NZEB for Enhancing STEM skills

and motivating Students

Module 1:

Concept of air pollution

Ozone hole and greenhouse effect

Desertification and acid rain

Sustainable energy concept

ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION

A physical, biological or chemical alteration to the air in the atmosphere.

It occurs when any harmful gases, dust, smoke enters into the atmosphere and makes it difficult for plants, animals and humans to survive as the air becomes dirty.

http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-air-pollution.php

Types of Pollutants

Primary pollutants: the ones that are a direct result of the productive processes. A classic example would be the sulfur-dioxide emitted from factories.

Secondary pollutants: the ones that are caused by the intermingling and reactions of primary pollutants. Smog created by the interactions of several primary pollutants is known to be as secondary pollutant.

Causes of Air pollution

NATURAL SOURCES MAN-MADE SOURCES

Dust carried by the wind

Gases released from the body processes of living beings

Smoke from the combustion of various inflammable objects, volcanic eruptions, etc.

Burning of Fossil Fuels

Agricultural activities

Exhaust from factories

and industries

Mining operations

Indoor air pollution

Effects of Air pollution

Respiratory and heart problems

Global warming

Acid Rain

Eutrophication

Effect on Wildlife

Depletion of Ozone layer

Acid Rain

“Acid rain" is a broad term referring

to a mixture of wet and dry

deposition (deposited material) from

the atmosphere containing higher

than normal amounts of nitric and

sulfuric acids.

Causes of Acid Rain

The precursors, or chemical forerunners, of

acid rain formation result from both

natural sources, such as volcanoes and

decaying vegetation, and man-made

sources, primarily emissions of sulfur

dioxide and nitrogen oxides resulting

from fossil fuel combustion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf8cuvl

62Vc#t=134.76

Effects of Acid Rain

Acid rain has many effects on:

Surface Waters and Aquatic Animals

Forests

Materials

Visibility

Human Health

Reducing Acid Rain

Use alternative energy sources

Restore a damaged environment

Clean up smokestacks and exhaust pipes

Take action as individuals

Ozone Hole

Ozone layer is important because it prevents too many harmful ultra violet rays from reaching Earth.

Ozone is made up of oxygen and is produced naturally in the atmosphere. As the presence of ozone gets reduced in the atmosphere, it causes the ozone layer to get thinner and thinner. The more ozone layer gets thin, the more big gets the size of ozone hole.

Causes of Ozone Hole

The destruction of ozone layer is caused by

one factor only which is

Chlorofluorocarbons.

The presence of chlorine within CFC’s break

down the ozone gases in ozone layer which

increases the chances of ozone depletion.

As gases that contain chlorine are exposed to

UV light, this then causes a chemical reaction

which creates chlorine atoms. These affect the

atoms of ozone and cause ozone depletion.

Effects of the Ozone Hole

Increasing in exposure to UV rays can cause:

skin cancer or skin irritation

cataracts which could also cause an increase

in people becoming blind

DNA damage

death of small aquatic plants and animals

which means less food in the whole world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2kpz_8nt

JY

Greenhouse Effect

The ‘greenhouse effect’ is an atmospheric

heating phenomenon in which the Earth

experiences rise in temperature because

certain gases in the atmosphere allow

incoming sunlight to pass through but trap

heat radiated from the earth’s surface.

Because how these gases warm our planet,

they are called as greenhouse gases.

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ClimateChanging/ClimateScienceInfoZ

one/ExploringEarthsclimate/1point5.aspx

Greenhouse’s gases (GHG’s)

The main gases that are termed

“greenhouse’s” are:

Ozone

Carbon dioxide

Nitrous oxide

Water vapor

Methane

Causes of the Greenhouse Effect

increasing

Burning of fossil fuels

Farming

Deforestation

Increase in population

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ClimateChanging/

ClimateScienceInfoZone/Exploringwhatmighthappe

n/2point3.aspx

Consequence of the Greenhouse

Effect increasing GLOBAL

WARMING It is the significant

increase in the Earth’s temperature over a relatively short period of time as a result of human activity.

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ClimateChanging/ClimateScience

InfoZone/Exploringwhatmighthappen/2point5.aspx

The IPCC The Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading

international body for the assessment

of climate change. It was established by

the United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP) and the World

Meteorological Organization

(WMO) in 1988 to provide the world

with a clear scientific view on the

current state of knowledge in climate

change and its potential environmental

and socio-economic impacts.

The IPCC reviews and assesses the

most recent scientific, technical and

socio-economic information produced

worldwide relevant to the

understanding of climate change. It

does not conduct any research nor

does it monitor climate related data or

parameters.

The World Meteorological

Organization

Headquarters in Geneva. IPCC

Secretariat

is hosted by WMO

Desertification

Land degradation in arid, semi-arid and sub-humid areas resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities (UNCCD 1994)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9RxnuBiFbg

Causes of Desertification

unsustainable use of scarce natural

resources by local land users

climate change

globalization

population pressure

policies leading to unsustainable resource

use and lack of supportive infrastructure

Solutions for Desertification

Adoption of local management and macro policy approaches that promote sustainability of ecosystem services

Improvement of agricultural practices and enhancement of the pastoral mobility in a sustainable way

Protection of soils from erosion, salinization, and other forms of soil degradation

Effective restoration and rehabilitation of desertified drylands (e.g. establishment of seed banks, restocking of soil organic matter and organisms that promote higher plant establishment and growth, and reintroduction of selected species).

Solutions for Air pollution

Use public mode of transportation

Conserve energy

Understand the concept of Reduce,

Reuse and Recycle

Emphasis on clean energy resources

Use energy efficient devices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmQby7adocM

Sustainable Energy

The provision of energy such that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (WCED Brundtland Commission).

Sustainable Energy has two key components: renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Renewable Energy Sources

Hydroelectricity

Solar energy

Wind energy

Wave power

Geothermal energy

Bioenergy

Tidal power

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVC9mw4akT8

Energy Efficiency

Reducing the amount of energy required to deliver various goods or services:

Efficient building upgrades

More efficient appliances

More efficient residential and services lighting

Programs like fuel-efficiency requirements for transportation

More efficient manifacturing and IT usage in industry