Managing Atmospheric Pollution

• Reduction of carbon footprint:

  • Carbon footprint: a measure of the impact of our activities on the environment
• Reduced use of fossil fuels:

  • Low-sulfur coal can be used
  • Increased use of renewable energy
• Energy efficiency:

  • Using energy-efficient appliances
• Carbon capture and storage:

  • Waste carbon dioxide from power stations can be transported via pipelines to storage sites
• Transport policies:

  • Creation of cycle lanes, bus lanes, metro systems and trams;
  • Electric or hybrid cars can be encouraged
  • Biofuels can be used
  • Vehicles can be banned from certain parts of the city by pedestrianisation;
  • Public transport and residential parking can be made free
• International agreement and policies:

  • Policies such as the Montreal Protocol, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Climate The conference can be passed on worldwide
  • An international cooperation is required.
• CFC replacement:

  • Reduction in the use of CFCs
  • Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) can be used as an alternative
  • Safe disposal of items containing CFCs
• Taxation:

  • Higher road tax to decrease car ownership
• Catalytic converters:

  • Catalytic converters in vehicles reduce sulfur dioxide emissions
  • They also convert nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and nitrogen
  • Low-sulfur vehicle fuels can also be used
• Flue-gas desulfurisation:

  • Scrubbers can be used to remove 95% of sulfur dioxide emissions
  • Lining chimneys with lime also reduces emissions
• International cooperation is needed to combat atmospheric pollution

  • crosses international borders so is an international problem
  • solutions can only be achieved by countries working together, not least because the countries that produce pollution are often the main recepients of pollution
• International agreements are not always easy to achieve

  • LEDCs want to develop their country and not worry about letting out emissions
  • countries may not have money to implement costly strategies to reduce pollution or use more renewable energy sources instead of burning fossil fuels
• Examples of international agreements

  • Geneva convention on long range transboundary air pollution
  • Montreal protocol
  • alternative uses to CFCs like pump action sprays or alcohols and HCFCs
  • safe disposal of items containing CFCs such as old refrigerators
  • Rio earth summit
  • Kyoto protocol
  • Gothenburg protocol
  • Copenhagen conference
  • Paris climate conference
• Governments can use many different schemes to tackle rising levels of air pollution
• Governments can lower sulfur coal and crush and wash it before it is burnt in power stations to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions and acid rain

  • flue gas desulfurisation measures like scrubbers can remove upto 95% of sulfur dioxide emissions and lining chimneys with lime
  • catalytic converters can reduce sulfur emissions from vehicles as can the use of low-sulfur vehicle fuels
• Governments can implement public transport policies

  • implement a comprehensive public transport policy e.g. cycle lanes, bus lanes, metro systems, trams, electric or hybrid cars and the use of bio fuels
  • higher road tax discourages car ownership
  • deter vehicles from certain parts of cities such as pedestrianisation or the congestion charge
  • reduce the level of PM10 particles
  • only vehicles with odd-numbered number plates or carrying more than three people are permitted to enter the city
• Government policy can increase use of renewable energy and nuclear energy
• Governments can try reduce CO2 levels

  • increase carbon sinks through reforestation and afforestation
  • carbon capture and storage can be implemented - CO2 from power stations is transported via pipelines to storage sites
  • laws can be passed to reduce emissions from industries and new industrial areas can be located on the downwind side of urban areas
• Governments can encourage individuals through campaigns and advertising to be more energy efficient in their homes

  • be aware of personal carbon foot prints - it is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, calculates greenhouse gases we are expected to produce through our activities and measures them in units of CO2
  • reduce, reuse and recycle should be encouraged
  • farmers can replace chemical fertilisers with organic fertilisers