#ReducingTheEffectsOfEnvironmentalIssues

#Chemistry

#ChemistryOfTheEnvironment

Introduction

• Two of the main environmental issues are climate change and acid rain

• There are strategies that can be used to reduce the impact of these issues

Strategies to reduce climate change

• The production of greenhouse gases, specifically carbon dioxide and methane, needs to be reduced drastically to reduce climate change

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions 

• Some measures that can be taken include:

  • Being more ‘responsible consumers’ of energy by:

    • Using hydrogen and renewable energy supplies such as solar or wind energy instead of burning fossil fuels

    • Using more fuel-efficient vehicles, e.g. electric and hybrid cars

    • Reducing the number of vehicles on the road, e.g. using public transport, car-sharing

    • Recycling or reusing products made from crude oil and its derivatives

    • Reducing household energy consumption, e.g. turning lights out, using more efficient appliances

  • Reducing deforestation and / or re-forestation

    • Planting more trees, can help reduce the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis

Reducing methane emissions

• Reduce the amount of livestock farming

  • Methane is produced during digestion in animals

Strategies to reduce acid rain

• Acid rain is caused by oxides of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide 

• The effects of acid rain can be reduced by decreasing the amount of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide that are produced

• Catalytic convertors in vehicles can be used to remove oxides of nitrogen

Reducing sulfur dioxide emissions

• Using fuels which contain low levels of sulfur

• Flue gas desulfurisation

  • This is the main way to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions

  • Waste gases from coal fired power stations are passed into a scrubbing chamber

  • They are sprayed with a wet slurry of calcium oxide and calcium carbonate 

  • The calcium compounds react with sulfur dioxide to produce calcium sulfate

Sulphur Dioxide Scrubber