees, the soil is free to wash or blow away, which can lead to vegetation growth problems. The WWF states that scientists estimate that a third of the world’s arable land has been lost to deforestation since 1960. After a clear cutting, cash crops like coffee, soy and palm oil are planted. Planting these types of trees can cause further soil erosion because their roots cannot hold onto the soil. "The situation in Haiti compared to the Dominican Republic is a great example of the important role forests play in the water cycle," Daley said. Both countries share the same island, but Haiti has much less forest cover than the Dominican Republic. As a result, Haiti has endured more extreme soil erosion, flooding and landslide issues.
Soil erosion can also lead to silt entering the lakes, streams and other water sources. This can decrease local water quality and contribute to poor health in populations in the area.
Solving problem of deforestation. Many believe that to counter deforestation, people simply need to plant more trees. Though a massive replanting effort would help to alleviate the problems deforestation caused, it would not solve them all. Reforestation would facilitate:Restoring the ecosystem services provided by forests including carbon storage, water cycling and wildlife habitat, Reducing the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, Rebuilding wildlife habitats.
Reforestation won't completely fix the damage, though. For example, Daley points out that forests cannot sequester all of the carbon dioxide humans are emitting to the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels and a reduction in fossil fuel emissions. It is still necessary to avoid buildup in the atmosphere. Reforestation will not help with extinction due to deforestation, either."Unfortunately, we have already diminished the population of many species to such an extreme that they might not recover, even with a massive reforestation effort," Daley told Live Science.
In addition to reforestation, some other tactics are being taken to counteract or slow deforestation. Some of them include shifting the human population to a plant-based diet. This would lower the need for land to be cleared for raising livestock.
Wednesday 12 August 2015
EAT GREEN
Regardless of what you think about global warming, you’ll likely agree that the American lifestyle, advancements across the globe, and the world’s ballooning human population are affecting the state of the planet. But all is not lost; there are plenty of easy changes you can make to your daily diet and training regime that will reduce your carbon footprint while improving your health.
Carbon Foot Print
People in the know talk often about carbon footprint. Simply put,carbon footprint is a way to measure the impact that human activities have on the environment through greenhousegas emissions (GHGEs). GHGEs—namely, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbon—are associated with climate changes and have an impact on the entire environment. The more dependent we are on fossil fuels, the larger our carbon footprint is. Predictably, Americans are responsible for more than 20 tons of CO2per capita annually (Walsh & Sharples 2008). How does that compare with the rest of the world? A recent study by researchers at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology found that even a homeless American has an average carbon footprint of 8.5 tons of CO2—more than twice the global average of 4 tons (Walsh & Sharples 2008; Geagan2009).
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the typical American diet now weighs in at more than 3,700 calories per day (Tidwell 2009) This Western style of eating—usually loaded with red meat, processed meats, refined grains and sugars, animal fats like butter and cheese, high-calorie liquids, heavily processed foods and convenience foods—is not at all “hybrid” in style, to use an auto design analogy. Instead it can be more accurately described as an SUV style of eating. Similar to many gas-guzzling, off-road vehicles, the Western diet is extravagant in regard to fuel use and emissions. Along the same lines, this “Hummer” style of eating is high in calories and low in whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables; as such, it is associated with high rates of obesity and chronic diseases. Conversely, a green (or low-carbon) diet calls for consumption of locally grown and seasonal food items, greatly reduced intake of meat and dairy,avoidance of processed and packaged foods, and an overall focus on reducing food waste.
If you’re asking, “How, exactly, can one’s diet and waistline affect the environment?” here are some points to ponder. While People don’t stroll around continually “emitting” greenhouse gases the way ruminant animals do, we indirectly cause vast amounts of GHGEs every day. Owing to our driving habits and excessive consumption of various natural resources.
By making small, sustainable changes, beginning with our diet and activity habits, we can start to move toward a green way of life. In essence, by eating and existing with the planet in mind,we can effectively reduce GHGEs and “be green.”The way we eat—including our food choices, portion sizes and lifestyle (dining out vs. cooking at home; frozen commercial casserole vs. homemade lasagne)—has a significant impact on daily GHGEs; food production accounts for one third of GHGEs on account of the many steps it takes to get food from farm to table (Geagan 2009; Harmon & Gerald 2007).
Steps in food production include harvesting, processing, heating and cooling, storage, packaging and transportation (Harmon & Gerald 2007). Some food items go through many of these steps multiple times. For example, consider the 350+ million acres of cropland that exist in the contiguous 48 states, some of which are devoted to growing corn (NRCS 2007). When a corn crop is harvested, the end use determines how and where it is processed. For example, if the end product is corn syrup, the crop is transported to a facility where each ear of corn is processed and heated until every kernel is transformed.
