Climate Risk : Effects of Thermal Pollution

With the given demand for cooling in power generation and other industrial processes, the extent of thermal pollution worldwide is huge and wide spread. It is mostly observed in the more mechanised countries. The countries of Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia show this trend majorly which is in the heavy influence of thermal pollution. The adversity of thermal pollution is usually related either to chemical contamination or biological contamination. These combined causes of pollution can create rigorous stresses on aqua-biotic ecosystems.

Effects of Thermal Pollution

There are mainly two schools of thought regarding their perception about the effects of thermal pollution. According to the first school of thought, without these industries operating like they do then many basic parts of human life would be rendered obsolete. Waste water will not be maintained properly and basic products won’t be provided then.On the other hand, according to the other group, there are more negatives of this on the marine ecosystems and how badly it reprimands the positive environmental practices. But it is very clear that the negatives outweigh the benefits that industries provide us with.

• Biodiversity Loss – With even a small glitch or dent in the aquatic system related to biological activity well being, there can be a heavy loss faced on the biodiversity front. As far as the changing conditions of the environment prevail, it may lead to make certain species of organisms to shift or migrate from their base. Again there can be many species that shift due to warmer waters prevailing in the water bodies. It is not easy for all the species to adjust to the warmer waters and some might have a lot of difficulty due to this.

• Disruption of Reproductive System – There is a noticeable pause and disruption in the reproduction of marine wildlife with also the likelihood of prevalence of defects in new born having increased considerably. This happens mainly due to the increased temperature conditions as reproduction happens within certain range of temperature only. Several activities like nest building, spawning, hatching, reproduction and migration depend hugely on an optimum temperature. Excessively higher temperatures can wane the release of immature eggs or prevent the normal development of eggs.

• Decrease in Dissolved Oxygen Levels – It is observed that the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) decreases with increase in temperature. The water with higher temperature reduces the levels of (DO) in water. The warm water holds relatively lesser amount of oxygen in dissolved form than cold water. With this condition of decreased presence of dissolved oxygen can create suffocation for plants and animals like fishes, amphibians and copepods due to anaerobic conditions. Also with warmer waters, algae can thrive better on the surface of water. More the algae more will the anaerobic conditions prevail in the water.

• Mortality & Migration of Aquatic Organisms– Thermal pollution is a major reason for the mortality of aquatic animals. Fishes die after a certain temperature due to failure of respiratory and nervous system. Again there are cases of migration taking place due to higher temperatures to more suitable environment catering for their requirements of survival. We might lose those species which depends on those species as a food source.

• Abnormal Metabolism – Thermal pollution causes the metabolic rate to increase of organisms. This makes them consume more food as their enzyme levels are increased rather than the normal conditions. Temperature plays an important role in the proper functioning of physiology, metabolism and biochemical processes which controls factors like respiratory rates, digestion, excretion and development of organisms. This disrupts the balance within the food chain and the species composition.

• Increased Toxins – more the flow of higher temperature waters from the industrial discharges more is the increased concentration of toxins into the water. Huge increase in the toxins that are being regurgitated into the water bodies. These toxins contain chemicals or radiation which have a harsh impact on the local ecology and becomes prone to diseases. The toxicity with warmer waters gets even more poisonous. At a higher temperature of even 10 degree Celsius doubles the toxic effect of Potassium Cyanide and O-Xylene at 80 degree Celsius causes tremendous fish mortality.

• Ecological Impact – With a sudden thermal shock from thermal pollution has the capability of mass killing of fish, insects, plants or amphibians. Warmer waters are not favorable for all types of species which might be better for only few species. Little increase in temperature has higher activities but then goes on decreasing with further rise. Some species are very sensitive and they undergo drastic changes in metabolism and other adverse cellular biological effects.

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How to Prevent Thermal Pollution? Remedies

With the spreading reaches of globalization worldwide thermal pollution is also a fast growing issue and a problem that needs to be handled properly. To tackle the problem of thermal pollution the best way is to shut off all the power plants and industries which produce heat. It is seen that with the continuous growing progress to develop and with upcoming industries that isn’t possible. Several other remedies have to be devised to overcome this situation.

Many means are being devised to reduce the harmful and adverse impacts of these causes. There are the cooling towers, cooling ponds and making better use of the heated water in some more productive tasks like space heating or secondary industrial processes. With the cold water discharges that is let out from the reservoir bottoms mitigation is expensive and difficult. It is observed that there are seasonal variations in the degree of vertical thermal stratification. Thus with this the timings of water releases can be conducted in such a way to minimize cold water differences of the released water. It should be such that it is consistent with needs for flood control or also power generation. During summers there may be extremes in the formation of cold water layers found in the bottom of the reservoir. If this cold water is released it will aggravate the impact in the downstream.

There have been provisions in which some countries and also certain states are required to limit their thermal discharges. These discharges that further are responsible for causing pollution in the receiving waters. Thermal pollution has been proven to be even more elusive than the other conventional chemical discharges. There has been regulations undertaken which have been enforced through judicial application like the United States Clean Water Act. Regulations can vary to suit the best approach possible. Some might be sufficient to use a cooling pond or cooling towers for discharge of waste water heat. Again there might be occasions where a numerical limit on acceptable temperature increase in applied to the receiving waters. The World Bank standard provides a maximum increase of just three degrees Celsius which is measured at the zone of mixing.

Remedies and Ways to reduce Thermal Pollution

• Cooling Ponds – The best way to cool off the thermal discharges are cooling ponds. In these the heated effluents on the surface of the water maximize dissipation of heat to the atmosphere. They also minimize the water area and volume. Cooling ponds are the best way to cool thermal discharges. The warm water wedge is something like a cooling pond. These are man-made structures and water bodies which are so designed for cooling of water. The water is cooled by process of evaporation, convection and also radiation. The warm water is pumped into these cooling ponds from one end and the cooler water is extracted from the other end of the pond. The heat of the water is dissipated from the pond to the atmosphere.
  
• Cooling Towers – Cooling towers can be taken as devices which are used to transfer waste heat to the atmosphere by the process of evaporation and heat transfer. These towers are better as they consume lesser space than the ponds and most cooling is down through evaporation. The hot water that is coming from the condenser is sprayed downwards. It’s sprayed over the vertical sheets or the baffles where the water is made to flow through the thin sheets of films. Cool air is injected inside the tower through the water inlet itself. This cool air then revolves around the base of the tower and rises upward slowly. This rising up makes the water cool due to evaporation. The heat is then made to dissipate into the atmosphere about 100m above from the base of the tower. The water which is cooled is then collected at the bottom of the floor of the tower. It is then recycled and put back to the power plant condensers. Cooling towers are mainly of two types, i.e. wet cooling towers which works when the hot water from the condensers are sprayed over baffles and cool air blowing from the side takes away the heat. Then we also have the dry cooling towers where the hot water is made to flow in long spiral pipes. Cool air is given by a fan cooling the water in the pipes and then the water is recycled.
  
• Artificial Lakes – these lakes are man-made structures of water bodies which are used to offer the once-through cooling. The warm water along with the effluents are put into the lake from one side and cooled down water can be withdrawn from the other end of the lake whereas the heat is taken out through evaporation.
  
• Spray Ponds – When the water from the condensers are coming out it is made to flow through the sprayers to the ponds. The water is then sprayed by the nozzles like fine tiny droplets. The tiny droplets loose heat in this way.

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How to control Nuclear Pollution?

Radioactive pollution is very hazardous for human health and thus it is important to take drastic steps for its prevention. Reprocessing is one solution that is proving to be effective in reducing nuclear wastes and the residues left over. The highest probability of nuclear pollution affecting the open environment is by accidents. This might happen when nuclear wastes are transported to the reprocessing plants. Reprocessing also may cause other pollution problems by risking contaminating in the environment. There has been no nation yet to have efficiently found out the proper method of radioactive waste storage. There is no possible way to just get rid of the wastes from one’s vicinity but then no concrete solution of the final storage and disposal of such wastes. There is no viable and agreeable conclusion which can be reached even till date.

