TECHNOLOGY

Pollution and Its

Impacts

BI

Environmental Science
Dr. Anneth R. Ramirez, School of Biotechnology; 2011-2012

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY AT HO CHI MINH CITY

INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

Lecture#5 Pollution and Its Impacts

Learning Objectives:
In this lecture we will discuss air, water, soil pollution
and their impacts.
We will also discuss climate change as an effect of
pollution

Air pollution
Water Pollution
Soil Pollution
Climate Change
Anneth R. Ramirez, Ph. D
Email: rranneth@hcmiu.edu.vn Mobile phone: +84908634901

In this lecture, we will discuss briefly some facts and figures about e

However, our greater role will be

an attempt to make a critical
anaysis of the worlds
environmental polllution problems

Review

Environmental Science: The

scientific study of the influence of
human actions on natural
processes

What is Environmental Science?

Environment (from the French
environner: to encircle or surround)
can be defined as (1) the
circumstances or conditions that
surround an organism or group of
organisms, or (2) the complex of
social or cultural conditions that affect
an individual or community

Environmental Impact
Environmental impact
refers to the alteration of
the natural environment
by human activity
Resource depletion and
pollution are the two basic
types of environmental

because it is a relatively recent development in the planet's history: be

Environmental Pollution started with

the Industrial Revolution

http://www.dailyinterestingfacts.com/environment/pollution-facts.html

As industrialization has spread

around the globe, so the problem of
pollution has spread with it

Earlier, we studied how overpopulation has caused pollution problems .

What is Water Pollution?

Water pollution
is broad term
that includes
contamination
of different
water bodies
such as lakes,
rivers, oceans,
and
groundwater

Types of Water Pollution

Surface Water Pollution
The most obvious
type of water
pollution affects
surface waters
(oceans, lakes and
rivers)

Groundwater
Pollution-water
stored
underground in
aquifer)

Industry: Main Reason for

Global Water Pollution
Problems
The industry is the
main reason for
global water
pollution problems
primarily because
there are many
industries that
ignored country
policies about
dumping waste in
rivers and other
water bodies
http://www.dailyinterestingfacts.com/environment/pollution-facts.ht
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Waste Water and Sewage

Water: Main Water
Pollutants

Waste water and

sewage waste are
the main sources
of water
pollutants . It has
been estimated we
generate more
than 4 billion tons
of industrial waste
per year
http://www.dailyinterestingfacts.com/environment/pollution-facts.ht
ml

15,000 die
each year
from water
It pollution
is believed that
water pollution is
the leading
worldwide cause
of deaths and
diseases
responsible for
around 15,000
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ardilesrante/
deaths each day.
About 20% of the
world's population
lacks
access to
http://www.dailyinterestingfacts.com/environment/pollution-facts.ht
ml
safe drinking

Point Sources of Water Pollution

Factories, power plants, sewage

treatment plants, underground coal
mines and oil wells are classified as
point sources because they
discharge pollution from specific
locations such as drain pipes, ditches
or sewer outfalls (Cunningham and
Cunningham, 2008)

Non-point Sources of Water Pollution

They are scattered or diffuse, with no specific location where they disch

What are the implications of this?

Non-point sources is the leading cause of water quality problems

The effects of nonpoint source pollutants

on specific waters vary and may not
always be fully assessed. However, we
know that these pollutants have harmful
effects on drinking water supplies,
recreation, fisheries and wildlife.

Soil pollution is defined as the build-up in soils of persistent toxic comp

Causes of Soil Pollution

After the WW II, many countries suffered from food shortage and this fa

Other Causes of Soil Pollution

Soil pollution is also caused by means other than the direct addition of

Organic and Inorganic Contaminants

Both organic (those that contain carbon) and inorganic (those

that don't) contaminants are important in soil. The most
prominent chemical groups of organic contaminants are fuel
hydrocarbons, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated aromatic
compounds, detergents, and pesticides. Inorganic species include
nitrates, phosphates, and heavy metals such as cadmium,
chromium and lead; inorganic acids;
andradionuclides(radioactive substances). Among the sources
of these contaminants are agricultural runoffs, acidic precipitates,
industrial waste materials, and radioactive fallout.

