Air Quality & Greenhouse Gases Presentation

In your notebook… SILENTLY write one word to describe how each picture makes you feel

LETS BREAK IT DOWN. WHO KNOWS WHAT THE WORD QUALITY MEANS? WHO KNOWS WHAT AIR IS? SO WHO CAN FIGURE OUR WHAT AIR QUALITY IS? Air Quality- what is it and how do we define “good”

Pollution and How it Affects us Air Pollution is harmful materials added to the air that can cause damage to living things and the environment. Pollution is spread around by wind The burning of fossil fuels is the major cause of air pollution and creates SMOG. - Smog is a colloid of smoke, fog, and chemicals and irritates the lungs.

The Ozone layer has 2 Parts! There are actually 2 types of ozone, Good and Bad. Good Ozone- in the stratosphere that absorbs that sun’s radiation Bad Ozone- it is smog made from pollution and particulate matter and stops radiation from leaving our atmosphere Draw the picture in your notebook!

Types of pollution Gases: gas pollutants include carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrous oxides  When ozone (O 3 ) is in the troposphere, it is bad Pollution- harmful materials like fossil fuels and carbon dioxide added to the air Particulate matter is tiny droplets or particles in the air  Dust, dirt, pollen

WHO is the EPA? What do they track? Air Quality- determines the amount of pollution and particulate matter in the air Environmental Protection Agency- tracks and reports air quality

The burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases into the air. The more people live in a given area, the more pollution is created resulting in a more harmful Air Quality. Some of these gases mix with water vapor and then form acid rain. Acid rain is harmful to both living and non-living things

Air Quality Index Maps There are 4 colors that indicate the quality of air. Green – Low Particulate concentration, Air Quality is good Yellow- Some Particulate concentration, Air Quality is O.K. Orange- Moderately unhealthy concentration of particulate matter, Air Quality is not good Red- High Particulate concentration, very unhealthy Air Quality.

Understanding “Greenhouse Effect” 1. Look at the picture provided. 2. Write down the following questions now: 1. What is a Greenhouse? 2. What does the Greenhouse effect do for our atmosphere? Read the text on what a Greenhouse is. And answer the 2 questions

Reading A greenhouse is a building made of glass that allows sunlight to enter but traps heat inside, so the building stays warm even when it's cold outside. Because gases in the Earth's atmosphere also let in light but trap heat, many people call this phenomenon the “greenhouse effect.” The greenhouse effect works somewhat differently from an actual greenhouse, but the name stuck, so that's how we still refer to it today.

Understanding “Greenhouse Effect” 1. Create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting a greenhouse to the Greenhouse Effect based on what you just read. At least 2 points in each section

The ozone layer  This is a layer in the atmosphere that is in the stratosphere.  It blocks the heat from mesosphere  Its basic function block harmful rays from the sun trapping heat within the first two layers.  Holes in the ozone layer allows more rays through which increases Earths temperature.

Greenhouse effect  This is a process where heat from the earth and heat coming in from the sun is trapped by the ozone layer.  As a result, earths temperature continue to rise  Car analogy- heat comes in from the sun through the windshield but is stuck. There is no way for it to get out.

Quick Breakdown  1. Pollution, especially from fossil fuels create particulate matter.  This contributes to the greenhouse effect which traps radiation into the troposphere.  Radiation increases the temperature of the earth, contributing to global warming which is melting the polar ice caps

Stop it in its’ tracks!!  How can we stop global warming?  You are a scientist hired by the city of charlotte to reduce greenhouse effects in the environment, make a 1 page plan on how you are going to handle this problem.  Work with your partner at a level 2 volume. Think about: ○ Would driving less decrease the amount of CO2 being released? ○ Would eliminating factories? ○ Would increasing public transportation? ○ How about give people who ride bikes to work a tax bonus?