Effects on Human Health
Wastes such as ash and toxic gas are released from the fuels we use. Acid rain is formed as a result of the combination of toxic gases from chimneys and exhausts. Acid rain causes the destruction of vegetation and skin and lung diseases in humans. In order to reduce environmental pollution, fuels (natural gas, hard coal) with high calorie, low ash and toxic gas output should be used.
The effects of air pollution on human health range from cough and bronchitis to heart disease and lung cancer. Although the negative effects of pollution are observed even in healthy people, some sensitive groups are more easily affected and more serious problems arise. One of these groups is the elderly. The elderly are more susceptible than the normal population due to the decrease in their physiological capacity and physiological defense mechanism functions, and the increase in chronic diseases. Young children have incomplete defense mechanism development, higher ventilation rates per unit of body mass, and It has more risks due to frequent contact with the external environment. Diseases that cause narrowing of the airway also increase sensitivity to pollutants. It has been observed that exacerbations of diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) increase as pollution increases. Low living standards such as crowded life, inadequate sanitation, and malnutrition are also factors affecting sensitivity.
The International “Kyoto Protocol” is an international agreement that sets various targets for industrialized countries in order to reduce the emissions (emissions) of greenhouse gases.
The greenhouse effect gases are among the reasons for the global warming, that is, the increase in global temperature that threatens life on earth, albeit partially. However, there is no signature of the countries that pollute the atmosphere the most, such as the USA, China and India.
At the Doha Conference, work is also being carried out on a plan to adopt a wider treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, covering all countries, in 2015.
Effects on Nature
Greenhouse: The system that allows the sun’s rays to penetrate inside, limits the escape of heat to the outside and ensures that the indoor environment is warmer than the outside environment is called a greenhouse.
Greenhouse effect: The so-called greenhouse gases, including water vapor in the earth’s atmosphere, prevent some of the energy taken from the sun from returning to space. Thus, it causes the ground surface to heat up more than it actually is. This phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse gas: Gases that have the characteristics of transmitting short-wave solar radiation in the atmosphere and holding the long-wave radiation emitted from the ground to the atmosphere are also called greenhouse gases.