TRENDS AND ISSUES PART II – 3

Geographic Trends and Issues

Climate change is the term we use to refer to the changing atmospheric conditions that affect
life on earth. The significant variation of average weather conditions
Greenhouse effect - the way in which heat is trapped close to Earth's surface by “greenhouse
gases.” The main driver of climate change

Greenhouse gases act similarly to the glass in a greenhouse: they absorb the sun's heat that
radiates from the Earth's surface, trap it in the atmosphere and prevent it from escaping into
space. The greenhouse effect keeps the Earth's temperature warmer than it would otherwise be,
supporting life on Earth.

3 Major GHGs

• carbon dioxide (CO2)

• methane (CH4)
• nitrous oxide (N2O)

a. Carbon dioxide (CO2):

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. In 2021,
CO2 accounted for 79% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.

Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil),
solid waste, trees and other biological materials, and also as a result of certain chemical reactions
(e.g., cement production). Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (or "sequestered")
when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle.

Transportation. The combustion of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel to transport people and
goods was the largest source of CO2 emissions.
Electricity. The combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity was the second largest source of
CO2 emissions
Industry. Many industrial processes emit CO2 through fossil fuel consumption.
Several processes also produce CO2 emissions through chemical reactions that do not involve
combustion:
• production of mineral products such as cement
• the production of metals such as iron and steel
• and the production of chemicals.

b. Methane (CH4):

Methane's lifetime in the atmosphere is much shorter than carbon dioxide (CO2), but CH4 is more
efficient at trapping radiation than CO2.

Agriculture. Domestic livestock such as cattle, swine, sheep, and goats produce CH4 as part of
their normal digestive process. Also, when animal manure is stored or managed in lagoons or
holding tanks, CH4 is produced.

Energy and Industry. Natural gas and petroleum systems are the second largest source of CH4
emissions in the United States. Methane is emitted to the atmosphere during the production,
processing, storage, transmission, distribution, and use of natural gas, and the production,
refinement, transportation, and storage of crude oil.

Natural gas and petroleum systems are the second largest source of CH4 emissions in the United
States. Methane is emitted to the atmosphere during the production, processing, storage,
transmission, distribution, and use of natural gas, and the production, refinement, transportation,
and storage of crude oil. Coal mining is also a source of CH4 emissions.

Waste from Homes and Businesses. Methane is generated in landfills as waste decomposes and
in the treatment of wastewater.
c. Nitrous oxide (N2O): This is also known as the “laughing gas”. The biggest human-related
threat to the ozone layer.
Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural, land use, and industrial activities; combustion of fossil
fuels and solid waste; as well as during treatment of wastewater.

Agriculture. Nitrous oxide can result from various agricultural soil management activities, such as
application of synthetic and organic fertilizers and other cropping practices, the management of
manure, or burning of agricultural residues.

Fuel Combustion. Nitrous oxide is emitted when fuels are burned. The amount of N2O emitted
from burning fuels depends on the type of fuel and combustion technology, maintenance, and
operating practices.

Industry. Nitrous oxide is generated as a byproduct during the production of chemicals such as
nitric acid, which is used to make synthetic commercial fertilizer, and in the production of adipic
acid, which is used to make fibers, like nylon, and other synthetic products.

Waste. Nitrous oxide is also generated from treatment of domestic wastewater during nitrification
and denitrification of the nitrogen present, usually in the form of urea, ammonia, and proteins.

Global warming is the long-term heating of Earth's surface observed since the pre-industrial
period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which
increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth's atmosphere.
Hotter temperatures - Higher temperatures increase heat-related illnesses and can make it more
difficult to work and move around. Wildfires start more easily and spread more rapidly when
conditions are hotter.
More severe storms - Changes in temperature cause changes in rainfall. This results in more
severe and frequent storms. They cause flooding and landslides, destroying homes and
communities, and costing billions of pounds.
Increased drought - Water is becoming scarcer in more regions. Droughts can stir destructive
sand and dust storms that can move billions of tons of sand across continents. Deserts are
expanding, reducing land for growing food. Many people now face the threat of not having enough
water on a regular basis.

Polar ice melt - Antarctica is losing ice mass (melting) at an average rate of about 150 billion tons
per year, and Greenland is losing about 270 billion tons per year, adding to sea level rise.
Rising seawater levels - Sea level rise is caused primarily by two factors related to global warming:
the added water from melting ice sheets and glaciers, and the expansion of seawater as it warms.
major physical impacts of a rise in sea level include erosion of beaches, inundation as well as
flooding and loss of many marshes and wetlands.
Ocean acidification - is the decrease in the pH of the Earth's ocean. The ocean absorbs carbon
dioxide, keeping it from the atmosphere. More carbon dioxide makes the ocean more acidic,
which endangers marine life.