The storage facilities that are present require to have highly intransigent security and rules, with periodical checks and regular updates about the storage with its current status of viability. If there is a responsible management set up for nuclear waste then the threat posed by nuclear pollution will be reduced to a great extent. The long term side effects will be handled and thus allowing us to survive in a cleaner and better environment. When things are managed in such a good manner then the illegitimate dumping of these wastes into the oceans will be forbidden by itself. When something happens to a reactor like that of Ukrainian Chernobyl disaster then mass population is jeopardised as nuclear pollution is not just about radioactive energy. There have been attempts made by an American company to even build a radioactive storage facility on the Marshall Islands. Even though this island has the higher potential threat for nuclear pollution due to rising sea level but still it is being considered as a part of a certain perspective. Even this idea can be viewed as irresponsible when overall criteria are judged.

Ways to Control Nuclear Pollution

• All the leakages that happen from the radioactive materials including those from the nuclear reactors, industries and also the laboratories should be thoroughly checked and tested.
• All the radioactive materials like ores and elements should be carefully stored away within safe places and should be changed into a form which will be rendered harmless.
• There should be strict provisions and rules which need to maintain as far as proper clothing is concerned while working with the radioactive materials. The workers should be compulsorily wearing protective garments working in the nuclear plants.
• It is very important that the disposal of all the radioactive materials and wastes of left over should be done safely and securely.
• Only those radioactive wastes which have a very low radiation capacity can be drained or put into the sewage system otherwise not.
• It is a must to have nuclear power plants maintain strict regulations and the safety instructions. The same should be made equally clear and followed.
• There should be a check on natural radiation which should be maintained at a permissible limit and any divergence should be reported and tackled as soon as possible.
• It is necessary to make sure that when there is a need to explode any of the nuclear devices then it should be underground preferably and not above the ground.
• Contaminants should be so employed so that there can be a reduction in the radioactive emissions.
• It is necessary to understand that the manufacturing of radio isotopes is done as minimal as possible as they are highly unstable.
• While disposing off the industrial wastes which have a high potential of containing radionuclide there should be immense precautions undertaken then.
• The places and locations where there is possibility of radioactive contamination is high there should be a provision of having high chimney and ventilators to be used effectively.
• Even when the use of nuclear medicines and radiation therapy is done it should be used as the last option. It is better to avoid nuclear radiations as much as possible.
• Underground drainage and wet drilling should be used in the nuclear mines.
• There should be usage of closed cycle coolant along with gaseous coolant with high purity level in nuclear reactors to prevent extraneous activation products.
• Nuclear fission reactions should be minimised as much as possible.

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What are the dangers of nuclear power?

There are several factors on which the radioactive pollutants are dependent upon. They can be accounted as half-life, rate of diffusion, rate of deposition of the containment and also the energy releasing capacity. The effects are then aggravated in the presence or absence of certain atmospheric conditions and factors like the wind, the temperature conditions and rainfall too. This radiation pollution affects all the present organisms and spares none. The effects of which are experienced to be quite drastic and extremely dangerous. These effects can be broadly narrowed down to somatic, meaning the effects are shown in an individual on being exposed or affected or it can also be genetic damage and affect the future generations as well. The effects seen are cancer, having a short life span and genetic mutation.

Radioactivity was discovered in the year 1903 by Marie Curie the Nobel laureate which is the most toxic substance that is known till date. She became the victim thus of the radioactive pollution and succumbed to it dying of leukaemia. With high dosage of radiation exposure there is acute toxicity by immediately causing death of the victim. The victim is stricken with lower vitality and dies either by anaemia, haemorrhage or infection.

High exposure when faced in the gestation period leads to brain damage. Infants between the ages of eight to fifteen weeks of pregnancy exposed during the atomic attack of Second World War on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were detected to have a greater occurrence of brain damage with lowering of Intelligent Quotient (IQ) and also severe cases of mental retardation. The organs that are most susceptible to the effects of high radiation are the intestines, lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow and even the gonads. The radiation strongly degenerates and weakens the body immune system.

With lower quantities of radiation and minimised concentration of exposure on a small portion of the body might just affect the cell membranes and slight skin irritation. For a short span of exposure the immediate effects are nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, nail and hair loss and even bleeding due to the subcutaneous bruises. When the effects get prolonged and the symptoms are seen after a delayed time the effects are different then. They might include cataracts, leukaemia, premature ageing, reduced life span, cardiovascular diseases and malignant tumours. These radiations have the ability to cause irreparable damage which can give rise to life threatening conditions due to damage of genetic material. There is growth of cancerous cells in the body due to genetic mutations. The genetic mutations are mainly carried forward and passed onto the future generations.

In occasions of any nuclear accidents there can be fallout. This leads to the contamination and polluting of the water bodies present in that area for many years after the occurrence of the accident. The organisms that are currently present in the water get susceptible to the radiations and show sensitivity among them. The nuclear disaster of Chernobyl of Ukraine in the year 1986 was caused due to the explosion of a nuclear generator. This incident created a huge radioactive cloud. The cloud consequently polluted existing water bodies which were the main supplies. It also was responsible for causing radioactive rain in many neighbouring nations. There were radiations with harmful influence which spread along the coastal areas. Thus the fishes and also the water thus got polluted. Nuclear radiations don’t spare soil also. They contaminate the soil, which cause the plants to take up the radiations within them and get radioactive themselves. The plants thus get a poor health and are threatened due to radiations.

The Marshall islands were also explored which was a testing ground for the U.S. military of all the nuclear bombs in the years from 1950s to 60s. The samples of soil and local food showed significant radiation levels in them. It was so much so to cause a serious health risk to any individual. Radiations damage chromosomes too. The frequency of chromosomal aberrations increases and is responsible for the genetic mutations taking place. These mutations affect the plant metabolism. They change the plant characteristics and it is thus continued for several generations.

Atomic Bomb – the invention to End all Inventions. This is the potential that any atomic or radioactive element possesses and thus needs to handle with extreme knowledge and responsibility.

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Causes of Nuclear Pollution

Nuclear Pollution is solely caused by the nuclear power plants. There are other industries as well which are responsible for causing nuclear pollution even though they might not be related at all with nuclear power generation (read more about hazards of Nuclear Pollution here). Coal also possesses small amounts of radioactive material in the likes of uranium and thorium. These particles are hard to burn and as they stay intact in their original form they become a part of the fly ash. The production of oil and gas also gives off radium and other such radioactive particles which are released directly into the air. This contamination caused from radioactivity or nuclear pollution is the most dangerous kind for the environment. The wastes of this possess the radioactive properties for many years to come. There is no way in which these wastes can be assimilated in the soil, water or the air in their original or initial state.

Causes of Nuclear Pollution

There are many reasons causing nuclear pollution. Operations that are undertaken by the nuclear power stations ultimately lead to the formation of radioactive wastes. Nuclear wastes that are generated can give off low to medium radiations for a very long period of time. It is observed that these wastes and the radioactivity that is generated have the capability to contaminate. They move and spread by propagating through air, water and soil too. The most critical issue regarding nuclear pollution and waste is that nuclear waste doesn’t get degraded and can’t be treated chemically or biologically. In northern Europe the nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant is the largest source of man made nuclear waste for the surrounding environment and ocean. Due to this there are traces of radioactive wastes in nature which have been detected as far as Greenland.

A huge amount of waste is also produced when refining or mining of radioactive minerals like uranium and thorium takes place. While mining of radioactive ores takes place there is some amount of crushing and processing which is required to be done. The radioactive ores like that of uranium and phosphate when crushed generate radioactive by-products and wastes simultaneously. There is also the presence of the nuclear fuel cycle which is used in many industrial, medical and scientific researches and processes giving rise to nuclear wastes and consequently causing pollution.

There has been a considerable rise in the amount of radioactive pollution that is occurring as there has been an increase in the use of radioactivity itself. This pollution mainly happens due to the waste and left over substances which remain behind after the total completion of the use of the radioactive substances. The radioactive wastes are generally created as a product of nuclear processes like that of nuclear fission and fusion that are used extensively in nuclear reactors, nuclear fuel cycles and in the manufacturing of nuclear weaponry.

