How is our waste polluting the earth
- household rubbish is piling up landfill sites
- sewage can end up in oceans and rivers, killing fish
- burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide
What is causing global warming, and what is global warming causing
- burning fossil fuels results in an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, causing global warming
- global warming is changing the climate, which can lead to a rise in the sea levels and other things.
What is the ozone layer, what is causing the ozone layer depletion (hole), and what is this causing for humans
- the ozone layer is a layer of the earths atmosphere that protects us from the Sun’s UV rays
- an increase in the use of CFC’s (from car exhausts and aerosols) is burning a hole in the ozone layer
- more UV rays from the Sun can cause damage to human skin, and can result in skin cancer in extreme cases
How is acid rain made, and what can it do
Sulphur dioxide is produced by burning fossil fuels, and when this reacts with rain water, it becomes acidic.
Acid rain can kill trees and make lakes acidic, causing fish to die.
At what rate is the human race growing
Exponential growth; due to the birth rate being greater than the death rate
What is a carbon footprint
It measures the total amount of greenhouse gases given off by a person or certain organisation in a given time. It includes the carbon dioxide given out by any car you use or heating your home
How can we estimate levels of pollution, and what are examples of these
The presence or absence of indicator species, for example:
- stonefly larva only lives in clean water
- mayfly larva can live in slightly polluted water
- the bloodworm, waterlouse, sludgeworm or rat-tailed maggot can all live in polluted water
Why is the rapid increase in population a problem in today’s world
We are using up too many of the earths finite resources such as coal, oil and gas