After this conversion takes place, the syrup is packaged and transported to another facility, where it is stored at the proper temperature (heating and cooling comes into play) until it is needed to sweeten or even thicken an item. At this point, the corn syrup,commonly used as a sweetener in processed items like ice cream or commercial cookies, is transported to yet another facility,where it is added to other (processed) products in order to make the final product. The final product—be it cookies or ice cream or something else—also requires processing, heating or cooling, storage and transportation. This final product may be stored and transported many, many more times before it arrives on your table.
With this one example, it is easy to see what an impact our food choices have on the environment and the positive impact we can make if we reduce our intake of processed and packaged foods.
Besides the fossil fuels used to process and package foods—food items that make up a third of the total food consumption in the U.S. (Eshel & Martin 2006)—another perpetrator of high CO2 emissions is a diet high in animal protein.
This is because:
(1) it takes 6–17 times more land to produce meat protein than it does to produce vegetable protein (Harmon & Gerald 2007); and
(2) livestock production accounts for a whopping 18% of the world’s total greenhouse gases (Tidwell 2009).It so happens that ruminants, such as sheep and cows, generate large amounts of greenhouse gases owing to their, well, “output,” which takes the form of methane and nitrous oxide—both many times more powerful than CO2 at trapping heat. For these reasons and others, reducing consumption of animal protein has a powerful impact on the environment; according to researchers from Cornell University, vegans (who consume no animal products) use 250 fewer gallons of oil annually, and lacto-ovo vegetarians use 160 fewer gallons, compared with their carnivorous counterparts (Tidwell 2009).
Any fitness professional, avid athlete or registered dietitian knows that athletes, especially those in heavy training, require more protein than sedentary individuals. Because of the need for muscle growth and recovery, the protein needs of athletes are indeed slightly higher than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), which is 0.8 gram per kilogram per day for adults (Rodriguez, DiMarco & Langley 2009; IOM 2002). That being said, the majority of athletes consume enough protein to surpass the RDA and recover appropriately. One can assume that the majority of the protein they consume comes from animal sources (according to the Vegetarian Resource Group, only 3% of the U.S. population is vegetarian), which means that athletes have a large carbon footprint. Indeed, the average American who eats a diet high in animal products (meat, dairy, eggs, fish, etc.) emits 20 tons of CO2 each year—five times the international average.
34% of American adults are overweight and another 34% are obese (CDC 2010), the obesity rate among vegetarians ranges from 0% to 6%, with vegetarians boasting an average body weight 3%–20% lower than that of meat eaters (Geagan 2009)
Many consumers think that because they are “organic eaters” they are also “green eaters.” Not necessarily. Generally speaking, there are countless benefits when it comes to eating organic fare, namely fewer “unexpected” food additives such as hormones and pesticides. It’s true that organic products on the whole tend to be green—given the savings in fossil fuels that are not needed to manufacture or ship them or to apply nitrogen-based fertilizers and pesticides. However, assorted organic products (i.e., overly processed, packaged items) are similar to their conventional counterparts in terms of GHGEs. When debating which item has the least environmental impact, first consider the steps the product has gone through. A savvy consumer must consider processing and transportation costs when considering any product, organic or conventional.
Currently, more than 800 million tons of food are shipped around the planet each year (four times the amount that shipped in 1960)and, on average, food travels 25%farther than it did 20 years ago (Geagan 2009). Given that the average trip is approximately 1,500–2,500 miles from farm to table, those organic Chilean strawberries you enjoyed last winter had a huge carbon footprint in comparison with the domestic citrus fruit you could have purchased (with change to spare). Need more convincing? A2007 study out of Cranfield University in England found that after considering all factors, organic, free-range chickens had a 20% greater impact on the environment than conventionally raised birds (Tidwell 2009).Why? Turns out that “sustainable” chickens take longer to raise (i.e., require fuel for labor and equipment) and eat more feed.
The plan of reducing one’s dietary impact on the environment is certainly not new, but it is becoming more prevalent. Indeed, in a 2010 survey of more than 1,500 chefs, the National Restaurant Association asked participants to rank 226 items in regard to how trendy they would be in the upcoming year. The association discovered that out of all possible trends, multiple environmentally conscious options ranked among the top 15 menu trends of 2011. The hottest trends? Locally grown/produced produce and potables; locally sourced meats and seafood; sustainable products; and use of organic produce.
As the threat of global warming continues to headline the nightly news, it is clear that changes need to be made in order to protect the environment for current and future generations. Fortunately, small changes made at home can create a world of difference.
Enjoy regional, seasonal produce and simultaneously support your local farmer while sensibly reducing reliance on transportation of foodstuffs and storage of last season’s harvest! Not only will you help the environment, but you’ll also reap the innate benefits of fresh, minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods. After all, no one can deny that farmers’ market tomatoes, fresh off the vine, taste a lot better than imposter tomatoes that don’t taste like much of anything when purchased fresh.
