1. Environmental Issues
in Europe
Three Environmental Issues we will study:
1. Acid Rain in Germany
2. Air Pollution in United Kingdom
3. Nuclear Disaster in Ukraine

2. Acid Rain:
Acid Rain – A mixture of air pollution and moisture in the air.

3. So why do we worry about acid rain?
How acidic is acid rain?
Acid rain is weak, never acidic enough to burn your skin.
Very strong acids (Vinegar) will burn if they touch your skin and can even destroy metals.
Even the strongest recorded acid rain is only about as acidic as lemon juice or vinegar and we know that these don't harm us –
So why do we worry about acid rain?

5. Acid Rain:
The biggest source of the 'acid rain' chemicals that pollute the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels.
The original material used in making fossil fuels was full of carbon, and it's decay created sulfur.
So the coal, oil and gas we burn today are rich in hydrocarbons and sulfur.
The fossil fuels are used
In power stations to make electricity
In factories and oil refineries to make plastics and other products
In our vehicles which produce huge amounts of nitrogen and carbon gasses.

6. Acid Rain Effects: Forests Animals Humans Manmade Objects
Acid rain can make trees lose their leaves or needles
Trees can also suffer from stunted growth
Trees have damaged bark and leaves, which makes them difficult to survive some weather, disease, and insects
Fish die off, and that removes the main source of food for birds.
Birds can die from eating "toxic" fish and insects.
Fish can die from eating animals that are toxic.
Acid rain can even kill fish before they are born.
One of the major problems that acid rain can cause in a human being is respiratory problems.
Many can find it difficult to breath.
When humans eat plants or animals has absorbed acid rain, the toxins inside of their meals can affect them.
Architecture and artwork can be destroyed by acid rain.
Acid particles can land on buildings, causing corrosion.
When sulfur pollutants fall of the surfaces of buildings, they react with the minerals in the stone to form a powdery substance that can be washed away by rain.

7. This picture shows a forest devastated by acid rain in the Jizera mountains of the Czeck Repulic
Branches from a tree in Germany’s Black Forest show needle loss and yellowed boughs caused by acid rain

9. In Scandinavia there are dead lakes, which are crystal clear and contain no living creatures or plant life.
Many of Britain's freshwater fish are threatened, there have been reports of deformed fish being hatched

10.                                
Sandstone figure over the portal of a castle in Westphalia, Germany, photographed in 1908 (left) and again in 1968 (right).
Acid rain produced by air pollution generated in the heavily industrialized Ruhr region of Germany probably accounts for the severe damage. The castle was built in 1702.

12. Acid Rain in Germany
Germany’s major natural resource is coal which contains large amounts of sulfur.
Germany’s acid rain pollution greatly affects the countries that surround it.
Because Europe has prevailing winds the air pollution is often carried by the wind 1,000 miles in only five days.
Since Scandinavia and Poland is downwind from Germany, they suffer the most from acid rain.

13. Prevailing
Wind

14. Air Pollution in the United Kingdom
-What is air pollution
-What causes air pollution in the UK
-What are the effects of air pollution in UK
-How does air pollution in the UK affect the
rest of Europe

15. Sources of Air Pollution
•Stationary sources
–factories, power plants, and smelters
•Mobile Sources
–cars, buses, planes, trucks, and trains

16. Winter Smog: Formed by:
Smog is the Main Type of Air Pollution in the United Kingdom.
Smog is a type of large-scale outdoor air pollution.
It is caused by chemical reactions between pollutants derived from
primarily automobile exhaust
industrial emissions
London
Fog
Summer Smog:
Formed by:
Action of sunlight on these pollutants forms low-level ozone close to the ground
Winter Smog: Formed by:
Pollutants building up at ground level in urban areas. The 'lid' of cold air above the warm air traps the pollutants

19. Effects of Air Pollution in UK
It kills plants and trees by destroying their leaves, and can kill animals, especially fish in highly polluted rivers.
Air pollution can affect our health in many ways with both short-term and long-term effects.
short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia
Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys

20. How Air Pollution in UK affects the Rest of Europe
Because it is located in the atmosphere, air pollution is able to travel easily. 
As a result, air pollution is a global problem
The prevailing winds of Europe push the air pollution eastward from the UK towards the mainland of Europe and parts of Scandinavia
Air pollution in UK has been the subject of cooperation and conflict with other European countries

21. The worst nuclear disaster in the world.
CHERNOBYL, UKRAINE
The worst nuclear disaster in the world.
And

22. Chernobyl, Ukraine European Concerns regarding Environmental Issues22

23. Chernobyl, Ukraine European Concerns regarding Environmental Issues
In 1986, the USSR generated 10% of the world’s nuclear power.
Chernobyl exploded on April 26, 1986
200,000 people evacuated to decrease exposure to radiation
Experts predict that thousands will die from cancer over the next several decades. 23

24. Before
After 24

25. Nearly nine tons of radioactive material - 90 times as much as the Hiroshima bomb - were hurled into the sky.
Winds over the following days, mostly blowing north and west, carried fallout into Belarus, as well as Russia, Poland & other countries around the world.

26. Chernobyl, Ukraine European Concerns regarding Environmental Issues
The agriculture industry was affected when rain caused radiation to leak into the ground and water supply.
Grains and cereals from these areas were banned.
People were unable to sell their contaminated land.
A 1,000 square mile area around Chernobyl was cleared causing 135,000 people to relocate.
The area will not be inhabitable for 50 years. 26