There is a fair bit of negligence in the way and methods the nuclear and radioactive wastes are disposed off. There are hardly any precautionary measures which are undertaken. It is important to isolate the emissions so that it doesn’t contaminate the soil, water or the air in anyway. There is a huge quantity of radioactive wastes which are generated in the nuclear reactors that are a part of the nuclear power plants or any other processes. This is a phenomenon which occurs during the extraction and refining that is needed of the radioactive materials and particles. The worst conditions that arise due to human factors of radioactive pollution are that of the nuclear accidents and nuclear explosions done deliberately to harm the humankind.

The numerous sources of radiation pollution involve any process that lets out and gives away radiation into the environment. There are few which are more common than others including the nuclear accidents, nuclear weaponry and defence weaponry production.

Nuclear accidents are the classic and most obvious example for the spread of nuclear pollution and its adverse effects as well. In 1986 the Chernobyl nuclear explosion happened at the former Soviet Nuclear Power plant. In the year 1979 there was also an explosion at the Three Mile Island nuclear power generating plant which is near Harrisburg. It is quite drastic that the effects are still visible even till today. There has reported incidents of accidents which had occurred from handling medical nuclear materials or wastes. This had affected the health of the workers handling those materials.

Nuclear Weapons are the highest quantity of anthropogenic factors which induced radiation pollution. It had started from the years of mid twentieth century when there were several experimental or combat nuclear detonations causing the Second World War.

Defence weapon production also has the potential to release radioactivity from the radioactive materials that are handled which has a high health risk index. If the current standards are maintained then release of radioactive material is not possible until an accident occurs.

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Nuclear Pollution Explained

Any kind of undesirable or unwanted adverse effect caused to the environment due to the radioactive substances or any form radiations is called nuclear pollution. This type of pollution has the ability to affect almost all the life forms which might be present in the vicinity. The range of its adverse impacts can be from human to planktons; biggest to smallest of creatures, none are spared.

Nuclear or radioactive pollution is caused primarily due use of both, naturally occurring and as well as the artificially manufactured radioactive materials. Radioactive materials and substances can be understood as those which have the ability to emit high energy particles. The energy particles constitute of alpha, beta and gamma rays. These substances are very unstable in nature which are constantly emitting these rays and particles so that they are able to gain some stability. This stability is rarely achieved thus the process of radiation is continuous with emissions happening always.

Radioactive Pollution is a physical pollution that can be related to all major life supporting systems such as that of air, soil and water. It has widespread and far reaching impacts on all the important factors related to life. Radioactive or nuclear pollution is a type of pollution which stands out from any other form of pollution taking place because of the nature of contamination that is done by this pollution. Radioactivity can be related to the phenomenon of the emissions that happens from the energy from radioactive isotopes. These isotopes are unstable isotopes like that of Uranium – 235 & 239, Radium – 226 and more. ‘Radioactive pollution’ is the emission of energy from these radioactive substances into the environment.

The radiations that are let out are the reasons for causing numerous mutations in the cells and genes. These can cause cancer. Also the extent and dosage of the radiation that has been in taken is the determinant of degree of lethality or how fatal it is. The major source of this cause is that of Nuclear Power Plants. In these plants if there are traces and radioactive particles left in the water being drained out and released then it has the potential of causing nuclear pollution. All the emissions of radiations can also lead to causing nuclear pollution.

Nuclear pollution is one the most dangerous and hazardous in nature. This is caused as a result of nuclear explosions which are being constantly performed during the conduction of nuclear tests. The nuclear tests are being carried out so that there can be better invention of nuclear weaponry. All the explosions that are used to experiment releases of around 15 – 20% radioactive material to the stratosphere itself. Even though the radioactive particles are injected to the stratosphere but they don’t stay there. On entering that layer they again fall back to the earth’s atmosphere due to gravity. Though this fall back might not be a constant and immediate action, it might take around six months to several years to reach back into the atmosphere once again. A minimum of 5% of the radioactive particles in the stratosphere enter the lowest layer of the atmosphere, i.e., the troposphere.

The tiniest particle of the radioactive material is recognized as fallout. The fallout is found to be settled on the leaves of plants and trees. These leaves are consumed by the herbivorous animals grazing around. This is how the radioactive particles then end up entering the ecosystem. Humans aren’t spared as well from this. They consume these particles when it is transferred and moved within the food chain.

The consumption of these particles gives rise to serious and fatal health issues and also severe extreme diseases. When the radioactive particles are ingested this can lead to cancer and genetic mutation in humans. The fallout doesn’t enter food chain only through leaves. The particles also fall into the oceans and seas and gets accumulated there. Again when these particles affect the marine organisms and sea life inversely the humans also get equally impacted.

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How can you reduce Marine Pollution? Control measures

Oceans make up for the largest portion of the earth’s surface. They were considered to be all-encompassing,with endless reservoirs bearing the brunt of unmitigated anthropogenic activities with huge heaps of wastes being dumped into them. This outlook about the oceans has lead to the reduction of sanctity of the oceanic environment which has depleted fairly and is getting worse day by day. We need to find viable solutions to these aggravating problems for the ocean environment depletion. Unless we do so we will keep seeing the consequences and real time scenarios like contaminated wastes, devastated stretches coral reefs, ill or mutant marine organisms and reduced marine species.

We currently observe high levels of pollutants in the marine food chain which is a matter of great concern. It is worrisome not only from an environmental point of view but also it affects human health and well-being. Seafood is a food source for human beings which they consume directly. Humans also turn seafood into animal feed for animal consumption. These animals or their by products also are consumed by humans. As and when the seafood is contaminated to start with, the contamination is passed on to the human and animal consumers. This increases the risk of poisoning, behavioural problems, illness and even physical mutation in both animals and humans with the same drastic effects.

Being the Government, activities that can be conducted to reduce marine pollution :

• Government should take initiative to cut down the plastic usage and ban plastic bags completely. Plastic is something that never degenerates and stays for a long time. Plastic is swallowed by marine animals which lead to their inevitable death.
• A ban should be implemented on the dumping of industrial, residential and agricultural wastes and chemicals into water sources. All that flows to the water sources in then eventually taken to the ocean.
• There should be a ban on the dumping of sewage and waste materials directly into the oceans.
• The Government should take up steps to educate people about the causes, effects and the remedies to prevent the causes of marine pollution.
• Citizens should be encouraged to recycle what they use, reduce the use of toxic materials and maintain vehicles properly to reduce oil leakages and carbon dioxide.
• There should be more stringent controls set up for coastal chemical factories, mining sites and other water – front industries.
• Help to organize and assist agencies to go for a cleaning spree to reduce the already polluted water bodies and ocean environment which have been depleted.

Being a Citizen, activities that can be conducted to reduce marine pollution:

Firstly, using of plastic bags and other plastic substances should be lessened or cut down completely. Reuse plastic bags and recycle plastics. Don't throw them away.

Household cleaners create a lot of pollution as the chemicals in them prove to be harmful and even fatal when the sea life consumes it.

Keep a separate trash holder when going on a road trip or anywhere outdoors and not litter outside.

The oils and other spillage from vehicles and boats are also very harmful to the sea life and there should be a proper mechanism to control it.

Chemical fertilisers also have an adverse effect on soil and eventually trickle down into the water table which also gets polluted, finding its way into the ocean through streams and rivers.

It is important to have awareness drives and one must participate in them in order to motivate others as well as ensure that they are also following the best practices.

Awareness programs gives us a basic idea about how much we are actually harming or affecting the environment since almost every activity we do has a negative effect on our environment.

Remedies to reduce and Marine Pollution

Flotsam and Jetsam – Alarming quantity of detritus organic and inorganic are abandoned in shipping routes. This results in large scale marine pollution. Jetsam is a threat to marine environment. It spoils the aesthetics and the leaked toxins settle in the marine floor or floats in surface (Flotsam). To avoid this, ships shouldn’t dump rubbish in the water and large – scale cleaning operation must be undertaken worldwide.

