ENVIRONMENTAL UNDERSTANDINGS Air Pollution & Flooding in India & China ASIA ENVIRONMENTAL UNDERSTANDINGS Air Pollution & Flooding in India & China

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS SS7G10 – The student will discuss environmental issues across Southern and Eastern Asia. b. Describe the causes and effects of air pollution and flooding in India and China.

FIRST FIVE Agenda Message: Report Cards go home TODAY! Before-school tutoring is tomorrow starting at 7:30a. CDA-IV Study Guides go home Thursday. Standard: Describe the causes and effects of air pollution in India & China. Essential Question: Monday, March 21st: When the Olympic Committee decided to have the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing China what was one of the main concerns of the athletes? Warm-up: Name the leading causes of air pollution in India’s urban and rural areas. Today We Will: Air Pollution in China SE&A CDA-III Review

answers E.Q. Answer for Monday March 21st: The quality of the air in and around Beijing Warm-up Answer: Cities 70% Car & truck emissions 30% Industrial air pollution Rural areas Open fires used for cooking and keep homes warm are burning wood, coal, & animal dung

FIRST FIVE Agenda Message: CDA-IV Study Guides go home Thursday. CDA-IV is March 31st. Prepare for Success! Crossword & Word Search homework assignment due Wednesday. Standard: Describe the causes and effects of air pollution in India & China. Essential Question: Tuesday, March 22, 2016: According to the People’s Republic of China’s own statistics, what is the leading cause of death in China? Warm-up: Name the four leading causes of air pollution in China. Today We Will: Complete Air Pollution in China

ANSWERS E.Q. Answer for Tuesday 3/22/16: The leading causes of death in China are respiratory and heart disease that can be tied to attributed to long exposure to air pollution. Warm-Up: Tremendous growth in population with rapid growth in cities Tremendous growth in industry Most of China’s energy source is from burning coal which places tons of soot and ash in the atmosphere Millions of Chinese now drive cars and trucks whose emissions are another source of air pollution.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS Many people in India are poor. As a result, they do not want to do anything to slow down economic growth. For this reason, it has been difficult for the Indian government to enforce many of the laws on industry and transportation that might improve the country’s air.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS AIR POLLUTION IN INDIA Air pollution is one of India’s most serious environmental problems. An enormous and growing population along with rapid growth of cities and development of industry have left many parts of India with some of the heaviest and most polluted air in the world.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS Indians living in several major cities have some of the highest rates of respiratory disease (diseases of the lungs, bronchial tubes, and trachea) in the world. In addition to industrial smoke, the growing number of automobiles and trucks in India contribute to the poor air quality.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS Some estimates say that automobile emissions (carbons and other chemicals that come from a car’s engine) are responsible for almost 70% of the air pollution problem in urban areas of India.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS In rural areas, many families cook over open fires, using wood, animal dung, or coal as fuel. These fuel sources send carbon monoxide, soot, and many different chemicals into the air as well.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS This pollution can form brown clouds (haze of pollution) which reduce rainfall and temperatures.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS AIR POLLUTION IN CHINA When the Olympic Committee decided to have the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, one of the concerns among the athletes who were going to compete was the quality of the air in the Chinese capital.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS Beijing, like many other cities in China, has experienced tremendous growth in both population and industry during the past decades. Most of China’s energy is provided by burning coal, a process that sends tons of soot, ash and chemicals into the atmosphere.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS In addition, millions of Chinese people now drive automobiles and trucks, whose exhaust or emissions is another source of massive air pollution.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS According to the People’s Republic of China’s own statistics, the leading causes of death in China are respiratory and heart diseases that can be tied to long exposure to air pollution.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS Before the 2008 Olympics, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau was established to work on the quality of the city’s air. Automobile traffic was greatly reduced and many factories were temporarily closed. As a result, many major air pollutants were reduced by as much as 45%.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS Many of the people living in Beijing want the government to find ways to keep pollution down while still allowing economic progress.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS Leaders in the World Bank make the argument that the expenses of health problems tied to air pollution are far greater than any economic profits tied to those industrial activities that contribute to the pollution.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS Acid Rain Airborne pollution also contributes to acid rain, a problem for at least a third of China’s agricultural area.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS Acid rain occurs when chemicals in the air (especially sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that come from burning fossil fuels like coal) react with the moisture in the atmosphere and fall to the ground as rain containing sulfuric and nitric acid. Acid rain is harmful to plants, animals and even buildings.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS The impact of environmental and health problems related to air and water pollution take many years to show up in the general population. Often governments begin clean-up efforts long after the health of a country’s population has begun to suffer.

ASIA Environmental UNDERSTANDINGS China and India have such enormous populations, almost half of the people on the planet, attention to health issues related to air and water pollution are of critical importance to all of us.