...Acts against the environment causes the ozone layer to deplete. The ozone layer is defined as a region of the upper atmosphere containing relatively high levels of ozone, located mostly within the stratosphere. The ozone absorbs large amounts of solar ultraviolet radiation, preventing it from reaching the Earth's surface. When the ozone layer is depleted, it caused the greenhouse effect, a slowdown of the rate at which the earth loses heat, resulting in an increase in the earth’s temperature like a greenhouse. Acid rain is another side effect of harming the environment. It is a by-product of nitrogen oxides or sulfur oxides mixed with rain. In order to reduce the harm that humans inflict on the environment, people can learn to save energy in their homes. When washing clothes, using warm or cold water is better than using hot water. Fluorescent lights should be used if possible. In addition, leaky faucets should be fixed. The cooks should consider using the stove top rather than the oven. During the hot seasons, remember to keep the windows and doors shut while running the air-conditioner. Clean water is a finite source that is rapidly disappearing. To help keep water clean, people should minimize chemical use such as fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Those substances become dangerous once they reach a body of water. If it has to be used, then it should be disposed of properly. People can also participate in clean-up efforts to keep trash out of the water. Volunteering...
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...effective tool for controlling ozone depletion? INTRODUCTION For centuries, human activity has been altering the natural environment. Science has been preoccupied by how these changes affect the earth's natural support system and the impact that might have on life form, particularly man. The effects of most human activities are more or less fully understood, from the contribution of pollution to global warning, to the link between deforestation and the advancement of the desert. Yet, some man made phenomenon still require investigation to be fully characterised. One of these is the depletion of the ozone layer, the band of ozone molecules that occur in the upper atmosphere, which is known to protect the surface of the earth from potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. The processes that lead to its depletion and increased passage of the sun's UV radiations due to ozone loss are fully understood, but its full impact on the natural environment is still inconclusive. There has for example, been no direct link between skin cancers and exposure to UV radiation. Such limitations from the best available science is the basis for the precautionary principle in environmental management. The global community has not waited to have a clear understanding of the threat posed by high UV radiations resulting from ozone depletion to take steps to keep the protective ozone layer in tact. The Vienna Convention on the Protecting of the Ozone layer was signed in 1985. In 1987...
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...associated with the ozone layer. They projected that the continued use of CFCs around the world led to a daily decrease in the ozone layer leading to the creation of the “ozone hole”. The sales of CFCs, especially in the USA, declined drastically as consumers became more cautious since they were aware of the impact of the CFCs on the environment. In addition, the government enforced a ban on the non-essential use of CFCs; a move that increased the rate at which Du Pont’s sales declined. To mitigate the effects of Mario and Sherry coupled with the government’s ban on CFCs Du Point resulted to; a. Backward Integration Backward integration leads to the reduction of the costs of production, hence increasing the revenues the company generates (Griffiths & Wall, 2005). The introduction of backward integration influenced other market players in the industry to reduce their prices in order to sustain their supply to one of the world’s manufacturers of CFCs - Du Pont. In fact, the suppliers offered to supply chlorofluorocarbons at a cheaper price than Du Pont anticipated. They also offered to neutralize the excess hydrochloric acid associated with the production of CFCs, thus reducing the neutralization costs on Du Pont. The indirect benefits of backward integration earned Du Pont a low cost production platform on CFCs in the industry. b. Corporate Responsibility In 1974, the public was aware of the effects of the CFCs on their environment, thus they were quick to reduce the use of products...
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...trapping heat and warming the planet. CAUSES -Natural causes are causes created by nature. One natural cause is a release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands. Methane is a greenhouse gas. A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in the earth's atmosphere. The build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere alters the radioactive balance of the atmosphere. The net effect is to warm the Earth's surface and the lower atmosphere because greenhouse gases absorb some of the Earth’s outgoing heat radiation and reradiate it back towards the surface. -Ozone depletion is also one the causes of global warming. Plummeting ozone levels in the stratosphere over Antarctica during September and October are the result of complex chemical processes. The return of the Sun at the end of winter triggers photochemical reactions that lead to the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere. There are some natural means that effect ozone like volcano eruptions, and drastic changes in weather problems. -Man-made causes probably do the most damage. There are many man-made causes. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems. Pollution comes in many shapes and sizes. Burning fossil fuels is one thing that causes pollution. Fossil fuels are fuels made of organic matter such as coal, or oil. As we burn fossil fuel like coal , oil and natural gas for energy or cut down and burn forests to create pastures and carbon accumulates our atmosphere. When fossil fuels are burned they give off a green...