Read more:
Soil Pollution - water, effects, environmental, pollutants, United St
ates, EPA, pesticide, chemicals, industrial, toxic, sources, use, lif
e, Phytoremediation

http://www.pollutionissues.com/Re-Sy/Soil-Pollution.html#ixzz1cf
86LnO2

Soil Pollution and Water Pollution

Soil pollution can lead to water

pollution if toxic chemicals leach into
groundwater, or if contaminated runoff
reaches streams, lakes, or oceans.
Read more:
Soil Pollution - water, effects, environm
ental, pollutants, United States, EPA, pe
sticide, chemicals, industrial, toxic, so
urces,
use,
life,
Phytoremediation

http://www.pollutionissues.com/Re-Sy/

Soil Pollution and Air Pollution

Soil also naturally contributes to air pollution by

releasing volatile compounds into the
atmosphere. Nitrogen escapes through ammonia
volatilization anddenitrification. The
decomposition of organic materials in soil can
release sulfur dioxide and other sulfur
compounds, causing acid rain.
Read more:
Soil Pollution - water, effects, environmental, pol
lutants, United States, EPA, pesticide, chemicals,
industrial, toxic, sources, use, life, Phytoremedia
tion

http://www.pollutionissues.com/Re-Sy/Soil-Pollu

Soil Pollution and

Bioaccumulation
Chemicals that are not water soluble
contaminate plants that grow on polluted
soils, and they also tend to accumulate
increasingly toward the top of the food
chain
Read more:
Soil Pollution - water, effects, environmen
tal, pollutants, United States, EPA, pestic
ide, chemicals, industrial, toxic, sources,
use, life, Phytoremediation

DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)

a colourless chemical pesticide, which is a potent

nerve poison in insects was first widely used to
combat diseases such as yellow fever and
malaria. It was later used to control and/ or
eradicate disease carrying and crop eating
insects. DDT was later on discovered to cause
endagerement of species in the same food chain
as thecontrolled insects, particularly birds.
DDT prevents the shelling of bird eggs and in
humans causes health threats. We saw these in
a class presentation

chemical impurity resulting from the production

of the auxin 2,4,5T. Dioxin is a toxic chemical and
was used as a defoliant by the American army.
Dioxin was a major constituent of argent orange
which was applied on trees which would then fall
off revealing enemy camps. After the war it was
found that the chemical cause congenital
deformalities and mental effects to the children
born to the American soldiers and in the area
over which it was applied. In minute amount
,dioxin has the ability to cause cancer,chloracne,
miscarriage, and fetal abnormalities

Decontamination Methods

1. The most common decontamination

method for polluted soils is to remove
the soil and deposit it in landfills or to
incinerate it.
Whats the problem with this method?
Read more:
Soil Pollution - water, effects, environme
ntal, pollutants, United States, EPA, pest
icide, chemicals, industrial, toxic, sourc
es,
use, life, Phytoremediation

Soil Washing Techniques

2. Soil washing techniques have been developed

including physical methods, such as attrition
scrubbing and wet-screening, and chemical
methods consisting of treatments with organic
and inorganic acids, bases, salts and chelating
agents
What are the problems with these methods?
Read more:
Soil Pollution - water, effects, environmental, pol
lutants, United States, EPA, pesticide, chemicals,
industrial, toxic, sources, use, life, Phytoremedia
tion

In situ Methods Are Less

Harmful
in situmethods are used directly at the contamination
site. In this case, soil does not need to be excavated,
and therefore the chance of causing further
environmental damage is minimized.In
situbiodegradation uses naturally occurring
microorganisms by artificially stimulating their
numbers and activity. The microorganisms then assist
in degrading the soil contaminants.
Read more:
Soil Pollution - water, effects, environmental, pollutant
s, United States, EPA, pesticide, chemicals, industrial,
toxic, sources, use, life, Phytoremediation

http://www.pollutionissues.com/Re-Sy/Soil-Pollution.h

Air Pollution

Air pollution is generally the most widesp

Sources of Air Pollution

There are 2 sources of air pollution:

Natural Sources of Air

Pollution
Volcano eruption

Artificial Sources of Air Pollution

Human-caused air pollution includes:

6 Major Types of Pollutants

The EPA has identified 6 major types of pollutants:

Major Indoor Air Pollutants

Tobacco smoke

Indoor Air Pollution

Indoor air pollution
is even bigger
problem than the
outdoor air pollution
because according
to the data from the
World Health
Organization indoor
air pollution has
caused more deaths
than outdoor air
pollution
http://www.dailyinterestingfacts.com/environment/pollution-facts.ht
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Indoor Pollution from Cooking Fires Kills 1.5 Million People Annually

