Air Pollution Crisis. Beware air!

Day #3

Day #3

- filmed most parts of the video
- re-did some parts from yesterday
- promotional video is almost done, just needs editing
- making small posters to photocopy to raise awareness
-plan for tomorrow: EDITING

Day #2

DAY #2

- wrote script for promotional video
- coming up with scenes for video
- will be posting video on blog, Facebook, other social networks etc.

- filming tomorrow
- making poster for presentation on Monday
- need construction paper for poster

Solutions

Some solutions that have been posed:
- Kyoto Protocol - an agreement between countries that will cut down on the carbon dioxide emissions
- put taxes on carbon emissions or higher taxes for gasoline etc. So that companies will have greater incentives to conserve energy and reduce pollution.
- investing in clean energy. Green technologies and renewable fuels will create millions of good-paying jobs, lift our poorest communities out of poverty, reduce dangerous pollution and help fight global warming.
- clean up coal-fired power plants. Coal being one of the largest contributors to air pollution
- Improving the pollution-monitoring network
- prevent industrial waste like mercury from being dumped into the environment
- develop alternative energy sources using electricity etc.

Air Pollution Awareness

Millions of people in numerous regions including Hong Kong and China, breath hazardous cocktail of chemicals daily. These are mostly caused by coal-fired power plants, factories and vehicles and are indeed, responsible for heart diseases, strokes, respiratory illnesses, birth defects and cancer. Without realization of what has already been done, China continues to build new coal-fired power plants at such an astonishing rate, to suit its booming economy and its need of increasing energy usage.Currently, coal provides 80% of China's electricity. Meanwhile, means of transportation also contribute to the increase of air pollution. However, in order to improve air quality in China it is absolutely crucial to move away from coal.

Despite the usage of coal in China, it is also America's dirtiest energy source and the leading source of global warming pollution. To further support this, coal mining continues to destroy land, pollute miles and miles of streams and brings massive environmental catastrophes to mountain communities.

Let’s look deeper into the issue → Health problems associated with coal pollution

-childhood asthma

-birth defects

-respiratory diseases

25,000 deaths/ year.

Have you ever heard of ads that are similar to buying “clean coals”? Well it’s absolutely impossible! The costs to mine, transport, burn, and dispose of its waste make "clean coal" the equivalent of "healthy cigarettes." They do NOT exist.

Let’s now take a look of what’s left behind~

The waste from burning coal

- packed with heavy metals

-arsenic

-causes cancer.

Around the country, ~600 landfills and surface ponds

-used to store leftover contaminated coal waste

without any effective federal government regulation.

break or leak= communities face the risk of contaminated farmland,

 wildlife and drinking water.

Therefore, these environmental and health problems associated with the usage of coal must be prevented and stopped completely.

Are there any solutions that can be offered? Yes, in fact, there are much cleaner and cheaper alternatives to meet the world’s energy needs without using coal. Many regions are starting to lean towards using renewable fuel sources such as wind, solar and biomass. Undeniably, these fuel sources will produce new green jobs and help revive the economy.

Fact:

Studies show that an investment of $100 billion in clean energy has the potential to create two million new jobs nationwide over two years which is four times as many as the same investment in traditional fuels. Hence, if coal is eliminated, the alternatives will grow to replace it, and the U.S. economy will grow with them as they keep developing.

DAY #1

What we learned:

Coal, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and methane are the main contributors in the warming of our planet. 

Plans:

- make posters - encouraging kids to walk to school

- make a YouTube video to promote our ideas

Wednesday: prepare script for YouTube video, layout of the video, further improve this blog etc. Find a video-camera to record with