1ª Série Médio
2º Trimestre 2015
TEXT I: AIR POLLUTION
One of the formal definitions of
air pollution is as follows – ‘The presence in the atmosphere of one or more
contaminants in such quality and for such duration as is injurious, or tends to
be injurious, to human health or welfare, animal or plant life.’ It is the
contamination of air by the discharge of harmful substances. Air pollution can
cause health problems and it can also damage the environment and property. It
has caused thinning of the protective ozone layer of the atmosphere, which is
leading to climate change.
Modernization and progress have
led to air getting more and more polluted over the years. Industries, vehicles,
increase in the population, and urbanization are some of the major factors
responsible for air pollution. The following industries are among those that
emit a great deal of pollutants into the air: thermal power plants, cement,
steel, refineries, petro chemicals, and mines.
Air pollution results from a
variety of causes, not all of which are within human control. Dust storms in
desert areas and smoke from forest fires and grass fires contribute to chemical
and particulate pollution of the air. The source of pollution may be in one
country but the impact of pollution may be felt elsewhere. The discovery of
pesticides in Antarctica, where they have never been used, suggests the extent
to which aerial transport can carry pollutants from one place to another.
Probably the most important natural source of air pollution is volcanic
activity, which at times pours great amounts of ash and toxic fumes into the
atmosphere.
Listed below are the major air
pollutants and their sources.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a
colourless, odourless gas that is produced by the incomplete burning of
carbon-based fuels including petrol, diesel, and wood. It is also produced from
the combustion of natural and synthetic products such as cigarettes. It lowers
the amount of oxygen that enters our blood. It can slow our reflexes and make
us confused and sleepy.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the
principle greenhouse gas emitted as a result of human activities such as the
burning of coal, oil, and natural gases.
Chloroflorocarbons (CFC) are
gases that are released mainly from air-conditioning systems and refrigeration.
When released into the air, CFCs rise to the stratosphere, where they come in
contact with few other gases, which lead to a reduction of the ozone layer that
protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Lead is present in petrol,
diesel, lead batteries, paints, hair dye products, etc. Lead affects children
in particular. It can cause nervous system damage and digestive problems and,
in some cases, cause cancer.
Ozone occurs naturally in the
upper layers of the atmosphere. This important gas shields the earth from the
harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. However, at the ground level, it is a
pollutant with highly toxic effects. Vehicles and industries are the major
source of ground-level ozone emissions. Ozone makes our eyes itch, burn, and
water. It lowers our resistance to colds and pneumonia.
Nitrogen oxide (Nox) causes smog
and acid rain. It is produced from burning fuels including petrol, diesel, and
coal. Nitrogen oxides can make children susceptible to respiratory diseases in
winters.
TEXT II: GLOBAL WARMING
Global warming is the increase in
the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent
decades and its projected continuation.
The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) concludes, "most of the observed increase in
globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to
the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations,"
which leads to warming of the surface and lower atmosphere by increasing the
greenhouse effect. Natural phenomena such as solar variation combined with volcanoes
have probably had a small warming effect from pre-industrial times to 1950, but
a cooling effect since 1950. The basic conclusions have been endorsed by at
least 30 scientific societies and academies of science, including all of the
national academies of science of the major industrialized countries. The
American Association of Petroleum Geologists is the only scientific society
that rejects these conclusions, and a few individual scientists also disagree
with parts of them.
Remaining scientific uncertainties
include the exact degree of climate change expected in the future, and how
changes will vary from region to region around the globe. There is ongoing
political and public debate regarding what, if any, action should be taken to
reduce or reverse future warming or to adapt to its expected consequences. Most
national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol aimed at
combating greenhouse gas emissions.
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