More than half the worlds populationabout 3 billion peoplecook the

Indoor smoke contains a variety of

health-damaging pollutants:
particles (complex mixtures of chemicals in solid form and droplets)

Environment Poverty Nexus

Environmental problems have hit the poor the hardest and
have been a significant cause of the rise in poverty and
vulnerability.
The environment-poverty nexus is a two-way
relationship.
Environmentalists say the relationship between poverty and
environment is a vicious circle.
Environmental degradation has deprived poor people off
their assets, affected their health and increased their
vulnerability towards it. On the other hand, poverty affects
the environment by leading people to excessive exploitation
of natural resources.
However, in the process it is mostly the poor who bear the
brunt of environmental degradation

Smog is the brown-colored haze which hangs in

Photochemical Smog

Photochemical smog is a type of air pollution produced when sunlight a

mtweb.mtsu.edu

Acid Precipitation

The termacid precipitationis used to specifically

describe wet forms of acid pollution that can be found
in rain, sleet, snow, fog, and cloud vapor. An acid can
be defined as any substance that when dissolved in
water dissociates to yield corrosive hydrogen ions.
The acidity of substances dissolved in water is
commonly measured in terms ofpH(defined as the
negative logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen
ions). According to this measurement scale solutions
with pHs less than 7 are described as beingacidic,
while a pH greater than 7.0 is consideredalkaline
Source: http://www.physicalgeography.net

SO2+ H2OH2SO3
H2SO3+ 1/2O2H2SO4

Several processes can result in the formation of acid deposition.Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and
sulfur dioxide (SO2) released into the atmosphere from a variety of sources call fall to the ground
simply as dry deposition. This dry deposition can then be converted into acids when these deposited
chemicals meet water. Most wet acid deposition forms when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide
(SO2) are converted tonitric acid (HNO3) andsulfuric acid (H2SO4) through oxidationanddissolution .
Wet deposition can also form whenammoniagas (NH3) from natural sources is converted into
ammonium(NH4)
Source: http://www.physicalgeography.net

Are the Sulfur Released in the

Atmosphere of Human Origin?

ANSWER: YES, 90% of the Sulfur

released into the atmosphere are of
human origin

Is the Sulfur Dioxide Released in

the Atmosphere of Human Origin?
About 99% of the sulfur
dioxide in air comes from
human sources. The main
source of sulfur dioxide in
the air is industrial activity
when we process materials
that contain sulfur. For
example, the generation
of electricity from coal, oil
or gas that contains sulfur.

Is the Sulfur Dioxide Released in

the Atmosphere of Human Origin?

Sulfur dioxide is also

present in motor vehicle
emissions, as the result of
fuel combustion

Is the Sulfur Dioxide Released in

the Atmosphere of Human Origin?

One of
extraction
processes of
mining, the
pyrometallurgica
l
StraightDope.com

Effects of Acid Deposition

Acid deposition
has a destructive
and unhealthy
impact on the
environment. For
example, in
water, acid

Effects of Acid Deposition

Or the acid can leach heavy
metals in the water and
release harmful metals into
the aquatic environment,
and after marine life absorb
these metals, they die, or
become sterile, or produce
mutated offspring. Another
impact of acid deposition is
the destruction of artifacts,
where limestone or marble

Air pollution is linked to

premature births

Pollution and Global Warming

Is the earth really getting warmer, and does

Global warming controversy

In the scientific literature,
there is a
strong consensusthat
global surface
temperatures have
increased in recent
decades and that the
trend is caused mainly by
human-induced emissions
of greenhouse gases
Source: Oreskes, Naomi(December 2004).
"BEYOND THE IVORY TOWER: The Scientific Consensus on Cl
imate Change"
.Science306(5702): 1686.doi:10.1126/science.1103618

controversy(also known
as"Climategate")began in November
2009 with thehackingof a server at the
Climatic Research Unit(CRU) at the
University of East Anglia(UEA).On 20
November, two weeks before the
Copenhagen Summiton climate change,
an unknown individual or group breached
CRU's server and copied thousands of
emails and computer files to various
locations on the Internet

CLIMATEGATE:ANOTHER
CONTROVERSY

the emails revealed

scientists manipulating
climate data and
suppressing their critics.
Climate skeptics said the
documents showed evidence
that global warming was
a scientific conspiracy
CLIMATEGATE SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN
CLEARED OF SUCH ACCUSATIONS

I. What Are Some Natural Causes

of Climate Change?