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...The ozone layer is a specific area in the stratosphere of maximum ozone concentration. Ozone in the stratosphere forms naturally and protects us from damage that can be caused by solar radiation such as skin cancer. In the 1970s chemists discovered that certain chemicals could travel into the upper atmosphere and damage the protective ozone. Ever since this was discovered scientists, government, and citizens have been making efforts to control and reverse the damage done to the ozone. In 1987 a treaty called the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed by world leaders who were participating in the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer. Without this protocol the abundances of chlorine would have tripled by 2000. The initial strategy for remedying the damage done to the ozone was to reduce chlorine in the stratosphere by stopping the productions of CFCs. CFC stands for chlorofluorocarbon, which is one of the main causes of ozone depletion. The regions of Antarctica and the Arctic are opposites. The Arctic is a large floating ice mass and Antarctica is two mile thick ice island surrounded by ocean. Because of this the vortex is no where near as strong in the Artic as it is and Antarctica and therefore breaks down much easier and is warmer in the Arctic. So instead of ozone holes there are ozone “donuts” in the Arctic. These holes and “donuts” are the actual depletion of the ozone layer. If there is more climate change in this region...
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...Running Head: OZONE DEPLETION Taylor Graham Ozone Depletion The Ozone Layer The ozone layer prevents most harmful solar ultraviolet light, (UV) from passing through the earth’s atmosphere by absorbing 93-99% of these UV rays. UV rays are potentially damaging to life on earth. The ozone layer is comprised of high concentrations of ozone, (03) and mainly located in the lower portion of the stratosphere (rabbitair.com). The atmosphere of the Earth is divided into 5 layers. From closest and thickest to farthest and thinnest the layers are: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. The majority of the atmosphere’s ozone resides in the stratosphere, which extends from 6 miles above the Earth’s surface to 31 miles (Sivasakthivel, 2011). The density of the ozone varies according to the season and also the location. The ozone layer has historically protected the Earth from the harmful UV rays, however in recent decades this protection has diminished due to stratospheric ozone depletion. History of Ozone Depletion Ozone depletion is largely a result of man-made substances. Humans have introduced gases and chemicals into the atmosphere that have rapidly depleted the ozone layer in the last century. The possibility of ozone depletion was first introduced by scientists in the late 1960's as dreams of supersonic transport began to become a reality. Scientists had long been aware that nitric oxide (NO) can catalytically react with ozone (O3) to produce...
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...The Benefits of a Healthy Urban Tree Canopy for Baltimore City By: Matt Heilman April 24, 2013 The city of Baltimore would face both costs and benefits in achieving a healthy tree canopy. However, the benefits would far outweigh the costs that are associated in achieving this goal. The city of Baltimore would benefit greatly from a more significant investment in improving the tree canopy. Trees are one of the few elements of our infrastructure that increase in value over time. Trees remove air pollutants, alter microclimates, and reduce air temperature. Tree also absorb and filter water, cool our homes and business and increase property value. They are known to reduce stress, aggression and asthma rates and increase the livability and vitality of our neighborhoods and businesses. A tree canopy is the percent of a city’s land area that has tree cover (MDNR. 2008). Many cities in the U.S., including Baltimore have seen a major reduction in tree and forest cover over the past several decades (U.S. Forest Services). In 2003 the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council Directive 03-01 recognized that “urban tree canopy cover offers water quality benefits for municipalities” (TreeBaltimore). American Forests, a pioneer in the science of urban forestry, determined that the healthiest cities have a 40% tree canopy (TreeBaltimore). This encouraged communities to adopt urban tree canopy goals. Working with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Services, Baltimore...
