SS7G10 & 11 Environmental Issues

The Ganges River begins high in the Himalayan Mountains and flows 1600 miles through India and Bangladesh to the Bay of Bengal. This river provides water and transportation for the over 400 million people who live in its river valley. It is known as “Mother Ganges.” In spite of the river’s importance and its place in the spiritual lives of Indians, the quality of the water has become poor. Chemicals used in fertilizer and industry are washed into the river every day. Human and animal waste also foul the river. The bodies of dead animals as well as the cremated remains of human beings (bodies that are burned after death and whose ashes are scattered in the river) regularly float down the river. In spite of this, many Indians bathe in the Ganges. They also use the water for drinking and cooking. Cities along the Ganges have the highest rates of water-born diseases (diseases found in drinking water) of any who live in India. Still, these cities pour millions of gallons of sewage (water that contains waste products) into the river to be carried to cities and villages farther south. Outbreaks of such diseases as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and hepatitis are common. Most officials say polluted river water is part of the reason. India did begin a program called the Ganges Action Plan in 1985 to try to clean up the river. Many sewage and water treatment plants have been built along the river. However, the growing population of India and the run-off from industrial and farm production have meant that clean-up efforts fall short of what is needed.
Which is true about the Ganges River?

• The river is ignored by Indian religious rituals.
• People do not drink the water because it is so polluted.
•  Many people use the river for transportation as well as a water supply. 
• Plant and animal life have not been affected by the poor quality of the river’s water.

Air pollution is one of India’s most serious environmental problems. An enormous and growing population along with rapid growth of cities (urban areas) and development of industry have left many parts of India with some of the heaviest air pollution in the world. Indians living in several major cities have some of the highest rates of respiratory disease (diseases of the lungs, bronchial tubes, and trachea) in the world. In addition to industrial smoke, the growing number of automobiles and trucks in India contribute to the poor air quality. Some estimates say that automobile emissions (carbons and other chemicals that come from a car’s engine) are responsible for almost 70 percent of the air pollution in some urban areas of India. Many people in India are poor. They do not want to do anything that would slow down economic growth. For this reason, it has been difficult for the Indian government to enforce many of the laws on industry and transportation that might improve the country’s air. In rural areas, many families cook over open fires, using wood, animal dung, or coal as fuel. These fuel sources send carbon monoxide, soot, and many different chemicals into the air as well. The air inside the home is often as bad as the outside. This pollution can form brown clouds (haze of pollution) which reduce rainfall and temperatures. 
Why are India’s urban areas having a problem with air pollution?

• Few people in India feel that air pollution is a problem.
• There are no government efforts to control air pollution.
• There really is no effective way to control air pollution in the world today
• The rapidly growing population, heavy industry, and thousands of automobiles have caused the problem.

The Ganges River begins high in the Himalayan Mountains and flows 1600 miles through India and Bangladesh to the Bay of Bengal. This river provides water and transportation for the over 400 million people who live in its river valley. It is known as “Mother Ganges.” In spite of the river’s importance and its place in the spiritual lives of Indians, the quality of the water has become poor. Chemicals used in fertilizer and industry are washed into the river every day. Human and animal waste also foul the river. The bodies of dead animals as well as the cremated remains of human beings (bodies that are burned after death and whose ashes are scattered in the river) regularly float down the river. In spite of this, many Indians bathe in the Ganges. They also use the water for drinking and cooking. Cities along the Ganges have the highest rates of water-born diseases (diseases found in drinking water) of any who live in India. Still, these cities pour millions of gallons of sewage (water that contains waste products) into the river to be carried to cities and villages farther south. Outbreaks of such diseases as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and hepatitis are common. Most officials say polluted river water is part of the reason. India did begin a program called the Ganges Action Plan in 1985 to try to clean up the river. Many sewage and water treatment plants have been built along the river. However, the growing population of India and the run-off from industrial and farm production have meant that clean-up efforts fall short of what is needed.
Which is true about the Ganges River?

• The river is ignored by Indian religious rituals.
• People do not drink the water because it is so polluted.
•  Many people use the river for transportation as well as a water supply. 
• Plant and animal life have not been affected by the poor quality of the river’s water.

What was the purpose of the Ganges Action Plan begun in the 1980s?

• to try and clean up the river
• to bring an end to the cremations 
• to end using the river for drinking water 
• . to slow down the building of new factories 

When the Olympic Committee decided to have the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, one of the concerns among the athletes who were going to complete was the quality of the air in that Chinese city. Beijing, like many other major cities in China, has experienced tremendous growth in both population and industry during the past few decades. Much of China’s energy is provided by burning coal, a process that sends tons of soot, ash, and chemicals into the atmosphere. In addition, millions of Chinese people now drive automobiles and trucks, whose exhaust is another source of massive air pollution. According to the People’s Republic of China’s own statistics, the leading causes of death in that country are respiratory and heart diseases that can be tied to long exposure to air pollution. Airborne pollution also contributes to acid rain, a problem for at least a third of China’s agricultural areas. Acid rain occurs when chemicals in the air, especially sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that come from burning fossil fuels like coal, react with the moisture in the atmosphere and fall to the ground as rain containing sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Acid rain is harmful to plants, animals, and even buildings. Before the 2008 Olympics, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau was established to work on the quality of the city’s air. Automobile traffic was greatly reduced and many factories were temporarily closed. As a result, many major air pollutants were reduced by as much as 45 percent. Many of the people living in Beijing want the government to find ways to keep pollution down while still allowing for economic progress. Leaders at the World Bank make the argument that the expenses of health problems tied to air pollution are far greater than any economic profits tied to those industries and activities that contribute to the pollution. The impact of environmental and health problems related to air and water pollution take many years to show up in the general population. Often governments begin clean-up efforts long after the health of a country’s population has begun to suffer. Because China and India have such enormous populations, almost one half of all the people on the planet, attention to health issues related to air and water pollution are of critical importance. 
Which contributes to air pollution problems in China? 

• the shrinking population
• use of coal-burning power plants for energy 
• the gradual drop in the number of new factories
• the lack of automobiles and trucks in rural areas 

Which river is sacred to the Hindu religion?

• Yangtze River
• Ganges River

Which of the following is a solution to water pollution?

• burn cleaner fuels
• Build and maintain sewage treatment plants
• limit driving

What is a solution to air pollution?

• burn cleaner fuels
• clear silt from rivers and lakes
• encourage use of fertilizers in farming
• build dams to contain water

What is a solution to control flooding?

• set up clean-up campaigns along the rivers
• replant trees along the Yangtze River
• monitor what industries do with their wastes materials
• regulate pollution from industry

The contaminant into the environment is referred to as

• monsoons
• pollution