Environmental issues across Asia Georgia Performance Standard SS7G10 a and b

Enduring Understanding The student will understand that humans, their society, and the environment affect each other.

Georgia Performance Standards SS7G10 The student will discuss environmental issues across Southern and Eastern Asia. a. Describe the causes and effects of pollution on the Yangtze and Ganges Rivers. b. Describe the causes and effects of air pollution and flooding in India and China.

India-water pollution Causes of Ganges River pollution: Waste from factories (industrial waste) Chemicals from fertilizers (run-off) Sewage (Human Waste) and Garbage Cremated remains of humans (some people cannot afford cremation, and put the whole body in the river) Effects of Ganges River pollution: Shortage of clean water for drinking, cooking, and bathing High rates of water-born diseases Changing religious practices (Hinduism)

China-water pollution Causes of pollution on the Yangtze River: Waste from factories (industrial waste) Chemicals from fertilizers (run-off) Sewage Effects of Pollution on the Yangtze River: Plant and animal species are disappearing (the endangered Yangtze River Dolphin) People are getting sick from drinking the water and from eating contaminated fish

Beijing: A worker clears rubbish from canal Beijing: A worker clears rubbish from canal. Reports suggest that as many as 300 million Chinese people - nearly one in every four - drink dirty water

Water Pollution

Air pollution in India and China The biggest general cause of air pollution in both India and China is overpopulation. Specifically, more people mean more cars, and more factories and power plants (most of which run on coal) to produce goods and electricity According to the World Bank- 12 of the15 most polluted cities in the world are found here (8 in China and 4 in India) The 2008 Olympics in China were even affected. Many countries would not sent their athletes to compete for fear that they would get sick

Effects of air pollution in India and China More than 500,000 deaths each year (this is the highest in the world) Increase in respiratory and heart diseases Lower GDP (because workers are in the hospital and not working, less goods are being made, so less goods can be sold) Changing weather here in North America (particles found in Chinese/Indian air are being found in California) The Taj Mahal is turning yellow!

More problems because China’s overpopulation

Asian Brown Cloud Brown haze that has many effects on the places it travels above Causes: Toxic waste from factories Motor vehicles emissions Improper cooking fuels (cooking everyday indoors using wood or animal dung) forest fires Effects: Alters monsoon patterns (the winds bring rain too early or too late-affects farming) Affects overall climate (reduces rainfall and increases temperatures) Reduces photosynthesis (affects oxygen levels) Increases human respiratory problems

A satellite image showing a haze of pollution over part of China caused by the country's reliance on coal.

Air Pollution

Flooding in India and China Monsoons are essential for farming, but can cause heavy flooding. This can cause death, destruction of houses and crops, and water-born disease Yellow River (“China’s Sorrow”) killed 2 million in 1887 and 4 million in 1931 when it flooded Deforestation and draining wetlands also cause rivers to flood more easily

What are they doing to fix it?? Government getting involved (passed the Ganges Action Plan and created Environmental agencies) Building new and improved sewage and water treatment plants to make the rivers cleaner Building sanitary landfills to keep garbage away from the rivers Chinese govt. built Three Gorges Dam to stop flooding and create clean electricity Closing factories temporarily Slow population growth (1 baby policy in China) Trying to stop deforestation

Ticket Out The Door If you were in charge of an environmental organization in India OR China, how would you try to solve your nation’s environmental problems? Choose 1 problem in 1 country and address how YOU would fix it. Write 1 paragraph (at least 5 sentences) explaining your answer. Your topic sentence should be: If I were in charge of the environment in ________, I would…