Air: Climate and Pollution Chapter 9

Outline: • Atmosphere and Climate • Climate Change – El Nino – Human Causes • Climate and Pollution – Kinds of Pollution – Sources – Transport • Effects of Air Pollution • Air Pollution Control

Climate and Air Pollution

• Over the past 20 years,

developed countries

have made progress in

improving air quality

.

• Unfortunately, air quality in the

developing world

has been getting

worse

.

Major Air Pollutants: Problems • • • • • • •

Sulfur dioxide

- acid rain, health damage, visibility reduction

Nitrogen oxides

- acid rain, eutrophication, growth of weedy species

Carbon monoxide

- inhibited respiration

Lead

and

mercury

- neurological damage

Chlorofluorocarbons

- ozone depletion

Particulate matter

- lung damage, cancer

Volatile organic compounds

– isoprenes, terpenes, methane, & benzene, chloroform, etc oxidized to CO, CO 2 in the atmosphere

Los Angeles

Indoor Air Pollution • Smoking - diseases related to smoking responsible for 20% of deaths in the U.S.

• In less-developed countries, poorly ventilated heating and cooking fires represent the greatest source of indoor air pollution.

Interactions Between Climate Processes and Air Pollution

• Long range transport • Stratospheric ozone depletion • Montreal Protocol - 1987

Jet Streams & Jet Streaks

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/ mtr/cyc/upa/jet.rxml

http://sd.znet.com/~aringler/jet.htm

Long range transport of pollutants

Circumpolar winds transport air pollution from heavily industrialized regions to the Arctic, where high levels of smog accumulate.

Ozone Depletion

CFC Production

Production of chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) Montreal Protocol passed in 1987

Effects of Air Pollution

• Human health • Plant pathology • Visibility reduction • Acid deposition

Ecosystem damage caused by sulfur dioxide emissions and acid rain.

Acid Precipitation, 2000

Air Pollution Control

• Early approach: “Dilution is the solution to pollution” • Particulate removal - air filters • Sulfur removal - scrubbers • Nitrogen oxide reduction - catalytic converters • Hydrocarbon controls - afterburners

Automobile Emission Control System

CLEAN AIR LEGISLATION • Clean Air Act (1963) - First national air pollution control.

• Clean Air Act (1970) rewrote original Act.

– Identified critical pollutants.

– Established ambient air quality standards .

• Primary Standards - Human health • Secondary Standards - Materials, environment, aesthetic and comfort.

Conventional Pollutants • US Clean Air Act designated seven major (conventional or criteria) pollutants for which maximum ambient air levels are mandated.

– Sulfur Dioxide – Carbon Monoxide – Particulates – Hydrocarbons – Nitrogen Oxides – Photochemical Oxidants – Lead

Clean Air Act • Revision (1990) – Acid Rain - Included provision for: – Urban Smog – Toxic Air Pollutants – Ozone Protection – Marketing Pollution Rights – Fugitive emissions of volatile organics – Ambient ozone, soot, and dust.

– NO x emissions • Clear Skies ( 2002) – market-based approach

Greenhouse Gases • Carbon Dioxide - Fossil-fuel burning.

• Atmospheric levels increasing steadily .

• Methane - Ruminants, Coal-mines • Absorbs more infrared than CO 2 .

• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) - Refrigerants • Declined in recent years • Nitrous Oxide - Burning organic material • Sulfur Hexafluoride - Electrical insulation

International Climate Negotiations • Kyoto Protocol – (proposed 1997 & begins 16 February 2005) • industrialized countries are to

reduce

their combined emissions of six major greenhouse gases during the five-year period from 2008 to 2012 to below-1990 levels. • For many countries , achieving the Kyoto targets will be a major change that will require new policies and new approaches.

International Climate Negotiations • Re: Kyoto Protocol • Green Party Co-Leaders Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald will this afternoon be visiting the

US Embassy

and the

Australian High Commission

to deliver letters calling on their governments to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change. ()

Science and Policy in the Kyoto Protocol

Current Conditions and Future Prospects

Developed

vs.

Developing

Countries

CURRENT AND FUTURE CONDITIONS • In the

United States

,

air quality has improved

dramatically in the last decade in terms of major large-volume pollutants.

– Cities where pollution is largely from traffic still have serious air quality problems.

• Major metropolitan areas of many

developing countries

are growing at explosive rates, and

environmental quality is very poor

.

Some Good News: U.S. Trends

-2002 48% -17% -51% -34% -52% -98%

Summary: • Atmosphere and Climate • Climate Change – El Nino – Human Causes • Climate and Pollution – Kinds of Pollution – Sources – Transport • Effects of Air Pollution • Air Pollution Control