Go local and/or choose small, sustainable animal proteins (wild and small herbivore fish, local wild game and chicken eggs), while avoiding beef and dairy as much as possible. Substitute a vegetable protein source for an animal protein just 1 day per week, and over the course of a year, you’ll shave off the equivalent of driving 1,160 miles per year.
REDUCE KITCHEN ENERGY
Whether you like your potatoes hashed, mashed, baked, broiled, crinkle cut or barbecued you are going to need to use energy to cook those spuds, how you accomplish this task has a lot to say about the energy footprint of your home-cooking. Cooking is a day to day activity.
While many hours are spent deciding whether we want baked bread or boiled egg, cooking on a stove or in an oven usually does not factor into our decision-making. However, evidence suggests that it should. A team of researchers from the University of Arkansas evaluated the current state of energy efficiency during household cooking in developed countries and made policy recommendations based on the findings. Food production constitutes 8 to 16% of the total national energy consumption in the US. Cooking accounts for 20% of consumers’ energy use. Refrigeration and dishwashing evenly split the remaining energy demand. The life-cycle of cooking extends far beyond the kitchen. Most stoves in the US run on gas or electricity, produced from coal, gas, nuclear, hydro or other renewables. Each of these systems has built-in efficiencies that affect energy efficiency in the kitchen.
Conversion from coal to electric by conventional power plants is roughly 30% efficient and can as high as 40% when equipped with special devices. Natural gas plants can reach efficiencies up to 60%. . By contrast, the typical gas stove in America is only 40% efficient whereas its electric counterpart is 80%. Given these efficiencies, electric stoves powered with gas are the more efficient choice by approximately 20%.
In regards to fuels usage, the model of oven or stove and the style of pan can make a big difference in the amount of energy consumed during use.
On a stove-top, a pan should fully cover the burner (no flame peaking around the edges) and will work best if made of a good conducting material (copper or iron).
Glass and ceramic containers that perform less efficiently on the range are the best choice in the oven where heating occurs through radiation rather than conduction.
Convection ovens use a fan to circulate heat, which reduce pre-heating times, eliminate hot-spots and lower cooking temperatures making them preferred to non-convection ovens.
And of course you want a quality appliance that is well insulated. New and less traditional players have entered the market since the mid-20thcentury. The majority of homes now have a microwave and specialty appliances, such as rice cookers and electric tea kettles. The majority of studies reviewed agree that specialty appliances such as rice cookers and electric kettles “consistently use less energy” than traditional alternatives. The microwave showed trends that were less clear, but seems to emerge victorious for small portions and foods with short cook times.
If you would simmer food on a stove during cooking then you probably should not cook it in a microwave. Beans for example, can be cooked more efficiently on the stove. A single hamburger does better in the microwave, but four hamburgers can be cooked with less energy on the stove.
The conscientious chef can chop energy use in half versus someone with more careless practices using the same equipment.
The simple practice of putting a lid on a pot during cooking can cut energy use by 8-fold.
Another best practice is to cook food in pots that are full to capacity. The efficiency of a pot is reduced by 80% if it is only filled a fifth of the way. Cooking food in large batches takes advantage of the fact that boiling efficiency increases with pan size and volume of fluid. This article yielded good advice for reducing home energy consumption. Given the general character of these findings it was shown that consumer education has the most potential to reduce energy demand in the kitchen. Increasing appliance efficiency and promoting alternatives to traditional cooking methods can also make a difference.
While many hours are spent deciding whether we want baked bread or boiled egg, cooking on a stove or in an oven usually does not factor into our decision-making. However, evidence suggests that it should. A team of researchers from the University of Arkansas evaluated the current state of energy efficiency during household cooking in developed countries and made policy recommendations based on the findings. Food production constitutes 8 to 16% of the total national energy consumption in the US. Cooking accounts for 20% of consumers’ energy use. Refrigeration and dishwashing evenly split the remaining energy demand. The life-cycle of cooking extends far beyond the kitchen. Most stoves in the US run on gas or electricity, produced from coal, gas, nuclear, hydro or other renewables. Each of these systems has built-in efficiencies that affect energy efficiency in the kitchen.
Conversion from coal to electric by conventional power plants is roughly 30% efficient and can as high as 40% when equipped with special devices. Natural gas plants can reach efficiencies up to 60%. . By contrast, the typical gas stove in America is only 40% efficient whereas its electric counterpart is 80%. Given these efficiencies, electric stoves powered with gas are the more efficient choice by approximately 20%.
In regards to fuels usage, the model of oven or stove and the style of pan can make a big difference in the amount of energy consumed during use.
On a stove-top, a pan should fully cover the burner (no flame peaking around the edges) and will work best if made of a good conducting material (copper or iron).
Glass and ceramic containers that perform less efficiently on the range are the best choice in the oven where heating occurs through radiation rather than conduction.