Oil Spills – large scale investment is needed to implement State-of-the-art technology to stop the oil tankers from spilling their cargo, oil pipes from leaking their contents and undersea oil wells from belching crude oil into water. If prevention fails then oil should be removed through chemical or mechanical means or by bio remediation involving microbes.

Sewage – Investment in better infrastructure can reduce the amount of raw sewage being pumped into the sea and modern sewage treatment systems, with screening facilities will reduce levels of marine pollution. If the private sector/ undertakings are not willing to participate, there should be large scale implementation of laws by global authorities.

Plastics – there should be a massive reduction of plastic production and usage will lower marine pollution. Reusing and recycling will prevent any plastics in the marine environment too.

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Marine Pollution: What are the main causes of marine pollution ?

There are many observable attributes in which we can classify the various types of marine pollution. Marine Pollution is a major setback and not only hampers the marine species but also is passed on to the land animals as well. Sea water covers around 2/3rd of the planet, which plays an important role in maintaining the essential biological and ecological balance. There has been increasing amount and the various kinds of waste products which originates from expanding technology but with not much knowledge about how these might react with the ecosystem and disrupt our well being.

Types of Pollution Observed in Marine Life

• Acidification – Oceans act as natural Carbon Sinks. They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As the level of carbon dioxide is increasing, oceans are turning more acidic. Structures made of Calcium Carbonate (CaCO₃) will be endangered due to dissolution killing coral & shellfishes. With carbon dioxide levels increasing and decreasing ability of the ocean to absorb it, is resulting in rising temperatures around the globe.In the journal of Science in May 2008 from NOAA scientists declared an up-welling of acidic waters within 4 miles of Pacific Continental Shelf a critical zone with thriving marine lives being born or living there.
• Plastic Debris –Discarded plastic waste in the form of bags and other solids that end up in the sea endanger sea life. Aquatic animals run the risk of dying from entanglement, suffocation and ingestion of plastic. Ghost nets left or lost by fishermen in the ocean entangle fishes, dolphins, sea turtles, crocodiles, crabs, sea birds, dugongs and sharks. They restrict movement and causes starvation, lacerations and infections and suffocate them.
• Eutrophication – the increase in chemicals containing mainly nitrogen and phosphorus. Eutrophication increases the ecosystem’s ability of primary productivity, effects lack of oxygen and reduction in the water quality harming fishes and other marine populations.
• Underwater Noise – marine ecosystem is susceptible to noise pollution from passing ships, oil explorations, seismic surveys and naval low frequency sonar. Marine animals with weak eyesight like crustaceans and others living in the dark depend on acoustic information.
• Toxins – toxins don’t degenerate in marine environment like Dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane(DDT), pesticides, Tributyltin(TBT), dioxins and radioactive wastes do. Heavy metals like mercury, nickel, lead, arsenic and cadmium have both high density and are toxic. They harm all the species through Bio-accumulation and settle in the benthic zone.

Causes of Marine Pollution

• Large Scale Oil Spills – Oil spills from ships have a devastating impact as well. Crude is extremely toxic and suffocates the marine life to death by forming a layer on the sea water. Ships spill huge amount of oil due to accidents, emergencies and storms every year. Extracting oil causes noise pollution, ballast water and europhication through algal bloom. Other invading species harm the life cycles of other organisms. This gives rise to clashes within the ecosystem which is already damaged due to pollution.
• Land Runoff –Excessive water from rain, flooding or melted ice penetrates deep into the soil and flows into the ocean along with those impurities dissolved in them. It results in man-made, harmful contaminants polluting the ocean. This is predominantly due to the fertilizers, petroleum, pesticides and other soil contaminating chemicals. Dead zones are created by the inflow of fertilizers and wastes from land animals and also humans too which is a huge detriment to the oceans.
• Littering – objects far inland are transported back into oceans by polluted rivers and other sewage released into the oceans. These objects range from natural to man-made substances like dust, sand and debris to trash. Plastic debris doesn’t decompose remaining suspended for years. Animals can even choke to death if they consume it. Turtles, fishes, sharks, dolphins and sea birds lose their lives due to plastics. Increasing CO₂ is affecting the ecosystem and fish communities.
• Ocean Mining – Due to mining activities in ocean for copper, gold, silver, etc. sulphide deposits are created. Deep sea mining damages the lowest levels of the ocean and increases toxicity. Leaking, oil spills and corrosion aggravates the whole scenario.
• Sewage – Sewage flows through rivers, drains and sewers connected to the ocean. Minerals and mining waste also ends up in oceans. Release of toxins depletes the oxygen content, decays plant life and leads to severe decline in ocean water quality. Sewage or polluting substances flow through sewage, rivers, or drainages directly into the ocean.
• Industry’s Toxin Chemicals – Dumping of toxic chemicals hampers marine life as they are hazardous in nature and are let out to the oceans untreated. It increases the temperatures causing thermal pollution. At this temperature animals and plants can’t exist and eventually perish.

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What are the effects of marine pollution?

It is very difficult to account for all the marine life and schools of fishes found in the ocean due to the size of oceans and the number of organisms found in them. Even though there have been studies and many of these go scientifically unknown and unaccounted for though there has been concentrated studies and researches that have been done in small areas of the ocean along with few test groups.

There are over 46,000 pieces of plastic that are floating in every square mile of the ocean found near the Northeast coast of the United States, as per the journal Review of Research of the Marine Academy’s Oceanography. These plastics end up contributing to the death of 1,00,000 marine mammals and millions of sea birds every year. In a report of New York Times on one Galapagos Island there was a serious drop of a rare species of Iguana from 25,000 to 10,000 due to an oil spill that occurred off the coast of the island in the year 2001.

The president of the Marine Conservation Biology Institute, Elliott Norse discovered plastic in the stomachs of 300 Albatross chicks on Midway Island which is 1600 kms away from the nearest land area. There was a massive British petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This was covered by the Center for Biological Diversity for a year. They had made some exceptional observations. They had reported around 82,000 birds of 102 species were either harmed or killed in it. Adding to the death toll were 6,165 sea turtles, 25,900 marine mammals and uncountable number of fishes were there too. By 2010 these statistics reached up to 658 sea birds, 279 sea turtles, 36 sea mammals and countless fishes.

Effects of Marine Pollution

• Disruption of Coral Reefs
  The oil spill keeps floating on the surface of the water. This thick layer above the surface of the water prevents sunlight from reaching marine flora and fauna. This leads to serious consequences to plant life by cutting down the process of photosynthesis. There are health problems that arise from the prolonged effect of oil spills. These can be seen in the form of skin irritation, eye irritation, lung and liver problems have a worsening impact on the marine life.
• Reproductive System failure of Marine animals
  Industrial & agricultural wastes have many impurities in them which contains hazardous chemicals that are no lesser than poisons for the marine organisms. The chemicals from the chemical pesticides accumulate in the fat tissues of the animals and disrupt the reproductive system. These substances that accumulate in the organisms stay in them for a really long time.
• Depletes Oxygen Content of the Ocean
  It has been observed that most of the debris that is deposited in the ocean does not decompose easily and they has a long life cycle and remain in the ocean for years at a stretch. The worst consequence of this debris being in the ocean for so long is as they degenerate, they keep consuming more and more oxygen from the ocean water. This hampers the present oxygen content of the water and reduces the oxygen level to a very petty amount, barely sufficient to maintain the ocean ecology. The reduced levels of oxygen raises a question on the survival of marine animals and mammals like sharks, dolphins, penguins, whales and turtles and the rate of survival is deplorably reduced as well.
• Effect on Food Chain
  There are numerous chemicals that being used in the agricultural fields and as well as in the industries. These chemicals often get washed away and flow into the rivers. These rivers then carry them to the Oceans in turn. These chemicals are unable to dissolve into the ocean water and remain suspended. Then they slowly sink to the bottom of the ocean floor. These chemicals are then ingested by the many small animals that survive within the ocean environment. Then these small animals are eaten by larger animals and then gradually moving up the food chain these chemicals get bio-accumulated and manifest as serious problems.
• Effects of Toxic Wastes
  Oil spills causes havoc in the marine environment and gives rise to some serious troubles. The oil spilled in the ocean water gets into the feathers of sea birds and gills of marine animals. This jeopardises with their ability to move or fly properly and handicaps their ability to feed their young ones. The effects of this are evident is diseases like cancer, failure of the reproductive system or can even cause death.
• Effects on Human Health
  Animals that already under the threat and influence of the chemically influenced food chain are then eaten by the human beings as well. The toxins that are present within these animals are then transferred through the food chain into humans as well. The human beings get contaminated with these toxins as they get deposited in their tissues. These then result to cancer, birth defects or even long term health problems.

