.

/

1.EnvironmentalProblems

Theenvironmentisourphysicalsurroundings.Thisincludesbothhuman<man-made>,socialandphysical<natural>features.Naturalfeaturesincludesoil,theatmosphere,vegetationandwildlife.Humanfeaturesincludehousing,transportandindustry.Socialfeaturesincludethingssuchasculture,languageandpoliticalsystems.

Geographersareconcernedabouthumanactionintheenvironment.Humaninterferencewiththeenvironmentcausesproblemssuchassoilerosion,globalwarmingandacid.

Youmayaskhowweasindividualscanhaveanimpactontheenvironment.Ouractionscanhelptoincreaseanddecreasetheproblemshighlightedabove.Forexampleturningofflightsthatarenotbeingusedhelpstoreduceglobalwarming.

Questions：

1．Whatistheenvironment?

2．Howcanwehelptodecreasetheglobalwarmingproblems?

GlobalWarming

Globalwarmingistheworldwidewarmingoftheatmosphere.Tounderstandglobalwarmingyoufirstneedtoknowaboutthegreenhouseeffect.Thegreenhouseeffectisanaturalphenomenonthatcontrolsthebalanceofheatwithintheearth'satmosphere.Itistheprocesswherebythenaturallayerofgasesinouratmospheretrapasmallpercentageofthesun'sradiationreflectedfromtheearth'ssurface.Withoutthegreenhouseeffect,theaveragesurfacetemperaturewouldbeabout-18degreesCelsius.

Globalwarmingiscausedbytheincreasesintheamountofcarbondioxideandothergasesbeingreleasedintotheatmospherebytheburningoffossilfuels.Thesegasesaddtothenaturalgreenhouseeffect.Causingglobaltemperaturestorise.

Questions：

1.Whatisglobalwarming?

2.Whatcausesglobalwarming?

Atmosphericparticulatematter

Inrecentyears,ourcountryappearmuchhazeweather,whichisnowoftenreferredtoPM2.5.Specifically,PM2.5isintheatmosphereofdiameterlessthanorequalto2.5micronparticles,whichisalsoknownasentersthelungparticlematter.Itsdiameterislessthanthethicknessofahumanhair1/20.

Atmosphericparticulatematter-alsoknownasparticulatesorparticulatematter<PM>-aretinypiecesofsolidorliquidmatterassociatedwiththeEarth'satmosphere.Theyaresuspendedintheatmosphereasatmosphericaerosol,atermwhichreferstotheparticulate/airmixture,asopposedtotheparticulatematteralone.However,itiscommontousethetermaerosoltorefertotheparticulatecomponentalone.

Someparticulatesoccurnaturally,originatingfromvolcanoes,duststorms,forestandgrasslandfires,livingvegetation,andseaspray.Humanactivities,suchastheburningoffossilfuelsinvehicles,powerplantsandvariousindustrialprocessesalsogeneratesignificantamountsofparticulates.Coalcombustionindevelopingcountriesistheprimarymethodforheatinghomesandsupplyingenergy.

Particulatematteremissionsarehighlyregulatedinmostindustrializedcountries.Duetoenvironmentalconcerns,mostindustriesarerequiredtooperatesomekindofdustcollectionsystemtocontrolparticulateemissions.Thesesystemsincludeinertialcollectors<cyclonecollectors>,fabricfiltercollectors<baghouses>,wetscrubbers,andelectrostaticprecipitators.

Questions:

1、

1.WhatisAtmosphericparticulatematter?

2.Whatcausesglobalwarming?

Theacidityofacidrain

AcidityinrainismeasuredbycollectingsamplesofrainandmeasuringitspH.Tofindthedistributionofrainacidity,weatherconditionsaremonitoredandrainsamplesarecollectedatsitesalloverthecountry.Theareasofgreatestacidity<lowestpHvalues>arelocatedintheNortheasternUnitedStates.Thispatternofhighacidityiscausedbythelargenumberofcities,thedensepopulation,andtheconcentrationofpowerandindustrialplantsintheNortheast.Inaddition,theprevailingwinddirectionbringsstormsandpollutiontotheNortheastfromtheMidwest,anddustfromthesoilandrocksintheNortheasternUnitedStatesislesslikelytoneutralizeacidityintherain.