Convection ovens use a fan to circulate heat, which reduce pre-heating times, eliminate hot-spots and lower cooking temperatures making them preferred to non-convection ovens.
And of course you want a quality appliance that is well insulated. New and less traditional players have entered the market since the mid-20thcentury. The majority of homes now have a microwave and specialty appliances, such as rice cookers and electric tea kettles. The majority of studies reviewed agree that specialty appliances such as rice cookers and electric kettles “consistently use less energy” than traditional alternatives. The microwave showed trends that were less clear, but seems to emerge victorious for small portions and foods with short cook times.
If you would simmer food on a stove during cooking then you probably should not cook it in a microwave. Beans for example, can be cooked more efficiently on the stove. A single hamburger does better in the microwave, but four hamburgers can be cooked with less energy on the stove.
The conscientious chef can chop energy use in half versus someone with more careless practices using the same equipment.
The simple practice of putting a lid on a pot during cooking can cut energy use by 8-fold.
Another best practice is to cook food in pots that are full to capacity. The efficiency of a pot is reduced by 80% if it is only filled a fifth of the way. Cooking food in large batches takes advantage of the fact that boiling efficiency increases with pan size and volume of fluid. This article yielded good advice for reducing home energy consumption. Given the general character of these findings it was shown that consumer education has the most potential to reduce energy demand in the kitchen. Increasing appliance efficiency and promoting alternatives to traditional cooking methods can also make a difference.
Monday 10 August 2015
Save the Water save Lives
Water is life. With about 70% of the earth’s cover being water, it is undeniably one of our greatest resources. Water is used in almost every important human chores and processes. It is an important element in both domestic as well as industrial purposes. However a closer check on our water resources today, give us a rude shock. Infested with waste ranging from floating plastic bags to chemical waste, our water bodies have turned into a pool of poison. The contamination of water bodies in simplest words means water pollution. Thereby the abuse of lakes, ponds, oceans, rivers, reservoirs etc is water pollution. Pollution of water occurs when substances that will modify the water in negative fashion are discharged in it. This discharge of pollutants can be direct as well as indirect.
Water pollution is an appalling problem, strong enough to lead the world on a path of destruction. Water is an universer solvent, enabling most pollutants to dissolve in it easily and contaminate it. The most basic effect of water pollution is directly suffered by the organisms and vegetation that survive in water, including amphibians.
On a human level, several people die each day due to consumption of polluted and infected water. As per the Economist report (dated 2008) each day over 1000 children die of diarrheal sickness in India and the numbers have only increased alarming in the last five years.
Water is polluted by both natural as well as man-made activities. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, Tsunamis etc are known to alter water and contaminate it, also affecting ecosystems that survive under water.
Causes of Water Pollution
1. Industrial waste: Industries produce huge amount of waste which contains toxic chemicals and pollutants which cause air pollution and damage lives and the environment. They contain pollutants such as lead, mercury, sulphur, asbestos, nitrates and many other harmful chemicals. Many industries do not have proper waste management system and drain the waste in the fresh water which goes into rivers, canals and later in to sea. The toxic chemicals have the capability to change the color of water, increase the amount of minerals, also known as Eutrophication, change the temperature of water and pose serious hazard to water organisms.
2. Sewage and waste water: The sewage and waste water that is produced by each household is chemically treated and released in to sea with fresh water. The sewage water carries harmful bacteria and chemicals that can cause serious health problems. Pathogens are known as a common water pollutant; The sewers of cities house several pathogens and thereby diseases. Microorganisms in water are known to be causes of some very deadly diseases and become the breeding grounds for other creatures that act like carriers. These carriers inflict these diseases via various forms of contact onto an individual. A very common example of this process would be Malaria.
3. Mining activities: Mining is the process of crushing the rock and extracting coal and other minerals from underground. These elements when extracted in the raw form contains harmful chemicals and can increase the amount of toxic elements when mixed up with water which may result in health problems. Mining activities emit several metal waste and sulphides from the rocks and is harmful for the water.
4. Marine dumping: The garbage produce by each household in the form of paper, aluminum, rubber, glass, plastic, food if collected and deposited into the sea in some countries. These items take from 2 weeks to 200 years to decompose. When such items enters the sea, they not only cause water pollution but also harm animals in the sea.
5. Accidental Oil leakage: Oil spill pose a huge concern as large amount of oil enters into the sea and does not dissolve with water; there by opens problem for local marine wildlife such as fish, birds and sea otters. For example: a ship carrying large quantity of oil may spill oil if met with an accident and can cause varying damage to species in the ocean depending on the quantity of oil spill, size of ocean, toxicity of pollutant.
6. Burning of fossil fuels: Fossil fuels like coal and oil when burnt produce substantial amount of ash in the atmosphere. The particles which contain toxic chemicals when mixed with water vapor result in acid rain. Also, carbon dioxide is released from burning of fossil fuel which result in global warming.
7. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides: Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used by farmers to protect crops from insects and bacterias. They are useful for the plants growth. However, when these chemicals are mixed up with water produce harmful for plants and animals. Also, when it rains, the chemicals mixes up with rainwater and flow down into rivers and canals which pose serious damages for aquatic animals.
8. Leakage from sewer lines: A small leakage from the sewer lines can contaminate the underground water and make it unfit for the people to drink. Also, when not repaired on time, the leaking water can come on to the surface and become a breeding ground for insects and mosquitoes.
9. Global warming: An increase in earth’s temperature due to greenhouse effect results in global warming. It increases the water temperature and result in death of aquatic animals and marine species which later results in water pollution.
10. Radioactive waste:Nuclear energyis produced using nuclear fission or fusion. The element that is used in production of nuclear energy is Uranium which is a highly toxic chemical. The nuclear waste that is produced by radioactive material needs to be disposed off to prevent any nuclear accident. Nuclear waste can have serious environmental hazards if not disposed off properly. Few major accidents have already taken place in Russia and Japan.
11. Urban development: As population has grown, so has the demand for housing, food and cloth. As more cities and towns are developed, they have resulted in increase use of fertilizers to produce more food, soil erosion due to deforestation, increase in construction activities, inadequate sewer collection and treatment, landfills as more garbage is produced, increase in chemicals from industries to produce more materials.
12. Leakage from the landfills:Landfills are nothing but huge pile of garbage that produces awful smell and can be seen across the city. When it rains, the landfills may leak and the leaking landfills can pollute the underground water with large variety of contaminants.
13. Animal waste: The waste produce produce by animals is washed away into the rivers when it rains. It gets mixed up with other harmful chemicals and causes various water borne diseases like cholera,diarrhea, jaundice, dysentery and typhoid.
14. Underground storage leakage: Transportation of coal and other petroleum products through underground pipes is well known. Accidentals leakage may happen anytime and may cause damage to environment and result in soil erosion.
Water pollutants also include both organic and inorganic factors.Organic factors include volatile organic compounds, fuels, waste from trees, plants etc. Inorganic factors include ammonia, chemical waste from factories, discarded cosmetics etc. The water that travels via fields is usually contaminated with all forms of waste inclusive of fertilizers that it swept along the way. This infected water makes its way to our water bodies and sometimes to the seas endangering the flora, fauna and humans that use it along its path.The current scenario has led to a consciousness about water preservation and efforts are being made on several levels to redeem our water resources. Industries and factory set-up’s are restricted from contaminating the water bodies and are advised to treat their contaminated waste through filtration methods. People are investing in rain water harvesting projects to collect rainwater and preserve it in wells below ground level. Water Pollution is common, and is an areaof high alert. Water needs to be preserved and respected today, for us to Save the Earth.
Water pollution is an appalling problem, strong enough to lead the world on a path of destruction. Water is an universer solvent, enabling most pollutants to dissolve in it easily and contaminate it. The most basic effect of water pollution is directly suffered by the organisms and vegetation that survive in water, including amphibians.
On a human level, several people die each day due to consumption of polluted and infected water. As per the Economist report (dated 2008) each day over 1000 children die of diarrheal sickness in India and the numbers have only increased alarming in the last five years.
Water is polluted by both natural as well as man-made activities. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, Tsunamis etc are known to alter water and contaminate it, also affecting ecosystems that survive under water.
Causes of Water Pollution
1. Industrial waste: Industries produce huge amount of waste which contains toxic chemicals and pollutants which cause air pollution and damage lives and the environment. They contain pollutants such as lead, mercury, sulphur, asbestos, nitrates and many other harmful chemicals. Many industries do not have proper waste management system and drain the waste in the fresh water which goes into rivers, canals and later in to sea. The toxic chemicals have the capability to change the color of water, increase the amount of minerals, also known as Eutrophication, change the temperature of water and pose serious hazard to water organisms.
2. Sewage and waste water: The sewage and waste water that is produced by each household is chemically treated and released in to sea with fresh water. The sewage water carries harmful bacteria and chemicals that can cause serious health problems. Pathogens are known as a common water pollutant; The sewers of cities house several pathogens and thereby diseases. Microorganisms in water are known to be causes of some very deadly diseases and become the breeding grounds for other creatures that act like carriers. These carriers inflict these diseases via various forms of contact onto an individual. A very common example of this process would be Malaria.
3. Mining activities: Mining is the process of crushing the rock and extracting coal and other minerals from underground. These elements when extracted in the raw form contains harmful chemicals and can increase the amount of toxic elements when mixed up with water which may result in health problems. Mining activities emit several metal waste and sulphides from the rocks and is harmful for the water.