Read More:
Marine Pollution: What is the biggest source of pollution in the ocean?
Simple ways of controlling Air pollution
What are the main causes of air pollution? In points
What are the harmful Effects of Air Pollution?

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Marine Pollution:What are the main sources of marine pollution?

Marine Pollution is caused when harmful or even potentially harmful chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, noise or may be even invasive species of plants or animals enter the ocean and disrupt the whole system. The maximum amount of substances that result into marine pollution originate in land and then flow into the ocean due to the rivers carrying the waste substances and then depositing them on the ocean bed itself which constitute of almost 80% of the total ocean pollution taking place. Air pollution is also responsible for degrading the ocean water quality by carrying the dirt and pesticides off the coast. Both land and air pollution have jointly hampered the sanctity of the marine environment and also disrupted the habitat of its entire species.

The pollution that is drained to the ocean is mainly from non-point sources which include agricultural runoff, debris and dust blown off by the wind. Nutrient pollution is the excessive input of nutrients which contaminate the water and degrade its quality. This causes eutrophication of surface waters in which mainly nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus stimulate algae growth to an extreme level causing algal bloom.

As and when pesticides are introduced into the marine ecosystem these chemicals are immediately absorbed into the marine food webs. These pesticides have the potential to cause mutation in the genes of the species and cause deformities or even diseases within the species which is fatal for all. It is deadly not only for the human beings but the whole food webs and marine ecosystem consequently.

There are numerous potentially toxic chemicals which attach themselves to tiny particles. These particles are the consumed by planktons & benthos animals who mainly feed on either the deposit or filter foods. This makes the toxic substances being concentrated primarily in the lower order food chains. Many particles have the capability of chemically reacting and combining in such a manner that depletes the oxygen to a huge extent and make the water body anoxic.

Numerous toxic metals are also introduced into the marine food webs. These metals can totally degenerate the tissue matter, biochemistry, behavior, reproduction & might also suppress the growth and prosperity of marine life. Animal feed contains high amount of fish meals or fish hydro lysate content. These toxics in turn are carried forward to land animals when the fish is consumed by other animals and humans further up in the food chain.

Sources of Marine Pollution

Generally there are three types of inputs of pollution into the ocean which includes direct discharge of waste into the ocean, runoff due to rain & pollutants that are air borne.

• Direct Discharge
  There are pollutants that are directly discharged from urban sewerage and industrial waste discharges which might be toxic and hazardous into the seas. Inland mining of gold and copper also causes marine pollution. It also interferes with the life and development of coral polyps.Much of the materials carried by the rivers are soil which ends up in the ocean floor. According to the USEnvironmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the contamination of head water portions up to 40% in the western continental US is because of mining. Also, most of these pollutants are taken to the sea.
• Ship Pollution
  Ships pollute oceans in devastating ways. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in crude oil which is not only toxic but also don’t degenerate easily as they stay as sediments in the marine ecosystem. Oil spills are the worst marine pollutants. Oil spills from tankers that contains untreated water on return ships and leaking pipes and engine oil disposed into sewers can cause a great deal of damage as well.
• Deep Sea Mining
  Deep sea mining is the mineral extraction process that is carried out on the ocean floor. These mining sites are mainly found in areas of polymetallic nodules or active &extinct hydrothermal vents below the ocean’s surface. Because of this, now there are sulphide deposits which contain cobalt, copper,silver, gold,zinc and manganese. Deep sea mining has raised concerns about the damage it causes to its surroundings. There are several unanswered questions about the exact consequences which need to be answered and discovered. The toxicity of water and sediment plumes from tailings also increases because of removal of sea floor parts. This also harms the benthic layer. The tailings from mining when dumped back into the ocean forms clouds of particles floating in the water.
• Land Runoff
  there is a huge amount of surface runoff taking place from farming, urban areas, construction of roads, building, ports and harbors which carry soil and particles full of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other minerals. This water rich with nutrients is great for algae and phytoplankton to live in coasts causing algal bloom which is using up all the available oxygen.
• Atmospheric Pollution
  Dust and debris that are windblown has plastics. Sahara dust is taken to southern periphery of subtropical ridge into Caribbean & Florida. There is global transport of dust from Gobi & Taklamakan deserts to Hawaiian Islands. Due to climate change the ocean temperatures and levels of CO2 is rising with increase in the acidifying effect of oceans.

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What is Global Warming? Reasons behind Global Warming

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Ways of controlling Air pollution

People are making many attempts worldwide on a personal, industrial and governmental level to curb and diversify the intensity at which Air Pollution is caused. It is very necessary to regain the balance of the proportion of gases that are traced in the atmosphere to its rightful quantity or it can create havoc in the whole climatic and biosphere system. This will directly put an end to Global Warming. There have been a series of innovations and experiments which are aimed at developing alternate and unconventional options thus leading to decrease the levels of pollutants prevailing in the atmosphere. You may like to read more:

• What are the main causes of air pollution?
• What is Global Dimming ?
• Benefits of Hydroelectic Energy

We can enumerate few of the effective methods that can be helpful in controlling and preventing the Air Pollution:

1. Source Correction Method
2. Pollution Control Equipment
3. Diffusion of Pollutants in Air
4. Vegetation
5. Zoning

1. Source Correction Method
   Industries cause a huge amount of pollution and emit a large variety of air pollutants in the atmosphere on a daily basis. The formation of pollutants can be curbed or minimized if it is handled tactfully in the source itself. There should be a detailed and careful investigation during the early stages of the design and development in Industrial equipment. Only those methods should be used which have the minimum potential to cause air pollution. Some of the methods that can be included in this process are substitution of raw material with better alternatives, process modification & usage of those methods which are proven to less harmful and modification and maintenance of the existing equipments.
2. Pollution Control Equipment
   These equipments can be either control devices for particulate contaminants or gaseous contaminants. It is not always feasible to control pollution at the source by preventing the emissions of pollutants. It is during these times that it is necessary to set up devices which will control pollution by removing the gaseous pollutants from the gas stream itself. The effect and presence of these pollutants are highly concentrated at the source and as we move away from the generating place they get diluted with diffusion in to the atmosphere. Gravitational Settling Chambers, Cyclone Separator, Fabric Filters, Electrostatic Precipitators and Wet Scrubbers are few of the equipments that are being commonly used to deal with the problem.
3. Diffusion of Pollutants in Air
   By diluting the contaminants in the atmosphere is another way to deal with air pollution.When the amount of pollutants let out in the atmosphere is in small quantity then the pollutants are easily diluted. When there is a huge amount beyond the limited capacity of pollutants that is let out then it causes a problem. The extent of dilution of pollutants depends upon the atmospheric temperatures, speed and also the direction of the wind flow. The dilution only dilutes the contaminants to a level which reduces their harmful effects to a certain extent. But as the distance increases from the source these contaminants come down some way or the other.
4. Vegetation
   Plants are one of the most important carbon sinks that prevail in the biosphere as they use Carbon Dioxide and release oxygen in the process of photosynthesis and thus purifying the air. The plant species of Pinus, Quercus, Pyrus, Juniperus and Vitis are helpful in depolluting the air by metabolizing the nitrogen oxides. There should be planting of huge number of plants where there is a high risk of pollution to somewhat mitigate its effects.
5. Zoning
   It a type of activity which can be undertaken by newly developed townships and the new cities and preferably in the development stage. There should be proper understanding of the land area and thus dividing the area in such a way which will be justifying the location of more polluting sectors away from the main residency or the main city area.The heavy industries should be further away and located far off from each other too. New industries if coming up should be placed away from the large cities also keeping a check of population migration taking place in these cities decided as per regional planning.