(A) Variations in the Earth's Orbit

(tilt or shape) - cycles from
20,000 to 100,000 yrs.

(B) Changes in the amount of

energy coming from the Sun

C) Volcanic
eruptions

(D) Collisions with

comets
or meteorites

II. Have Humans Caused

Some of the Recent
Climate Changes?

ANSWER: STRONG
POSSIBILITY

Linking Air Pollution With Climate

Change

ANSWER: STRONG
POSSIBILITY

How do we know GHGs are increasing because of human activity?

1.Some GHG such as industrial halocarbons are only made by h

2. Carbon Dioxide, Methane and

Nitrous Oxide Concentrations

These were stable for thousands of years until about 200 years ago wh

3. Only Human -Caused GHG concentrations are increasing in the estimates

4. Chemical measurements of
Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere
show that the additional CO2 is
from burning of fossil fuels (the
amount of oxygen in the
atmosphere is decreasing in direct
proportion to the increase in CO2);
they are from plants (which
assumes, coal) rather than
geological sources such as volcano
(www.pewclimate.org)

Climate Change

Source:
step.nn.k12.va.us/science/envsci/ppt/Climate_Cha

Carbon dioxide increase is due to:

Burning

Studying climate change: Direct

sampling
Scientists have
recorded carbon
dioxide levels in the
atmosphere directly
since 1958, at a
station in Hawaii.

The data show a

steady upward climb
from 315 to 373 ppm.
(The up and down zigzags
are from regular wintersummer fluctuations.)
(Brennan and Withgott,
2008)

Figure 12.6

Increase of other
greenhouse gases
Halocarbon gases (which include CFCs)
are powerful greenhouse gases.
But their effects are slowing due to the
Montreal Protocol.
Water vapor is the most abundant
greenhouse gas. Its future changes, if any,
remain uncertain.

Aerosols and cooling

Aerosols (microscopic particles and droplets) in the atmosphere can:

Modeling Climate Change

Scientists found a way to study climate change by developing a n

Studying climate change: Ice cores

Ice caps and glaciers
accumulated over thousands
or millions of years.
They contain bubbles of gas
preserved from the time
when each layer formed.
Scientists drill cores and
analyze the gas bubbles in
each layer to see what the
atmosphere was like at that
time.
(Brennan and Withgott, 2010)
Figure 12.5

Using Pollen analysis to Study

Climate Change
Scientists also drill cores into the sediments of ancient lake beds.

From The Science behind the Stories

To predict what will happen to climate in the future, scientists use

Studying climate change:

Modeling

Scientists test their models by entering real data from

the past and seeing how well their model would have
predicted past trends.
They generally find: Models that incorporate only
natural factors or only anthropogenic (human-caused)
factors predict poorly.
But models including both natural and anthropogenic
factors predict very well.
(Brennan and Withgott, 2010)

Both natural factors and human-caused factors are influencing

Climate change and the IPCC report

Climate Change 2007, theFourth Assessment

Report(AR4) of theUnited Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(
IPCC), is the fourth in a series of reports intended to
assess scientific, technical and socio-economic
information concerningclimate change, its potential
effects, and options for adaptation and mitigation. The
report is the largest and most detailed summary of the
climate change situation ever undertaken, produced
by thousands of authors, editors, and reviewer from
dozens of countries, citing over 6,000peer-reviewed
scientific studies

Among IPCCs notable findings:

"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal."

The IPCC report: Causes of climate change

The IPCC report reflected the predominant view of climate scientists:

Observed
Changes, Effects
..and
Predictions

Changes in Global Climate 65 ma to Present

Asteroid hit Chesapeake

led to major glaciation
period

step.nn.k12.va.us/science/envsci/ppt/Climate_Chan
ge.ppt

Phenological
Changes
Life-cycles of plants and animals have been
affected by global change
Temperatures affecting plants growing
season, flowering time and timing of
pollination by insects are also changing

step.nn.k12.va.us/science/envsci/ppt/Climate_Change
.ppt

Phenological
Changes

Penuelas J and Filella I 2001. Response to a warming world. Science 294: 793 795

Major Biomes and Their

Vegetation

Tundra no trees, lichens, grasses and

shrubs
Taiga (or Boreal Forest) coniferous
evergreens
Temperate forests include evergreens
(spruce), deciduous forests (oaks), mixed
forests, and temperate rain forests
(sequoias)
Tropical rain forests greatest amount
of diversity in vegetation (vines, orchids,
palms)

