Environmental pollution and mitigation Flashcards
what is particulate air pollution
the release of particles and noxious gases into the atmosphere (often from fossil fuel combustion)
what is photochemical air pollution
creates smogs consisting of ozone and PAN
when was londons ‘pea souper’
1953
what did the pea souper lead to
the clean air act 1956
what percentage of carbon monoxide emissions is road transport responsible for
90%
what can high levels of carbon monoxide lead to
headaches, nausea, fatigue and death
what percentage of nitrogen dioxide emissions is road transport responsible for
50%
what can high levels of nitrogen dioxide cause
asthma (and serious lung issues) and acid rain
3 reasons why HICs have less of an air pollution problem than LICs
HICs have developed faster so now have now developed methods to combat air pollution
HICs have passed laws and legislation (eg clean air act 1956) which prohibit the burning of fossil fuels in urban areas - reduce air pollution
In HICs jobs are now not centred around manufacturing (instead in service sector)
3 reasons why LICs have more of an air pollution problem than HICs
LICs are only industrialising now– have to rely on cheap fuel to meet demands and make enough money
LICs have no laws against environmental offences
LICs are still centred around a manufacturing based economy and jobs
economic issues caused by pollution in the long term (3)
loss of tourism
loss of investment as companies don’t want to be associated with being the source of the pollution problem
companies have to pay for new facilities and new staff in HICs with lots of laws so move to LICs (less regulations)
what is urban greening
refers to the public landscaping and urban forestry projects that create mutually beneficial relationships between city dwellers and their environments
example of a place that has urban greening
Birmingham
where in Birmingham is there further plans for urban greening
landscape architect Chris Rance plans to trail a green screen on the A38 Bristol Street in the city’s Southside District. there will also be a pedestrian guard that will trap air pollutants - particularly particulates from diesel engine
example of a place with industrial zoning
Cambridge, Massachusetts
what does industrial zoning take into account
the size and scale of the buildings, the amount of parking required and other aspects of urban design and development
drawback of industrial zoning
hard to do in areas that are already developed
what have they put in in London to help limit the amount of traffic
congestion charge
what does the congestion charge reduce
reduces the amount of traffic on the roads that were not designed for any traffic
reduces pollution in inner cities
describe the bus system in Curitiba
5 main arterial traffic roads into and out of the city w/ central bus lane
triple articulate buses=more passengers (4,000 per day)
wide bus doors- more people get in- reduce bus times
what does all the transport opportunities in Curitiba lead to
has led to Curitiba being one of the lowest levels of pollution w/ no government subsidy
example of bicycle scheme in London
Santander cycles (‘Borris Bikes’)
what is the minimum amount it costs to hire a borris bike
£2
how many borris bikes are there across the city and how many docking stations are there
more than 11,500 bikes at 750 docking stations
what is carpooling
means people share a car ride = a reduction in congestion and pollution
what did the clean air act of 1956 do
‘smoke control areas’- only smokeless fuels can be burned
relocate power stations away from cities
height of chimneys increased
how effective has the clean air act 1956 been
very effective as it is still used in parts of urban planning policy
how can dereliction impact the environmental quality of an area (and social effects)
broken window effect- cycle of decline
aesthetic impact- visual pollution leads to reduced land value – can lead to higher crime levels
the buildings themselves are dangerous
solving urban dereliction: build on brownfield sites- example
battersea powerstation
what is a brownfield site
a piece of land that has already had some construction, but may well now be derelict
key facts for battersea powerstation redevelopment
4,200 apartments 4 years to build multi-use building (will have shops) will take until 2020 until shoppers can go there total regeneration cost: £9 billion
