Briefly discuss how the following factors of global warming from an engineering

perspective
Air and water pollution
Air pollution
The pollutants released into the atmosphere cause local air pollution (see Table of Common
Pollutants). However, they also cause regional air pollution, as with huge plumes of smoke
covering a large area, and acid rain. eyond that, we are emitting such a high level of pollutants
that they are causing serious global environmental problems! climate change and o"one
depletion. The human race has become capable of affecting the atmosphere that encircles the
#arth, and the very planet itself.
Processes such as fossil fuel burning in industry, motor vehicles and buildings emit pollutants
that cause local and regional pollution. These pollutants include particulate matter (P$) and
ground%level o"one (&') ( the key ingredients of smog ( along with nitrogen o)ides (*&)),
sulphur o)ides (+&)), volatile organic compounds (,&Cs) and carbon mono)ide (C&).
The same processes also release greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dio)ide (C&-), methane (CH.)
and nitrous o)ide (*-&), which are linked to global climate change.
/n some cases, air pollutants contribute to climate change, and greenhouse gases contribute to air
pollution!
0ir pollutants such as ground%level o"one and soot (a portion of particulate matter)
contribute directly to global warming, which is linked to climate change.
$ethane, one of the most important greenhouse gases, is a ma1or cause of increased
ground%level o"one.
Water pollution
The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in what
locations. oston Harbor is a strong e)ample of how badly pollution can damage bodies of
water. The water is filled with to)ic waste and sewage, and routinely receives more waste when
rainfall pushes it into the harbor. $any bodies of water near urban areas are highly polluted.
This is the result of both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or
illegally dumped by industries. The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life
that inhabits water%based ecosystems. 2ead fish, birds, dolphins, and many other animals often
wind up on beaches, killed by pollutants in their habitat. Pollution disrupts the natural food chain
as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten by tiny animals. 3ater, these animals are
consumed by fish and shellfish, and the food chain continues to be disrupted at all higher levels.
#ventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as hepatitis
by eating seafood that has been poisoned. #cosystems can be severely changed or destroyed by
water pollution. $any areas are now being affected by careless human pollution, and this
pollution is coming back to hurt humans.
Deforestation
#fforts to mitigate climate change have focused on reducing carbon dio)ide (C&-) emissions
into the atmosphere. +ome of these efforts center on reducing C&-emissions from deforestation,
since deforestation releases about 456 of all annualanthropogenic greenhouse gas (7H7)
emissions and is seen as a relatively low%cost target for emissions reduction. Policies aimed at
reducing deforestation are central points of a strategy to decrease carbon emissions, reflected in
pending legislation in Congress (e.g., H.8. -.9. and +. 45'') as well as in international
discussions, such as the 2ecember -::; negotiations in Copenhagen. <orests e)ist at many
latitudes. $any are concerned about the possible impacts of losing boreal and temperate forests,
but e)isting data show little, if any, net deforestation, and their loss has relatively modest carbon
conse=uences. /n contrast, tropical deforestation is substantial and continuing, and releases large
amounts of C&-, because of the carbon stored in the vegetation and released when tropical
forests are cut down.
There are many causes of tropical deforestation(commercial logging, large%scale agriculture
(e.g., cattle ranching, soybean production, oil palm plantations), small%scale permanent or
shifting (slash%and%burn) agriculture, fuelwood removal, and more. &ften, these causes combine
to e)acerbate deforestation> for e)ample, commercial logging often includes road construction,
which in turn opens the forest for subsistence farmers. 0t times, tropical deforestation results
from weak land tenure and?or weak or corrupt governance to protect the forests. Congress and
international bodies are discussing various policies to reduce carbon emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation (8#22). 8educing deforestation in the tropics is likely to
have additional benefits as well, such as preserving biological diversity and sustaining
livelihoods for the rural poor and for indigenous communities and cultures. Proposals may be
adapted to address local and regional causes of deforestation. ,arious forestry practices can
reduce the impacts of deforestation, and several market approaches are evolving to compensate
landowners for preserving their forests.
$any challenges remain for implementing 8#22 programs, particularly internationally,
including monitoring 8#22 pro1ects and improving developing%country capacity to ensure
compliance. #)isting evidence on forests and deforestation suggest the difficulties might be
significant. $easuring forests is complicated, with multiple definitions, inaccessible sites, and
e)pensive, complicated, and imperfect measurement technologies.
Marine pollution
&cean pollution from many endangered marine species, including plants and animals and cause
damage to worrying that the e)isting +ea 3ife as well. This kind of pollution caused by emissions
of to)ic substances produced by industrial waste. /f serious steps are taken, more and more
species would be removed from the e)istence of the near future.