Air pollution is an issue which is being felt at every level and is consequently harming all sections of human as well as flora and fauna. Every activity in our day to day life and the minor decisions we make can have a huge consequential effect so we need to choose and judge accordingly with legitimate understanding of the aggravating situations.

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What are the harmful Effects of Air Pollution?

In the earlier article we had discussed on main causes of air pollution, today we will discuss about the harmful effects of air solution on human health and on environment in general.

Air Pollution & it’s Effects

Air pollution can either be visible or invisible. Air pollution can be understood as anything that is omnipotent to hinder the atmosphere or the well being of living organisms to exist and survive on those circumstances. The imbalance caused by the increase or decrease of percentage of any of the constituent elements from their original amount can disturb the normal functioning. Living and non living things sustain themselves on this balance and thus it is important to preserve it and restore it so that it doesn’t hamper the normal functioning of the system.

An average American breathes 3400 gallons of air each day; and air pollution can snatch away 1 – 2 years of human life causing problems ranging from burning of eyes, itchy throat, breathing problems to even death.One of the most harmful pollutants is the various types of air pollutants. A new disease Beijing cough is due to the rising air pollution in Beijing. Production of heavy crude oil increases air pollution by 40%. Waiting in traffic jam has led to increased death rate due to air pollution causing Heart attacks.

The rate of death tolls in Asia has increased the most. It’s not just humans suffering the brunt of pollution; dolphins also suffer from black lung diseases due to air pollution. There have been cases of 5000 premature deaths in Southern California due to diesel truck pollution. Due to air pollution the visibility up to 1000 miles is hampered in Grand Canyon region. As number speaks outdoor air pollution is among top 10 killers. As much as 65% deaths in Asia and 25% in India are because of air pollution. About 50000 Americans, 750000 Chinese, 13000 British people die due to air pollution. 80% of lung cancer is due to this itself. Indoor air pollution is 2 – 5 times worse than outdoor scenario.

Effects of Air Pollution on Human Health and Environment

• Respiratory and Heart Problems : With the increased rate of air pollution there has been a trend of rising problems and various health issues pertaining to respiratory diseases and heart problems. These have had a serious impact and also a noticeable increase in the death toll for this reason. The effects have been pretty alarming. There have been instances where several respiratory and heart conditions have developed. Children are observed to contract pneumonia and asthma due to increased exposure to pollutants.
• Depletion of Ozone Layer : Air pollutants are solely responsible for the depletion and degenerating situations of the ozone layer. There have been emissions of ozone depleting substances which have taken their toll on the Ozone layer which is an ultimate necessity for survival of life on Earth. Ozone is present in the stratosphere and protects humans from dreadful Ultraviolet Rays. This layer has been depleting due to Chlorofluorocarbons and hydro Chlorofluorocarbons in the air. Due to this thinning of the ozone layer, there is a risk of harmful rays getting through and causing skin and eye related issues as well as affect crops and agriculture.
• Acid Rain : the pollutants causing air pollution which are from the burning of fossil fuels tends to remain in the atmosphere for a very long time. These suspended particles and gases like nitrous oxides and sulphur oxides giving rise to harmful solutions like nitric acid or even sulphuric acid. These acids come down in the form of rain and causes large scale harm as they affect the living as well as the non living substances. It erodes buildings and materials like marble and also kill plants and destroy forests affecting both the flora and fauna of the area.
• Eutrophication : It is a condition which is caused when there is existence of high amount of nitrogen present in pollutants enters the water bodies and leads to the development of algae. The development of algae hampers the conditions where fishes can live leading to the death of marine plants and also the various animal species existing in these water bodies. The presence of the algae is a sign of low oxygen level in the water as the algae uses pretty much all of the available oxygen in the water body. The algae develop in the waters due to chemicals that are present in the water body giving and providing them with necessary nutrients.
• Effects on Wildlife : Not just human beings but animals also are among the penalty bearers of air pollution. Toxic chemicals that prevail in the atmosphere force the wildlife to migrate to new places and search for more adaptable habitats. Pollutants that deposit in the water bodies and seas adversely affect the marine and aquatic animals as well.
• Global Warming : Increased air pollution is directly related to the cause of global warming which is increasing the temperature worldwide. The rising sea levels, thermal expansion of sea water, melting ice bergs, displacement of living beings from their habitats and even loss of habitats with serious signals of impending disasters. These things can only be mitigated if proper actions are undertaken.

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Social effects of Global Warming
Geographic Information System and Natural Resource Management

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What are the top five causes of air pollution?

Air pollution is caused by both natural as well as anthropogenic factors. The various causes of air pollution in the natural facet have been prevalent from a very long time but it begun to be a problem only because of increased human interference. Human activities have adversely aggravated the emission rate in leaps and bounds which have made the situation go beyond capable of being handled.

Air pollution is susceptible to cause more harm to kids rather than adults. This happens due to their heightened concentration of air impurities in their body.
The European nations are capable of saving around 161 billion Euros in a year only if the mortality rates could be reduced considerably due to air pollution.It is observed that mostly in larger cities there is the presence of 80% of fatal pollutants. These pollutants cause lung damage which is mainly emitted by motor vehicles on the road.It has been observed by the World Health Organization (WHO) that there are deaths equally accountable caused due to air pollution as many as deaths which have been caused due to car accidents.

Vehicular exhaust contributes about 60% of the total Carbon Monoxide gases and emissions that occur in the United Stated with exceeding about 90% in the larger and more developed cities.

The case of the ‘The Great Smog’ which happened in London in the year of 1952 was one the worst incidents of air pollution which was responsible for around over 8000 casualties. The main reason of air pollution that is seen in Europe is because of the increased road transport which is responsible for about 5000 human deaths per year due to lung cancer and heart attacks is happening from vehicular exhaust fumes.

Main Causes leading to Air Pollution

Air pollution is a phenomenon which occurs when the air is saturated with suspended particulate matter. The largest source of air pollution that is observed in cities is vehicular exhaust emissions. Carbon monoxide is supposedly the largest air pollutant that is recognised in the US which is also emitted by the exhausts of the vehicles prying on the road. This gas is a harmful, poisonous, odourless and also colourless gas which is formed when there is burning of fossil fuels like coals, petroleum or natural gas. When the filters aren’t replaced or maintained regularly of the air conditioners dirt gets accumulated which spread pollutants inside our homes itself. Toxic and chemical pollutants like sulphur dioxide (SO₂), Nitrogen Oxides (NO_x) and Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) reacts with water to produce acid rain in the atmosphere. These pollutants are mainly let out by factories, automobiles, industrial and manufacturing plants. Also formation of huge quantity of dust and dirt are produced in agricultural fields and construction sites. Even when there is usage of household chemicals without proper ventilation it leads to indoor air pollution. Whereas naturally air pollution is caused by volcanoes, forest fires and dust storms.

• Agricultural Activities – A very fundamental byproduct of agricultural activities is Ammonia. It is one of the most hazardous and poisonous gas that is prevalent in the atmosphere. The usage of insecticides, pesticides and fertilisers too has aggravated a lot due to the green revolution. This also causes water pollution.
• Burning of Fossil Fuels – Sulphur dioxide which is produced from the burning of fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are one of many major causes of air pollution. Pollution from vehicular exhaust emission is also a big problem which includes airplanes as well. Suspended particulate (SPM) are the particles afloat in the air which are caused by dust or when combustion is left incomplete. Nitrogen Oxides are let out by both natural and man-made factors.
• Exhaust from Factories and Industries – Industries and factories release huge amounts of harmful gaseous matter like hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, organic compounds along with numerous chemicals hampering the air quality. Petroleum refineries release hydrocarbons along with other chemicals.
• Mining Operations – Through mining all the natural resources like minerals that are stored inside the earth surface are excavated with the help of huge equipments and even explosives. Huge amount of dust and other suppressed chemicals are released thus into the atmosphere during this process. Mining thus hampers the health conditions of both workers and also the nearby residents.
• Indoor Air Pollution – There are many household products like the cleaning, painting which are capable to emitting toxic chemicals in the air causing pollution.