4. Marine dumping: The garbage produce by each household in the form of paper, aluminum, rubber, glass, plastic, food if collected and deposited into the sea in some countries. These items take from 2 weeks to 200 years to decompose. When such items enters the sea, they not only cause water pollution but also harm animals in the sea.
5. Accidental Oil leakage: Oil spill pose a huge concern as large amount of oil enters into the sea and does not dissolve with water; there by opens problem for local marine wildlife such as fish, birds and sea otters. For example: a ship carrying large quantity of oil may spill oil if met with an accident and can cause varying damage to species in the ocean depending on the quantity of oil spill, size of ocean, toxicity of pollutant.
6. Burning of fossil fuels: Fossil fuels like coal and oil when burnt produce substantial amount of ash in the atmosphere. The particles which contain toxic chemicals when mixed with water vapor result in acid rain. Also, carbon dioxide is released from burning of fossil fuel which result in global warming.
7. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides: Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used by farmers to protect crops from insects and bacterias. They are useful for the plants growth. However, when these chemicals are mixed up with water produce harmful for plants and animals. Also, when it rains, the chemicals mixes up with rainwater and flow down into rivers and canals which pose serious damages for aquatic animals.
8. Leakage from sewer lines: A small leakage from the sewer lines can contaminate the underground water and make it unfit for the people to drink. Also, when not repaired on time, the leaking water can come on to the surface and become a breeding ground for insects and mosquitoes.
9. Global warming: An increase in earth’s temperature due to greenhouse effect results in global warming. It increases the water temperature and result in death of aquatic animals and marine species which later results in water pollution.
10. Radioactive waste:Nuclear energyis produced using nuclear fission or fusion. The element that is used in production of nuclear energy is Uranium which is a highly toxic chemical. The nuclear waste that is produced by radioactive material needs to be disposed off to prevent any nuclear accident. Nuclear waste can have serious environmental hazards if not disposed off properly. Few major accidents have already taken place in Russia and Japan.
11. Urban development: As population has grown, so has the demand for housing, food and cloth. As more cities and towns are developed, they have resulted in increase use of fertilizers to produce more food, soil erosion due to deforestation, increase in construction activities, inadequate sewer collection and treatment, landfills as more garbage is produced, increase in chemicals from industries to produce more materials.
12. Leakage from the landfills:Landfills are nothing but huge pile of garbage that produces awful smell and can be seen across the city. When it rains, the landfills may leak and the leaking landfills can pollute the underground water with large variety of contaminants.
13. Animal waste: The waste produce produce by animals is washed away into the rivers when it rains. It gets mixed up with other harmful chemicals and causes various water borne diseases like cholera,diarrhea, jaundice, dysentery and typhoid.
14. Underground storage leakage: Transportation of coal and other petroleum products through underground pipes is well known. Accidentals leakage may happen anytime and may cause damage to environment and result in soil erosion.
Water pollutants also include both organic and inorganic factors.Organic factors include volatile organic compounds, fuels, waste from trees, plants etc. Inorganic factors include ammonia, chemical waste from factories, discarded cosmetics etc. The water that travels via fields is usually contaminated with all forms of waste inclusive of fertilizers that it swept along the way. This infected water makes its way to our water bodies and sometimes to the seas endangering the flora, fauna and humans that use it along its path.The current scenario has led to a consciousness about water preservation and efforts are being made on several levels to redeem our water resources. Industries and factory set-up’s are restricted from contaminating the water bodies and are advised to treat their contaminated waste through filtration methods. People are investing in rain water harvesting projects to collect rainwater and preserve it in wells below ground level. Water Pollution is common, and is an areaof high alert. Water needs to be preserved and respected today, for us to Save the Earth.
Tuesday 4 August 2015
Tracing The Flood
One of the most complicating aspects of research is the constant flow of our “knowledge”between fact and fiction. There is an ever present need to re-examine and re-evaluate the scattered bits of evidence with which we try to analyse the activities of mankind’s in the modern world as it affect the environment. It is not uncommon to find that yesterday’s “fact” is one of today’s discarded theories or that what is merely a calculated guess today maybe a verified historical maxim tomorrow.
We will be discussing how "Man kind" actions has drastically induced flooding.
Floods are one of the most common hazards in the World, however not all floods are alike. Some floods develop slowly, while others such as flash floods, can develop in just a few minutes and without visible signs of rain. Additionally, floods can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins and multiple states. Flash floods can occur within a few minutes or hours of excessive rainfall, a dam or levee failure,or a sudden release of water held by an ice jam. Flash floods often have a dangerous wall of roaring water carrying rocks, mud and other debris.
Overland flooding is the most common type of flooding, it typically occurs when waterways such as rivers or streams overflow their banks as a result of rainwater or a possible levee breach and cause flooding in surrounding areas. It can also occur when rainfall or snowmelt exceeds the capacity of underground pipes, or the capacity of streets and drains designed to carry flood water away from urban areas.