Ozone layer depletion

the thinning in the ozone layer was caused by increasing concentrations of ozone-depleting
chemicals
Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs are the main cause of ozone layer depletion. These are released
by solvents, spray aerosols, refrigerators, air-conditioners, etc.
Ozone depletion can cause increased amounts of UV radiation to reach the Earth which can lead
to more cases of skin cancer, cataracts, and impaired immune systems. Too much exposure to
UV is believed to be contributing to the increase in melanoma, the most fatal of all skin cancers.

Pollution – It is one of the main causes of an environmental issue because it poisons the air,
water, soil, and noise.
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse
change. Pollution can take the form of any substance or energy. Pollutants, the components of
pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants.
a. Air pollution is the result of emissions from industries, automobiles, and the increasing use of
fossil fuels.
Solutions ... The biggest solution we can implement is the switch to clean alternative energy
sources because fossil fuels are the biggest polluters.
b. Water Pollution. The introduction of harmful substances into rivers, oceans, lakes and ponds,
which changes the physical, chemical or biological condition.
Agriculture is the primary cause of water pollution. Whenever it rains, the pesticides and fertilizers
wash away with the stormwater.
c. Soil pollution is defined as the degradation of land due to human activities. It refers to the
contamination of soil with anomalous concentrations of toxic substances.

Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage
waste from its inception to its final disposal.
Garbage needs to be carefully sorted to keep the recycling stream separate from garbage.
The overconsumption of resources and the creation of plastics create a global waste disposal
crisis.
Co-disposal of industrial hazardous waste with municipal waste can expose people to chemical
and radioactive hazards.

5R’s
Reduce means to minimize the amount of waste we create.
Reuse refers to using items more than once.
Recycle means putting a product to a new use instead of throwing it away.
Rethink is about considering how our actions affect the environment.
Recover refers to the practice of putting waste products to use.

Renewable Energy is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate
than they are consumed. Sunlight and wind, for example, are such sources that are constantly
being replenished. Renewable energy sources are plentiful and all around us.
Common sources of renewable energy
a. Solar energy. Harnessed from sunlight using solar panels.
b. Wind energy. Harnesses the kinetic energy of moving air by using large wind turbines
c. Geothermal energy. Utilizes the accessible thermal energy from the Earth’s interior;
usually in volcanic places. Hydrothermal reservoirs are naturally sufficiently hot and
permeable reservoirs.
d. Hydropower. Harnesses the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations
e. Ocean energy. Use the kinetic and thermal energy of seawater - waves or currents for
instance - to produce electricity or heat.
 f. Bioenergy. Produced from a variety of organic materials, called biomass, such as wood,
charcoal, dung and other manures for heat and power production, and agricultural crops
for liquid biofuels.

Territorial Disputes
Territorial dispute is a disagreement between two or more States about which State exercises
sovereignty over a certain part of territory.
Antarctica
Seven countries including the United Kingdom, France, Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand
and Norway have made territorial claims over Antarctica, but these claims have not been
recognized by US and the international community since the signature of the Antarctica Treaty in
1959.
Taiwan
People’s Republic of China has no control but claims sovereignty over Taiwan as part of its
territory under its "One China" policy.
Senkaku (Diaoyu) islands, East China Sea
The dispute over these islands, controlled by Japan and claimed by China, intensified after oil
and gas fields were found underneath. In 2012 the sale of one of the islands by a wealthy
Japanese family to the Japanese government enraged the Chinese population and led to massive
anti-Japanese riots.
Scarborough Shoal
This also known as Bajo de Masinloc, Panatag Shoal, Huangyan Island, and Democracy Reef,
are two rocks in a shoal located between Luzon and Macclesfield Bank administrated by China in
the South China Sea.
Claim of China – 9 Dash Lines. The nine-dash line encompasses approximately 90 per cent of
the three million square kilometre South China Sea. Within this area, China makes sovereignty
and maritime claims. Some Chinese analysts view the nine-dash line as a maritime border,
reflected in the use of dashes rather than a continuous line.
Claim of PH – 200nm EEZ. The Philippines has an exclusive economic zone that covers
2,263,816 square kilometers (874,064 sq mi) of sea. It claims an EEZ of 200 nautical miles (370
km) from its shores. This is due to the 7,641 islands comprising the Philippine archipelago.
Spratly Islands
This is an ongoing territorial dispute concerning claims of the Spratly Islands, a group of islands
and associated maritime features located in the South China Sea. among the following countries:
Philippines, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei.
Korea Peninsula
Korea was divided by the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950. War between a Soviet-backed
government in the north and an American-backed government in the south created today’s South
Korea and North Korea.
New Independent Countries. These countries have formed over the years due to the dissolution
of an existing country or the breaking off of an existing territory that had been trying to establish
itself as a new sovereign nation.

Country Year of Independent from

Independence
South Sudan 2011 Sudan
Kosovo 2008 Serbia
Montenegro 2006 Serbia
Timor-Leste 2002 Indonesia
Palau 1994 United Nations Trust Territory
Eritrea 1993 Ethiopia
Czech Republic 1993 Czechoslovakia
Slovakia 1993 Czechoslovakia
North Macedonia 1991 Yugoslavia
Croatia 1991 Yugoslavia