Questions：

1.Howdowemeasuretheacidityofrain?

2.Howdothedensityofpowerplantsaffectacidicrain?

4.TheGreenhouseEffect

Greenhouseeffectistheeffectproducedbytheaccumulationofcarbondioxidecrystalsandwatervaporintheupperatmosphere,whichinsulatestheearthandraisestheatmospherictemperaturebypreventingheatloss.Chlorofluorocarbonsalsohelpcreatethegreenhouseeffect.

AnumberofgasesintheatmospherearetransparenttoincomingsunlightbutabsorbtheheatemittedfromtheEarth'ssurfaceandreradiateitinalldirections,includingbacktowardthesurface.Asaresult,thesurfaceiswarmedmorethanitwouldhavebeenintheabsenceofthesegases,whichserveapurposesimilartothatoftheglasswallsofagreenhouse.

Globalwarmingreferstotheenhancementofthenaturalgreenhouseeffectduetorisingatmosphericconcentrationsofgreenhousegasesresultingfromhumanactivities.

Questions：

1.Whatisthegreenhouseeffect?

2.Howtoreduceatmosphericparticulatepollution？

3.WATERPOLLUTION

Comprisingover70%oftheEarth’ssurface,waterisundoubtedlythemostpreciousnaturalresourcethatexistsonourplanet.

Withouttheseeminglyinvaluablecompoundcomprisedofhydrogenandoxygen,lifeonEarthwouldbenon-existent:itisessentialforeverythingonourplanettogrowandprosper.

Althoughweashumansrecognizethisfact,wedisregarditbypollutingourrivers,lakes,andoceans.Subsequently,weareslowlybutsurelyharmingourplanettothepointwhereorganismsaredyingataveryalarmingrate.

Inadditiontoinnocentorganismsdyingoff,ourdrinkingwaterhasbecomegreatlyaffectedasisourabilitytousewaterforrecreationalpurposes.

Inordertocombatwaterpollution,wemustunderstandtheproblemsandbecomepartofthesolution.

Questions：

1.Whyisitimportantforustounderstandthewaterpollutionproblems?

2.Howimportantiswaterforourhumanbeing?

Whatisacidrain?

Theterm"acidrain"iscommonlyusedtomeanthedepositionofacidiccomponentsinrain,snow,fog,dew,ordryparticles.Themoreaccuratetermis"acidprecipitation."Distilledwater,whichcontainsnocarbondioxide,hasaneutralpHof7.LiquidswithapHlessthan7areacid,andthosewithapHgreaterthan7arealkaline<orbasic>."Clean"orunpollutedrainhasaslightlyacidicpHof5.6,becausecarbondioxideandwaterintheairreacttogethertoformcarbonicacid,aweakacid.AroundWashington,D.C.,however,theaveragerainpHisbetween4.2and4.4.

Theextraacidityinraincomesfromthereactionofairpollutants,primarilysulfuroxidesandnitrogenoxides,withwaterintheairtoformstrongacids<likesulfuricandnitricacid>.Themainsourcesofthesepollutantsarevehiclesandindustrialandpower-generatingplants.InWashington,themainlocalsourcesarecars,trucks,andbuses.

Questions:

WhatisthepHofthecleanrain?

WhyisthepHofcleanrainlessthan7?

Theacidityofacidrain〔2

AcidityinrainismeasuredbycollectingsamplesofrainandmeasuringitspH.Tofindthedistributionofrainacidity,weatherconditionsaremonitoredandrainsamplesarecollectedatsitesalloverthecountry.Theareasofgreatestacidity<lowestpHvalues>arelocatedintheNortheasternUnitedStates.Thispatternofhighacidityiscausedbythelargenumberofcities,thedensepopulation,andthecon