1. 5.4: Industry & the Environment
World Geo 3200/3202
April 2011

2. Outcomes
In this lesson you will learn to examine environmental issues related to industrial activity, including the following delineations:
5.4.1 Analyze the roles of stakeholders in the face of an environmental threat. (a)
5.4.2 Relate the location of areas at risk to the location of major industrialized areas. (a)
5.4.3 Anticipate the kinds of actions that should be taken to avert an environmental threat posed by an industry. (i)

3. Industrial Waste
Industry has waste out put as well as product output. Three of the many types of waste are outlined below.
Green house gasses; ex. Carbon dioxide, Chlorofluorocarbons & methane. Causes global warming & associated problems.
Acid Rain; ex. Sulphur & nitrogen. Decreases soil fertility, kills fish, corrodes buildings
CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons); ex. Refrigerants & sprays. Breaks down ozone which filters harmful cancer causing UV rays.

4. Industrial Waste
Industrial wastes are obviously mostly related to areas of heavy industry. 
However, when we look at the maps on p. 238 and realize  prevailing winds play a role we can see that pollution does not recognize political or economic boundaries.

5. Government & Interests Groups
The Role of GOVERNMENT and INTEREST GROUPS in the face of environmental threats posed by industry.
Interest groups often play the extremist. They raise valid points of concern and argue them vehemently.
Government has the role of balancing environmental concerns & encouraging economic development.

6. Averting an Environmental Threat Posed By Industry
Analyzing the acid rain map p. 238 and the industrialized country map p. 223 and the prevailing winds map p. 64 you can see that prevailing winds are transporting acid rain from industrialized areas and depositing it in locations down wind from the industrialized area.
It is important to note that industrialized areas as well as those areas down wind from industrialized areas are affected.

7. Averting an Environmental Threat Posed By Industry
Solutions to solving the acid rain problem include:
government regulation to reduce sulphur & nitrogen emission;
development of sulphur filtering equipment;
tax breaks for companies if they reduce pollution output;
meetings and consultation between business, environmentalists and government to decide on a plan of action.

8. Averting an Environmental Threat Posed By Industry
Any solution to industry related problems will have to be dealt with by cooperation and consultation between different nations.
The major environmental summits that have been held in recent years are examples of that.
The recent Kyoto summit and the summit held in Rio de Janeiro several years ago attempted to get countries to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

9. Kyoto Summit
Kyoto Summit - Global agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions
Representatives of 160 countries agreed on new, legally binding limits for greenhouse gas emissions in the world's industrialized countries.
Agreement was reached in the early hours of 11 December 1997, after ten days of tough negotiations at the Climate Change Conference, held in Kyoto, Japan.

10. Kyoto Summit
Under the agreement, reduction commitments relating to emissions of six greenhouse gases have been established for all developed countries:
carbon dioxide (CO2)
methane (CH4)
nitrous oxide (N2O)
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
The total reduction in emissions for all developed countries by 2010 is estimated at 5.2% below levels.

11. "Manufacturing & The Environment" pages 237-239
Complete questions 31 & 32 p. 238
Consider question # 33 from page 239 of your text book.

12. Section Review Name three greenhouse gasses
Name two industrial outputs that produce acid rain.
What type of chemical causes the deterioration of the ozone layer?
If China was planning to use newly found coal reserves to produce electricity for the masses of the country why would environmentalists have a concern?

13. Section Review
Name three greenhouse gasses CARBON DIOXIDE & METHANE & CFC
Name two industrial outputs that produce acid rain. NITROGEN & SULPHUR
What type of chemical causes the deterioration of the ozone layer? CFC
If China was planning to use newly found coal reserves to produce electricity for the masses of the country why would environmentalists have a concern? BURNING COAL RELEASES CARBON DIOXIDE WHICH IS A GREENHOUSE GAS AND LEADS TO GLOBAL WARMING.

14. Section Review
Zambia is in the middle of Africa just below the equator. Imagine a company in Zambia decided to mass produce air conditioning machines using the old cheap technology of chlorofluorocarbons. The people of the country are not well off but they may be able to afford the less expensive air conditioners. Would environmentalists have a concern over this?
YES WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED OVER THIS BECAUSE CFC RELEASE CAUSES OZONE DEPLETION & GLOBAL WARMING.

15. Section Review
The Eastern sea board of the United Sates of America is highly industrialized. If they refused to sign the Kyoto agreement and felt that business should not be inhibited by extra environmental costs, would that be a concern for us here in Newfoundland?
YES WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED. BESIDES THE EFFECT ON GLOBAL WARMING WORLD WIDE THE PREVAILING WINDS BRING INDUSTRIAL WASTE UP THE SEABOARD AND DIRECTLY TO US. ACID RAIN COULD CONTINUE AS A PROBLEM.

16. Section Review
How does the role of environmentalist and government differ?
GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO A BALANCING ACT AND TRY TO SATISFY ALL SIDES WHILE THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS PLAY THE ROLE OF EXTREMISTS.