Major Terrestrial Biomes

Geographic distribution of biomes are dependent on

temperature, precipitation, altitude and latitude
Weather patterns dictate the type of plants that will dominate
an ecosystem

aculty.southwest.tn.edu/. ../ES%20%20we16.jpg

Global Temperature
Million years before present
570 505

438 408 360 286 245

208

144

66

2 10K

Million years before present

570 505

438 408 360 286 245

208

144

66

2 10K

Southeast Asia Tropical Rainforest

Monsoons role

SE Asia has a tropical wet climate which is influenced by ocean

wind systems originating in the Indian Ocean and China Sea
2 monsoon seasons:
Northeast monsoons (Oct. Feb) bring heavy rains to Eastern
side of the islands
Southwest monsoons (April Aug) more powerful of the two
seasons brings heavy rainfall to the western side of the
islands Eastern side of islands dry but windy (due to rain
shadow)

Change in monsoon cycle bring heavy consequences

Ex. 1992 1993 logging degraded primary foresting making it

vulnerable to fires. A drought brought on by El Nino created
devastating fires destroying 27,000 km2 of acreage.
In 1998 the same type of thing happened again when El Nino
created a weak monsoon season destroying many plant and
animal species.
step.nn.k12.va.us/science/envsci/ppt/Climate_Chang

e.ppt

Monsoons Seasons

India
Summer monsoon

step.nn.k12.va.us/science/envsci/
ppt/Climate_Change.ppt

Indian
Ocean

S. China
Sea

woodlan
d
shrub land

Arid deserts in Southwestern

U.S. will shrink as precipitation
increases
Savanna/shrub/woodland
systems will replace grasslands
in the Great Plains
Eastern U.S. forests will
expand northerly weather
conditions will become more
severe
Southeastern U.S. increasing
droughts will bring more fires
triggering a rapid change from
broadleaf forests to Savannas

Climate change p. 104

grassland
fores
t

arid

Present day
grassland
fores
t
grassland
shrub land

grassland
woodlan
d

Predicted Distribution

Predicted Change in Biomes

Loss of existing habitat that could occur under doubling
of CO2 concentration. Shades of red indicate percentage
of vegetation models that predicted a change in biome
type.

Frequency of forest fires will increase

step.nn.k12.va.us/science/envsci/ppt/Climate_Change.p
pt

Shifts in Terrestrial Habitat

It is predicted that at
the end of this century
there will be large scale
shifts in the global
distribution of
vegetation in response
to anthropogenic
climate change.

With man doubling the

amount of carbon
dioxide entering into the
atmosphere the climate
is changing more
rapidly then plant
migration can keep up.

ww.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/ seminars/960610SM.html

Potential distribution of the major

world biomes under current climate
conditions

Projected distribution of the major world biomes by

simulating the effects of 2xCO2-equivalent
concentrations

Predicted changes in Siberian

Boreal and Alpine Vegetation

vegetation in response to doubling of

CO2

Research indicates the

greatest amount of change
will occur at the higher
latitudes

Northern Canada and Alaska

are already experiencing
rapid warming and reduction
of ice cover

Vegetation existing in these

areas will be replaced with
temperate forest species

Tundra, Taiga and Temperate

forests will migrate pole ward

Some plants will face

extinction because habitat
will become too small (ex.
Mountain tops of European
step.nn.k12.va.us/science/envsci
Alps)
/ppt/Climate_Change.ppt

Climate change

What Will Happen to Grasslands and Shrub Lands?

Grassland will change to deserts or shrub lands

Exposing greater amounts of soil
Increasing soil temperature poor nitrogen content
poor plant growth
Barren soil exposed to winds and transported into
atmosphere as dust and trapping IR leading to more
warming

Who are at Risk?