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Benefits of Geographic Information Systems in Healthcare

                             MODERNISING HEALTHCARE THROUGH USE OF GIS
We never want the noise of the ambulance haunt ourselves or our dear ones, right? But unfortunately we all have fallen sick at some point in our life.Sometimes the sickness became severe and led us to hospitals and there came the rush and the tension to find the right hospital and doctor. No I am not trying to make you melancholic by bringing back those memories which were equivalent to nightmares. I am just making you more knowledgeable about how the next time you will panic less while finding a hospital or a doctor in your area. Do you know how many doctors are there in your city? What do they specialize in? How far are they from your house? Well I can make out that ‘question mark’ face of yours. The busy world of ours has made us so ‘busy’ that we sometimes don’t even know what is our neighbor up to.

So here are certain questions that people ask:

• Where's my Doc?
• Can one Map Patients, Provide their Locations & Find the Closest Doctors?
• How can one find the Right Doctors?

Making decisions based on geography is very basic to human thinking. By understanding geography and people's relationship to “location”, we can make sound decisions about the way we live on this planet. A GIS is a technological tool for comprehending geography and making intelligent decisions. GIS organizes geographic data so that a person reading a map can select data necessary for a specific task. A GIS MAP IS INTERACTIVE and has a table of contents that allows the reader to add layers of information to a base map of real-world locations. A good GIS program is able to process the geographic data from a variety of sources and integrate it into a map project.

Read More about GIS and how it works

How Geographic Information System (GIS) works

HERE’S A STORY TO TELL THAT HOW HEALTH AND MAPPING ARE RELATED SINCE AGES…
Since the ancient times, the importance of location in outbreak and treatment of diseases has been paramount necessity. While in the times of Hippocrates, physicians found out that people living near water would be more prone to malaria than those in drier areas.
In 1854, London suffered a severe cholera outbreak. No one knew how it spread from one person to the other. Some physicians believed that cholera spread through miasmas, bad air and bad smells but Dr John Snow thought otherwise. He plotted the distribution of deaths.On map of London the water well on Broad Street was apparently responsible for hundreds of cholera attacks in a ten-day period. Dr Snow asked the local authorities to immediately remove the water pump’s handle. As soon as this was done, the number of cholera deaths was dramatically reduced. Dr Snow’s work stands out as the first case where geography and maps were utilized to understand the spread of a disease. That’s how first ever disease map was drawn.

How geo-spatial technology helps healthcare?

The use of location in modern health care finds roots in public health information or PHI. It means the application of information science and technology to public health practice and research and better public health information leads to improved health geomatics… thus making GIS relevant and useful in health care. Primarily, it is applied in the areas of epidemiology, public health and medical geography. Spatial data is used to establish the correlation, between location and health, and layers of useful information are added to show a relationship with local factors using a GIS.
Healthcare professionals across the globe are using geo-spatial technology as a weapon in their fight against dreaded diseases. What’s happening with swine flu? Where is it spreading? What is the severity? Is it in nursing homes or elsewhere? This really interferes with our ability to protect people isn’t it?

THE GLOBAL SCENARIO:

• World Health Organization has also come up with a dengue map for the country which not only talks about the number of cases but also predicts the disease spread
• Digital Mapping Laboratory under the Vector Control Research Centre in Pondicherry,India is using GPS to demarcate areas affected by dengue or malaria by interpretation of the multi-spectral and multi-temporal satellite sensors data for mapping the mosquito breeding habitats. This helps in understanding the severity of the disease spread and in evaluating the pressure on healthcare facilities and resources in the area.
• “The Global Polio Eradication Initiative”, a public-private partnership led by national governments and spearheaded by the WHO, Rotary International, US CDC and UNICEF, is aggressively using geo-spatial technology to gauge the effectiveness of the Short Interval Additional Dose approach in vaccination drives.

MANAGED CARE IS BIG BUSINESS:
The revenue of this sector exceeded $320 billion in the United States. They are discovering that GIS can help them address these issues. As the industry matures, a growing number of its clients are demanding more sophisticated health plans. Patients feel their providers should be close at hand. Physicians within preferred provider networks want more control over the number of patients they are asked to treat.
Patient Access, an application developed by GeoHealth Incorporated, an Esri business partner, is used by managed care companies to make sure that patients are close to their physicians, and the ratio of patients to physicians is constant throughout a given health care network.The application displays the geographical relationships between a client's employees and the network of physicians that the provider has to offer.It is now being used by medical groups, hospitals, government entities, consultants, and businesses to map the locations of patients and physicians. GeoHealth used ArcView GIS to create PatientAccess.

CONCLUSION:
GIS is proving itself to be a useful tool in the evaluation of health care networks nationwide. With the integration of GIS in the health care industry and the development of applications one can optimise and refine their health plans. So we can hope that the ambulances serve us on time just like the pizza delivery system.

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Use of GIS in Military

                                                   PROTECTING THE BORDERS
Every night we close our eyes peacefully knowing that our house is secured, it’s locked, there is security guard, and most importantly family is with us. But many are not that fortunate. Reviewing the present situation in the Middle Eastern countries like Iraq and Syria, it makes me think how cruel mankind can be. Actually wars have never been a solution for anything: it’s like a loop: a loop (if you know programming you will be familiar with the term) goes on and on until the condition is false. Wars have no borders, no gender, no religion or age. It’s mankind that has created them, divided the society into compartments of rich and poor: the haves and have-nots.

So now the condition cannot be false, i.e., we cannot make wars end: be it protecting the borders or geopolitics of resources like oil and water wars. Now that we have to live with this why not bring in some innovation in military to help us serve better for our country?
This “innovation” is brought by GIS in the world of defence and intelligence.

Read more about what is Geographic Information System (GIS) and how it works

Advantages of using GIS and its Intelligence Capabilities in Modern Military Warfare

Here are some facts we need to know about:
Homosapiens… ok don’t get worried…it means simply human beings…we... are power hungry and when we don’t get what we want we fight for it…the wrong way or the right way. Similarly in the modern day battle field, the key to victory lies not in the size of the military forces but in remaining one step ahead of your enemy. So if one can figure out where their enemy is and what his future course of action going to be like... then it will be easier to locate and defeat them. But how are we going to find them? The answer to our question is spatial information: if in a weapon system we have it with accuracy then we can take advantage of the position and make for the action plan. So the military command which has the information fast and uses it fast will be the game changer (hope you remember the situation in Gulf war in the ‘90’s by Allied forces against Iraq. Now the country with better or best technology will get the best of GIS and will attain dominance in military power on land, sea and air. Military forces use GIS in myriad ways including battle field management, cartography, intelligence, remote sensing terrain analysis, military installation management and monitoring of possible terrorist activity.

DEFENCE ESTATE MANAGEMENT:
GIS plays the administrative role here. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has large chunks of properties across the nation and their effective management is done through digital mapping by GIS. It helps in significantly reducing base operations and maintenance costs to improve the overall mission effectiveness, provide rapid modelling capabilities for analyzing alternative strategies and improve communications.

TERRAIN EVALUATION:
Terrain evaluation involves developing a detailed land map with information on the land use and cover, terrain modelling and proximity analysis of habitat are essential for military operations. All these details must be available to the field commander on adatum (bench mark area) to match with the equipment he uses for position fixing and communication in her/his area of operation. For all sensitive military operations gravitational information and magnetic variation are a must have. Due to the extremely critical nature of the operation, any discrepancy in this information may endanger the entire operation. If the inputs are matching with the system used for firing, target assessment can be done.Read about application of GIS in Land use management

NAVAL OPERATIONS:
When a submarine or any other ocean vessel sails through it must know where it is in the vast waters of the earth. The complex ocean dynamics (wave conditions, sea surface temperatures, etc.) are crucial to comprehend the situation during war time. ENC- Electronic Navigation Chart and Electronic Chart Display and Information System -ECDIS, on bridge of the vessels helps the navigator to navigate the ship safely in all weather conditions. Read about use of GIS in Marine Resource Management
The database for GIS operations is ENC and the real time GIS application in marine environment is ECDIS. Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) has replaced the conventional paper chart, which was used for providing input for detailed information about depth, navigation, navigational and hazards aids in the area.