0bout @: percent of the pollution caused by unwanted human activity. &re deposits and oil
transport vessels is very dangerous species of life in the oceans. &cean%going vessels caused by
wastewater pollution of -:6. Plastic waste, pollutants and floating debris in landfills is now this
huge water bodies and water can also lead to a large bunch of water.
<ish are the most affected species of marine pollution in the oceans. /n addition, the number of
fish due to reduced fishing activity. +ince this is the main source of food for birds and other
marine animals, depletion of the fish may be ha"ardous to the marine food chain in the future.
<or e)ample, gulls and pelicans would be difficult to survive if the number of fish the oceans to
refuse. ,arious sea creatures, like sea lions and sea otters, because of the high seas, pollution is
dead.
Pollution of the oceans can also indirectly affect people in so many people along the coast
depend on seafood for survival than living. Therefore, the depletion of marine species, resulting
in deficit of seafood. /n fact, when people eat fish contaminated water can cause harm to the
body, which a variety of health problems.
Acid rain
0fter studying the Hubbard rook <orest and other areas today, there are several important
impacts of acid deposition on both natural and man%made environments. 0=uatic settings are the
most clearly impacted by acid deposition though because acidic precipitation falls directly into
them. oth dry and wet deposition also runs off of forests, fields, and roads and flows into lakes,
rivers, and streams.
0s this acidic li=uid flows into larger bodies of water, it is diluted but over time, acids can accrue
and lower the overall pH of the body. 0cid deposition also causes clay soils to release aluminum
and magnesium further lowering the pH in some areas. /f the pH of a lake drops below ..@, its
plants and animals risk death and it is estimated that around 9:,::: lakes in the Anited +tates and
Canada have a pH below normal (about 9.' for water). +everal hundred of these have a pH too
low to support any a=uatic life.
0side from a=uatic bodies, acid deposition can significantly impact forests. 0s acid rain falls on
trees, it can make them lose their leaves, damage their bark, and stunt their growth. y damaging
these parts of the tree, it makes them vulnerable to disease, e)treme weather, and insects. 0cid
falling on a forestBs soil is also harmful because it disrupts soil nutrients, kills microorganisms in
the soil, and can sometimes cause a calcium deficiency. Trees at high altitudes are also
susceptible to problems induced by acidic cloud cover as the moisture in the clouds blankets
them.
2amage to forests by acid rain is seen all over the world, but the most advanced cases are in
#astern #urope. /tBs estimated that in 7ermany and Poland, half of the forests are damaged,
while ':6 in +wit"erland have been affected.
<inally, acid deposition also has an impact on architecture and art because of its ability to
corrode certain materials. 0s acid lands on buildings (especially those constructed with
limestone) it reacts with minerals in the stones sometimes causing it to disintegrate and wash
away. 0cid deposition can also corrode modern buildings, cars, railroad tracks, airplanes, steel
bridges, and pipes above and below ground.
Recommendations
ecause of these problems and the adverse effects air pollution has on human health, a number
of steps are being taken to reduce sulfur and nitrogen emissions. $ost notably, many
governments are now re=uiring energy producers to clean smoke stacks by using scrubbers
which trap pollutants before they are released into the atmosphere and catalytic converters in cars
to reduce their emissions. 0dditionally, alternative energy sources are gaining more prominence
today and funding is being given to the restoration of ecosystems damaged by acid rain
worldwide.
Solutions of Water Pollution
These days water pollution is considered as the main problem on earth. The chief source which
has contributed to the water pollution is human beings. The sweet water in the form of rivers and
ponds are so polluted that it has come to the level of e)tinction. water pollutants are of different
types but mostly four contributors are agriculture, natural, industrial pollutants and municipal.
The natural water pollutants can include earth=uakes and volcanic eruptions, which leaves an
unbalance oceanic floor causing flash floods. #ven global warming has also some contribution to
the water pollution. 0s a water pollution solution, human beings cannot do anything about the
volcanic eruptions and earth=uakes, but can do little about global warming. However, some
scientist says that global warming is an irreversible damage.
Poultry waste and other animal waste can be considered as the ma1or cause of water pollution.
These wastes can be called agricultural pollutants. 0nimal wastes and other wastes related to
agriculture are disposed in the nearby stream of water. #ven farmers dispose pesticides and
fertili"ers use in the crops are disposed in the rivers and fresh water streams. Cater pollution
solution in case of the agricultural pollutants can be easily reached with some strong steps. /n
case of agricultural pollutants mass propaganda about the proper disposal of waste should be
conducted.
Bibliography