You have to be aware of flood hazards no matter where you live or work, but especially if you are in low-lying areas, near water, behind a levee or downstream from a dam. Even very small streams, gullies, creeks, culverts, dry streambeds or low-lying ground that appear harmless in dry weather can flood.
What would you do if your property were flooded? Are you prepared?Even if you feel you live in a community with a low risk of flooding, remember that anywhere it rains, it can flood. Just because you haven't experienced a flood in the past, doesn't mean you won't in the future. Flood risk isn't just based on history; it's also based on a number of factors including rainfall , topography, flood-control measures, river-flow and tidal-surge data, and changes due to new construction and development.
The Impact of Human Activities on Flooding
More people are living in towns and cities, population growth and urbanisation has led to demand for land to build on - floodplains are flat and are food for housing, concrete and tarmac, used for roads and pavements as they are impermeable, precipitation cannot infiltrate so gets into the river much more quickly, interception is reduced as trees and plant matter is removed so precipitation gets into the river much more quicker and easier. Often surface water is channelled directly into drains and sewers. Construction of bridges over rivers constrict rivers, slow discharge and reduce the carrying capacity of the river.
Rapid deforestation has taken place. Land is now used for framing, settlement and mining etc. With no trees there is a greater risk of soil erosion as the precipitation is not intercepted. Flood damage is greatest near the mouth of a river because wide,flat floodplains are most susceptible to damage. The volume of water is greatest here because many tributaries have joined the river.
Global warming has been blamed for what some claim is an increasing frequency of flooding. There is evidence that average sea temperatures have risen and this rise has been blamed for the increasing frequency and severity of tropical revolving storms in the Caribbean. Such storm bring heavy rainfall and storm surges along the coastlines of countries lying in their path. In spring 2005, scientist reported that average sea temperatures were 3 degrees Celsius above normal and predicted that the 2005 hurricane season in the Caribbean and southern states of the USA would be particularly savage. This proved to be the case. notable hurricanes included Katrina, which led to the flooding of New Orleans.It is predicted that global warming will result in reduced rainfall in some areas, but in other, such as western Europem rainfall totals might increase. higher temperatures will result in increased evaporation over the seas and oceans, leading to greater precipitation. Such an increase will inevitably cause more rivers to flood, particularly since most floodplains have become heavily urbanised over the last two centuries.
Global warming has lead to the melting of the polar ice caps. One major consequence of this would be a rise in sea level, so floodplains lying close to the present sea levels would be at risk from flooding. The major deltas of the world, such as those of the Nile, the Mississippi and the Ganges-Brahmaptura, would be at particular risk.
What step have you taken to stop or at least reduce Flooding in your area?
SAVE THE EARTH
We will be discussing how "Man kind" actions has drastically induced flooding.
Floods are one of the most common hazards in the World, however not all floods are alike. Some floods develop slowly, while others such as flash floods, can develop in just a few minutes and without visible signs of rain. Additionally, floods can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins and multiple states. Flash floods can occur within a few minutes or hours of excessive rainfall, a dam or levee failure,or a sudden release of water held by an ice jam. Flash floods often have a dangerous wall of roaring water carrying rocks, mud and other debris.
Overland flooding is the most common type of flooding, it typically occurs when waterways such as rivers or streams overflow their banks as a result of rainwater or a possible levee breach and cause flooding in surrounding areas. It can also occur when rainfall or snowmelt exceeds the capacity of underground pipes, or the capacity of streets and drains designed to carry flood water away from urban areas.
You have to be aware of flood hazards no matter where you live or work, but especially if you are in low-lying areas, near water, behind a levee or downstream from a dam. Even very small streams, gullies, creeks, culverts, dry streambeds or low-lying ground that appear harmless in dry weather can flood.
What would you do if your property were flooded? Are you prepared?Even if you feel you live in a community with a low risk of flooding, remember that anywhere it rains, it can flood. Just because you haven't experienced a flood in the past, doesn't mean you won't in the future. Flood risk isn't just based on history; it's also based on a number of factors including rainfall , topography, flood-control measures, river-flow and tidal-surge data, and changes due to new construction and development.
The Impact of Human Activities on Flooding
More people are living in towns and cities, population growth and urbanisation has led to demand for land to build on - floodplains are flat and are food for housing, concrete and tarmac, used for roads and pavements as they are impermeable, precipitation cannot infiltrate so gets into the river much more quickly, interception is reduced as trees and plant matter is removed so precipitation gets into the river much more quicker and easier. Often surface water is channelled directly into drains and sewers. Construction of bridges over rivers constrict rivers, slow discharge and reduce the carrying capacity of the river.
Rapid deforestation has taken place. Land is now used for framing, settlement and mining etc. With no trees there is a greater risk of soil erosion as the precipitation is not intercepted. Flood damage is greatest near the mouth of a river because wide,flat floodplains are most susceptible to damage. The volume of water is greatest here because many tributaries have joined the river.