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...The Study of Chlorofluorocarbons | | | | | | Prepared by: Ana Cloriana Bonan Harlene Buenavista Blanch Marie Gueco Angel Kazumi Sioson Gian Micah Cesa PROBLEM: How do CFCs products such as refrigerants, aerosols, and plant factory emissions affect the status of the ozone layer in the atmosphere? HYPOTHESIS: CFC strongly contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere. OBJECTIVES: * To measure the amount of CFCs release from refrigerants, aerosols, emissions of factories and other products and materials that contain CFCs. * To determine the degree of CFCs in the ozone layer. * To quantify the percentage between different elements and chemicals that CFC contain. CHLOROFLUOROCARBON Significance of the Study This study will contribute to scientific research as statistical data about chlorofluorocarbons. As a further matter, it will give more ideas on how to promote vigorous conditions in the ecosystem in order to raise awareness of imminent dangers of using chlorofluorocarbons. It will help us how to fathom/understand the situations of some hurdles in the environment that might cause by CFCs. It will also assist folk on how they will grasp the drawbacks of the chemicals usage by being well-informed about it. They will be more clued in about being detrimental of the matter as well. Nevertheless, this study will furnish information concerning the substance which can cause complications...
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...level of awareness among consumers and government agencies alike on embracing as well as understanding environmental issues is rapidly growing around the world. Could it be because of the hundreds of pictures being shown of the ice melting in the Arctic or the increasingly depleting ozone later or simply because the suave Al-Gore has managed to convince us with his Inconvenient Truths? It could be any one of these global reasons or it could just be due to a personal experience that directly impacted your life. The fact is that the awareness is growing and it has expanded from NGOs initiating strikes and lobbying for causes with their placards and has even seeped into other industries such as financial industries where sustainable financing and banking are the new catch-phrases. Delving into the green initiatives in Malaysia, we see the efforts and support that the government has put into realising the green concept in the country. Malaysia gazetted the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations, Environmental Quality (Sewage) Regulations and Environmental Quality (Control of Pollution from solid waste transfer stations and Landfill) in 2009. Further to this, Malaysia pledged to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 40% by 2020. The seriousness of the Malaysian government’s intentions towards climate change and the need for energy security and green technology, ultimately led to the establishment of the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water on 9 April...
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...exampleessays.com/viewpaper/12389.html Nowadays environmental problems are too big to be managed by individual persons or individual countries. In other words, it is an international problem. To what extent do you agree or disagree? An essential problem of the 21st century is world pollution. Currently the environment is so much contaminated that urgent measures should be taken. The single individual cannot be blamed for the world pollution, however every person should take care of his or her habitat. In addition, it is vital that environmental issues should be treated internationally. Lately, many presentations, conferences and international summits are held regarding waste treatment, recycling, soil and water contamination. For sure joint efforts...
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...become increasingly worse throughout the years. One issue, such as air pollution, needs to be addressed in a serious and timely manner. All citizens of the world need to take accountability for their contribution to air pollution. It is time to reverse and reduce the amount of pollutants currently being released into the atmosphere. Air pollution is caused from many actions. Such actions include the burning of coal and agricultural or prescribed burning, power plants, cars and planes. Keep in mind these are just a few sources that are contributors to the pollution of the atmosphere. When these sources are being used, they release harmful gasses (e.g. carbon dioxide) into the very air that keeps all living organisms alive. The atmosphere is composed of many gasses naturally. Ozone is one of these gasses and helps protect life from the harmful ultraviolet rays produced by the sun. The “good” ozone is located in the stratosphere. However, there lies a different ozone layer closer to the earth’s surface. This ozone is caused from pollution and is not beneficial to plants or humans. In fact this layer of pollution can actually be seen “hovering” over entire cities. This ozone is considered to be the “bad” ozone. The “hovering” of this pollution is a result of temperature inversion. Temperature inversion is when there is an abnormal increase in temperature with height in the troposphere. (Edition, 2009) These inversions are similar to a blanket covering the earth’s...
