Environmental Issues in Europe Flashcards
What is Smog?
Fog mixed with smoke; Smog is air pollution caused by sunlight
What happened during the Great Smog of 1952?
The smog was so dense that the people couldn’t see what was right in front of them. Transportation slowed, crime increased, and thousands of people died.
What are 3 of the United Kingdom’s natural resources?
Oil, natural gas, and coal
How do these 3 natural resources cause air pollution?
Much of the kingdom’s manufacturing burns these fossil fuels.
What is coal used for?
It is used to fuel the Country’s power plants also burns in fireplaces and stoves in many homes.
What is causing the problem of air pollution today in the United Kingdom?
Exhaust from gasoline and diesel powered vehicles.
What are 4 effects of air pollution?
Asthma, pneumonia, blackens buildings, and threatens animals.
What are five solutions the government created for air pollution?
Smokeless zones, electric cars, laws against burning gas, check air quality, and bike more, drive less
Air pollution can cause _________ for other Western European countries.
Acid Rain
What is acid rain?
Acid rain is rain with increased acidity caused by air pollutants
What 3 effects has acid rain had on Germany?
- damage the soil and trees, ruined nearly half of the black forest
- sulfur and hydrogen eat holes in the surfaces of statues and buildings
- acid rain pollutes rivers like the Danube and the Rhine, and kills the wildlife living there
What are 2 main causes of acid rain in Germany?
- smoke from factories and power plants… the facilities burn fuels like natural gas, coal, and oil
- cars and buses that run on gasoline and diesel produces these gases too
Why can’t Germany just stop using the power plants?
- because Germany depends on manufacturing to provide jobs and income for its people
- because the industry that produce its leading exports — cars, steel, and chemical products – have many coal burning factories
How does the United Kingdom impact Germany’s acid rain problem?
Air currents bring the chemical filled smoke.
What are 3 ways the German government are trying to solve its acid rain problem?
- in southern Germany power plants use water/hydroelectric power
- passed laws to reduce emissions from factories and automobiles
- factories that are not close to rivers are switching to cleaner fuels
What are 2 things Germany is now the world leading producer of?
- wind turbines
2. solar powered tech
What happened that resulted in Germany decided to close 8 out of the 17 nuclear power plants?
The nuclear disaster in Japan in March 2011
In what country did the Chernobyl nuclear disaster happen?
Soviet Union (Ukraine)
Describe what happened on April 25, 1986?
One of the reactors exploded causing tons of radio active material surrounding the plant poisoning the water and land.
Describe the 3 effects of radio active material spreading…
- water was unsafe to drink
- fish and trees died
- people had to evacuate if they were in a 30 mile radius of the radioactive material
Describe the solution to the cleanup and containment of radiation:
The faculty nuclear reactor was buried in concrete by the Soviets but the structure was not designed to hold for a long period of time.
Explain the Chenobryl New Safe Confinement Project:
The Soviets paid $1.6 billion to build a building over the radiation on November 29, 2016.
Describe 4 effects of the disaster on human lives:
- many people were relocated and some felt embarrassed
- right after the explosion, 28 workers died from radiation
- some people found that they got cancer and leukemia
- mental health issues due to anxiety and stress