Global warming has been blamed for what some claim is an increasing frequency of flooding. There is evidence that average sea temperatures have risen and this rise has been blamed for the increasing frequency and severity of tropical revolving storms in the Caribbean. Such storm bring heavy rainfall and storm surges along the coastlines of countries lying in their path. In spring 2005, scientist reported that average sea temperatures were 3 degrees Celsius above normal and predicted that the 2005 hurricane season in the Caribbean and southern states of the USA would be particularly savage. This proved to be the case. notable hurricanes included Katrina, which led to the flooding of New Orleans.It is predicted that global warming will result in reduced rainfall in some areas, but in other, such as western Europem rainfall totals might increase. higher temperatures will result in increased evaporation over the seas and oceans, leading to greater precipitation. Such an increase will inevitably cause more rivers to flood, particularly since most floodplains have become heavily urbanised over the last two centuries.
Global warming has lead to the melting of the polar ice caps. One major consequence of this would be a rise in sea level, so floodplains lying close to the present sea levels would be at risk from flooding. The major deltas of the world, such as those of the Nile, the Mississippi and the Ganges-Brahmaptura, would be at particular risk.
What step have you taken to stop or at least reduce Flooding in your area?
SAVE THE EARTH
Saturday 25 July 2015
HUMAN INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGE
Human induced climate change refers to the production of greenhouse gases emitted by human activities, smoke from exhaust pipes is a good source. Geographers and Scientists are convinced that human activity has increased the proportion of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which has skyrocketed over the past few hundred years. The IPCC, Fourth Report released in 2007 stated that, multiple lines of evidence confirms that the post-industrial rise in greenhouse gases does not stem from natural mechanisms. This is human induced climate change, and the significant increases in the atmosphere of these potent greenhouse gases are a result of human activity. The most potent of the greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Sadly, these are a result of human induced climate change, and the gases are at the highest levels for over 650,000 years.
Over the past 8,000 years, and just before Industrialization in 1750 , carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere increased by a mere 20 parts per million (ppm) - IPCC Fourth Report.
The concentration of atmospheric CO2 in 1750 was 280ppm, and increased to 379 ppm in 2005. That is an alarming increase of 100 ppm in 250 years. For comparison and at the end of the most recent ice age there was approximately an 80ppm rise in CO2 concentration. This rise took over 5,000 years, and higher values than at present have only occurred many millions of years ago. Since 1750, about two thirds of human induced climate change CO2 emissions have come from fossil fuel burning (coal and petroleum) and about one third from land use change (mainly deforestation and agricultural). About 45% of this CO2 has remained in the atmosphere, while about 30% has been taken up by the oceans and the remainder has been taken up by the trees and plants. About half of a CO2 going into the atmosphere is removed over a time scale of 30 years; a further 30% is removed within a few centuries; and the remaining 20% will typically stay in the atmosphere for many thousands of years. Recently, carbon emissions have continued to increase. Global annual fossil emissions increased from an average of 6.4 GtC yr (one giga tonne of carbon per year) in the 1990s to 7.2 GtC yr in the period 2000 to 2005. Fossil fuel use is not the only human contribution to carbon dioxide levels, and at least another 1.6GtC should be added for emissions from land use. To gain some idea of figures we are talking about here, 1 GtC is equal to 1,000,000,000 metric tonnes, that is one billion tonnes.
Over the past 8,000 years, and just before Industrialization in 1750 , carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere increased by a mere 20 parts per million (ppm) - IPCC Fourth Report.
The concentration of atmospheric CO2 in 1750 was 280ppm, and increased to 379 ppm in 2005. That is an alarming increase of 100 ppm in 250 years. For comparison and at the end of the most recent ice age there was approximately an 80ppm rise in CO2 concentration. This rise took over 5,000 years, and higher values than at present have only occurred many millions of years ago. Since 1750, about two thirds of human induced climate change CO2 emissions have come from fossil fuel burning (coal and petroleum) and about one third from land use change (mainly deforestation and agricultural). About 45% of this CO2 has remained in the atmosphere, while about 30% has been taken up by the oceans and the remainder has been taken up by the trees and plants. About half of a CO2 going into the atmosphere is removed over a time scale of 30 years; a further 30% is removed within a few centuries; and the remaining 20% will typically stay in the atmosphere for many thousands of years. Recently, carbon emissions have continued to increase. Global annual fossil emissions increased from an average of 6.4 GtC yr (one giga tonne of carbon per year) in the 1990s to 7.2 GtC yr in the period 2000 to 2005. Fossil fuel use is not the only human contribution to carbon dioxide levels, and at least another 1.6GtC should be added for emissions from land use. To gain some idea of figures we are talking about here, 1 GtC is equal to 1,000,000,000 metric tonnes, that is one billion tonnes.
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