Northern countries (Russia, Sweden, Finland) of
existing terrestrial habitats at risk
In Mexico, its predicted that 2.4% of species will
lose 90% of their range and threatened with
extinction by the year 2055
Population at greatest risk are the rare and
isolated species with fragmented habitats or
those surrounded by water, agriculture or human
development
Polar bears facing extinction by prolonged ice
melts in feeding areas along with decline in seal
population
step.nn.k12.va.us/science/envsci/ppt/Climate_Chang
e.ppt

 35% of worlds existing

terrestrial habitat predicted to

be altered
Studies found that
deforestation in different areas
of the globe affects rainfall
patterns over a considerable
region
Deforestation in the Amazon
region of South America
(Amazonian) influences
rainfall from Mexico to Texas
and in the Gulf of Mexico
Deforesting lands in Central
Africa affects precipitation in
the upper and lower U.S.
Midwest
www.sciencedaily.com/.../ 09/050918132252.htm

THE KYOTO PROTOCOL

AN ANALYSIS POST-KYOTO

Recognizing that developed countries are principally respons

After 2012, a regulatory gap will result

THE FUTURE OF THE

KYOTO PROTOCOL IS IN
LIMBO

The climate summit in Cancun has a very slim chance of success beca

Countries generally have fallen

into camps of rich and poor on
the issue. Developing countries
insist the Kyoto obligations be
extended and new targets
adopted. Industrial countries
say they want emerging
economies to accept similar
binding commitments.
Read more:
http://www.3news.co.nz/UN-seeks-post-Kyoto-Protocol-climate-s
olutions/tabid/1160/articleID/214153/Default.aspx#ixzz1cUTtGD
3c

Three countries that fell under

the Kyoto mandate - Japan,
Canada and Russia - have said
they will not renew their
commitments after they
expire in 2012
Read more:
http://www.3news.co.nz/UN-seeks-post-Kyoto-Protocol-climate-solut
ions/tabid/1160/articleID/214153/Default.aspx#ixzz1cUU71Z7z

From an estimated market value of about $15 billion in

2005, the practice of trading in greenhouse gas
emissions allowances and carbon emission offsets
credits has enjoyed rapid growth, exploding tenfold to
reach a record value of close to $144 billion in 2009.
Emissions trading doubled in 2008 alone.
The World Bank and other sources now say emissions
trading activity fell by about $2 billion in 2010, to $142
billion. The value of trades in the European Union's
Emissions Trading System held steady, but activity in
the U.N.-administered Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM) shrank by 48 percent in value over the previous
year.

THE GLOBAL CARBON

MARKETS IS SHRINKING

on this key problem with the protocol: Why

should they sign onto a second period of
binding reductions for an agreement that
can never hope to achieve meaningful
carbon reductions when it does not include
the U.S. and China?

JAPAN ANNOUNCED THAT IT

WOULD NOT SIGN ON FOR A
SECOND COMMITMENT PERIOD
FOR THE KYOTO PROTOCOL AFTER
THE FIRST PERIOD EXPIRES IN
2012 UNLESS CHINA AND THE U.S.
JOIN THE AGREEMENT.

Worlds Worst
Polluters

AUSTRALIA
has the world's
highest per
capita carbon
dioxide
emissions from
energy use,
according to a
British
analysis.

Read more:
http://www.the
age.com.au/env

 China, now the biggest overall annual

emitter of greenhouse gas, recorded 4.6
tonnes per person
Read more:http://www.theage.com.au/environment/the-worlds-worst-polluters-20090910-fjdt.html#ixzz1cUYvYNtV

 China admitted that it is the world's

biggest greenhouse gas emitter,
though this was known for more than
a year because already in 2009
China overtook United States and
became world's biggest polluter.
China's fast growing economy,
mostly based on using coal as
primary fuel, is the main reason why
China emits about 6,018 million tons
of greenhouse gases per year

 China and other emerging countries

are demanding rich nations make
cuts of 40 per cent below 1990 levels
by 2020. It would give poorer
countries time to expand their
economies and reduce poverty
before deepening their carbon
footprints
Read more:
http://www.theage.com.au/environmen
t/the-worlds-worst-polluters-200909
10-fjdt.html#ixzz1cUZ8a9JF

EXPECTATIONS ARE LOW

CLIMATE CONFERENCE IN
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
IN NOVEMBER, 2011

According to reports, the US

administration could not commit to
such targets at this stage. There is
simply no support in Congress. The
position of China is more difficult to
predict. China is not expected to
take on absolute reduction targets by
2020 unless there is a clear
commitment from the US to do the
same

Source:viewpointonline.net

Bibliography for Climate Change Slides

Jay H. Withgott , Scott R. Brennan,2010. Environment: The Science behind the Stories with
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