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...Redeat Abegaz Week 4 Response ENVS0110 This week’s readings had the common theme of global climate change. All of these sources encompassed different aspects of climate change. John Houghton’s “The Greenhouse Effect” was more factual and scientific. S. Goerge Philander’s “The Ozone Hole, A Cautionary Tale” was informational too, however, the piece also discussed global reactions to the rapid climate change. Thomas R. Karl and Kevin E. TrenBerth’s “Modern Global Climate Change”, focused on the intensity of anthropogenic influences of climate change and the dismal projection of the future. In “Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next Fifty Years With Current Technologies”, Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow went in a different direction and presented a positive outlook on the improvement of the Earth’s current environmental state and introduced the idea of stabilization wedges. Lastly, the IPCC 2014 Summary report is a report that focused on looking at how nations can act to limit climate change. In the rest of this response, I will provide a synopsis of the goals and themes that were displayed in each of the readings. Finally, I will reflect on any questions or concerns the readings have evoked in me. In “The Greenhouse Effect”, John Houghton presents a detailed description of the Greenhouse Effect how the earth keeps warm. Houghton begins by discussing how thermal radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface is completely reliant on temperature. There...
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...The Ozone Threat: Managing with Uncertainty The ozone layer serves as protection of the Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Over a span of decades it has been found out and continuously theorized that the said layer is thinning or depleting. This depletion is speculated by scientific experts to have negative effects to human beings and most importantly to the environment. Studies have been done regarding the possible negative effects of the depletion of the ozone layer. First, it was said that a small 5% decrease in the ozone would probably produce thousands of new cases of skin cancer every year. Second, solar radiation can damage the planktons in the oceans which provide the world its oxygen supply. Apart from that, the existence of certain plant and animal species will be jeopardized. Lastly and probably the most alarming of all, the solar radiation can and will lead to climatic changes such as the melting of the polar ice caps which will then lead to a gradual rise of the sea levels and will eventually flood coastal areas around the world. A major cause of the depletion of the ozone layer are from the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases that are released from aerosol spray cans which rises up to the stratosphere. A major player in this problem is the Dupont Company from the United States which is said to be the largest producer of the gases that harm the stratosphere. Aside from producing one billion pounds of fluorocarbons, the company is constructing a new...
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... 3 I. INTRODUCTION 4 II. Theory 1: GLOBAL WARMING IN THE PAST 5 • Article 1: Volcanism • Article 2: Orbital variation • Article 3: Solar output • Article 4: Plate tectonic • Article 5: Solar radiation III. Theory2: THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT 7 • Article1: Carbon Dioxide • Article2: Methane • Article Ni trous Oxide • Article Ozone • Article4: Synthetic Chemicals • Article 5: Aerosols IV. Theory3: EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING 13 • Article 1: Weather • Article 2: Ice Sheets and Glaciers • Article 3: Sea Level • Article 4: Agriculture • Article 5: Plants and Animals V. Theory4: The impact of global warming on humanity 22 • Article 1: Extreme storm affects health and infrastructure • Article 2: Heat wave increase death and illness • Article 3: Water and food supplies threatened • Article 4: Drinkable water become increasingly contaminated • Article 5: Large numbers of environmental refugee VI. Theory5: EFFORTS TO CONTROL GLOBAL WARMING 23 • Article 1: Carbone Capture • Article 2: Energie Sources • Article 3: koyoto • Article 4: Programs in the United States • Article 5: Montreal protocol CONCLUSION 27 Bibliography 28 Abstract: Throughout its long history, earth has warmed and cooled time, and again. Climate has changed when the plant received more or less sunlight due...
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...concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and global temperatures. Computer simulations of climate indicate that global temperatures will rise as atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases increase, and there are many others effects predicted by an increase in temperature. Since these predictions are based on computer models of climate, some scientists criticized them as being inaccurate and constructed from sketchy data. Because major disagreements arose over the significance of global warming, the United Nations Environment Programme established an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to study the issue and make recommendations (Guggenheim, 2006). Global Warming: Eye Opening Facts that it is Refutably upon Us Ozone is a gas that occurs in layers of the Earth’s atmosphere and can be good or bad for human health and the environment depending on the layer. The second layer is from 6 miles to 30 miles up is called the stratosphere....
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