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Environmental Issues in Europe. Air Pollution. Air tends to be more polluted in urban areas than rural areas Example: United Kingdom Why? Factories, power plants, car exhaust Effects: Causes acid rain and contributes to global warming, damage to vegetation and harm to human beings
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Air Pollution • Air tends to be more polluted in urban areas than rural areas • Example: United Kingdom • Why? Factories, power plants, car exhaust • Effects: Causes acid rain and contributes to global warming, damage to vegetation and harm to human beings • Asthma and respiratory problems • Heart disease • Nervous system/immunity disorders • Cancer
Acid Rain • Acid rain is especially bad in Western and Central Europe - Ex: Germany • What is it? precipitation(rain, snow, or sleet), containing large amounts of acid-forming chemicals • Why? pollutants from coal smoke from factories, chemical manufacturing, and smelting, that have been released into the atmosphere and combined with water vapor • Effects: causes damage to vegetation and aquatic life, contamination of drinking water, and damage to physical structures such as buildings and monuments
Chernobyl • Chernobyl video clip – fill in what happened in notes • Consequences: land evacuation, land contamination, economic impact on farmers, and health issues • Cancer • Birth defects • Death
Impact • In all three of these issues, the pollution or radiation is (or was) carried through air currents to neighboring countries
European Union • Environment is a central issue • Applicant countries must demonstrate that they have taken significant measures toward improving environment in four categories • Air • Water • Energy • Waste management