AIR OPERATIONS:
Like the land and sea operations it is important to have data about elevation, proximity to the civilian areas and threat from the ground. For example data regarding location of the target, its identification, possible hot spots is relayed to cockpit of aircraft. The tool used by Arc GIS is 3D ANALYST TOOL which helps in making threat envelopes (volumetric circles or spheres –high, medium and low) on the map and then decide the flight path (in the form of a corridor).Meteorological information and data which enhances visibility, and warns them of possible change, which may occur during an aerial war activity is also received by the pilots.

WEATHER INFORMATION:
One important note that military operations are going to function properly and successfully when This additional information Is handy: like wind conditions, cloud coverage, visibility and temperature parameters are real time. Therefore, ground truth data, remote sensing.

Application of Remote Sensing in Military

A major activity which uses GIS is determining how troops can be deployed in the quickest and most effective way by understanding the terrain. This is done with GIS along with satellite imagery. This is very crucial because this way strategies with respect to positions, likely locations for scouting parties, best line of sight/fire and also the ability to hide troops and equipment are charted out.

LOGISTICS:
GIS plays an important role in military logistics because it is able to move supplies, equipment, and troops wherever they are needed at the right time and place with help of digital maps.

CONCLUSION:
The bottom line is that technology has revolutionized warfare. It is no more with swords and horse riding. It is about harnessing the best from our existing infrastructure and using it intelligently for war-fare by forming strategies and not merely the size of the enemy.


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GIS and Marine Resource Management

We have discussed what Geographic Information System (GIS) are and how they can used in Land Resource Management, in transportation and Natural Resource Management. Today we will be discussing about GIS application in Marine Ecosystem Management.

Application of Geoinformatics in marine resources:

The increase in population and fast dwindling land resources lead to tapping and exploitation of ocean resources. Exploitation of ocean resources may cause ecological imbalance. In addition to this, oceans play an important role in climatic changes, influencing monsoon that decides the economic development of many economies. Remote sensing technology is extremely useful to study and manage the ocean resources. RS and GIS applications area has extensively used this technology for the following purposes:

• Ocean colour, wind and temperature: methodology development
• Ship tracking and navigation studies
• Coastal environmental studies
• Development of irrigated fisheries forecast model
• Surface sediment dynamics

GIS provides the resource managers with a means to integrate scientific data with prevailing cultural values and traditions. GIS allows interpretation of many terrestrial and marine datasets, fisheries catch data, seabird standings, marine political boundaries, as well land cover classification from watersheds, roads, satellite imagery, streams and political boundaries. The marine GIS have all the aspects for making it a fertile domain area for research. Further remotely sensed SST, wind and other parameters can be used to model to predict fish abundance, their habitat and related aspects.

Marine Fisheries Management and planning:

• The objective is to encourage GIS tools to foster the sustainable use of natural resources.
• It aims at aquatic resource managers, decision managers and fisheries biologists in developing countries that have little or no knowledge about GIS.
• Oil and chemical spills can have widespread impacts and long term consequences to wildlife, coastal and marine habitats and human health. A GIS can assist oil and chemical pollution.
• A GIS can provide uniform spill response.

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GIS in Land use Management

                                                              INTRODUCTION
Geographic Information System is an integrated tool that can analyze, manipulate, store and map geographical data in order to provide solutions to problems in the real world and thus help in planning for the future. GIS deals with the WHAT and WHERE components of occurrences.For example, to regulate rapid transportation,government decides to BUILD FLYOVERS( WHAT COMPONENT) in those areas WHERE TRAFFIC JAMS are common (WHERE COMPONENT). Today we will be discussing benefits of GIS in Land use planning and urban development.

Burrough(1998) defined GIS as “a powerful set of tools for collecting, storing, retrieving at will, transforming and displaying spatial data from the real world for a particular set of purposes.”

OBJECTIVES OF GIS
Some of the major objectives of GIS are:

1. Efficiency of planning and decision making should be maximized
2. Information from multiple sources should be integrated
3. Facilitating complex query and analysis
4. Eliminating redundant data and minimising duplication

Read More about what is GIS, how it works and applications

LAND USE MANAGEMENT/PLANNING/ Urban Development

Geographic information system utilizes software and data for mapping, analyzing and displaying all the object which are geographically referenced. By using ArcGIS by ESRI any government agency can say everything about one’s assets, work and zoning of land.This is very helpful for the end users. They can easily look up for their property,land and the amount of tax that is needed to pay.

The relationship can be utilized to interpret, visualize and querying the data.It has become very easy for the common people to access the data by using ArcGIS online.The uses of land use planning can be done in the following ways.

• TAX MAPPING: Raising property revenue taxes is one of the important functions of the government agencies.The amount of tax payable depends on the value of the land and the property.The correct assessment of value of land and property determines the equitable distribution of the community tax.A tax assessor has to evaluate new properties and respond to rents,sale,maintenance,insurance and other expenses.Managing as well as analyzing all this information simultaneously is time consuming and hence comes the need of GIS. Information about the property with its geographical location and boundary is managed by GIS. Land units stored in parcel database can be linked to their properties.Querying the GIS database can locate similar type of properties in an area.The characteristics of these properties can then be compared and valuation can easily be done.
• ELECTRIC /GAS UTILITIES: GIS is used on a daily basis by the cities and utilities to help them in mapping, in inventory systems, track maintenance, monitor regulatory compliance or model distribution analysis,transformer analysis and load analysis.
• RISK MANAGEMENT: A GIS can help with risk management and analysis by showing us which areas are prone to natural or man-made disasters.When such forthcoming disasters are identified,preventive measures can be developed to deal with different scenarios.
• TRANSPORTATION: GIS can be used to in managing the transportation infrastructure or in managing logistical problems.They can help us in monitoring rail system and road conditions or finding the best way(route) to deliver our goods or services.
• AGRICULTURE: GIS is used in variety of agricultural applications such as managing crop yields,monitoring crop rotation techniques, and projecting soil loss for individual farms or entire agricultural regions etc.
• WATER/WASTEWATER INDUSTRY:People in the water/wastewater industry use GIS in planning, engineering,operations,maintenance,finance and administrative functions of their water/wastewater networks.

Read More:
GIS in transportation
GIS and Natural Resource Management


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Climate Change : Treaties related to Global Warming

                    International Undertakings to mitigate Global Warming
Climate Change and Global Warming are matters which are discussed and being sorted out in every forum. It is an International awakening. Every community and nation needs to come forward to mitigate the adversaries being spread by this phenomenon. Both, Global Warming and Climate Change, are related and are being dealt with subsequently.

Global warming is a multifaceted crisis, which, is not only environmental in nature, but costs all spheres of existence on this planet. It is either affected by– or affects– global issues, like poverty, population growth, economic development, resource management and sustainable development. (Read more about Social impact of Global Warming)

The most important aspect about mitigating Global Warming lies with the reduction of emissions. The governments of the various nations are immensely worried about this and have come under common discussions to resolve this problem. It is necessary for all of us to pay heed to it and be a part of the efforts that are being taken at global level.
Few Global Warming International Conventions that have taken place:

• Kyoto Protocol
• UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)
• Paris Climate Deal

Kyoto Protocol

Kyoto Protocol is carrying forward the legacy of 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This protocol came into being in Kyoto, Japan on 11th December, 1997. It was enforced on 16th February, 2005. There are 192 member nations which have taken to this protocol making it a global initiative to mitigate the effects and adversities of global warming. Canada was one nation which withdrew from this treaty in December, 2012. It was then made obligatory for state parties to commit to work on the reduction of Greenhouse Gases on the pretext that:

• Global Warming exists,
• Man – made CO₂ is causing it.

This protocol speaks of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. It implements the goal to fight global warming by cutting down the greenhouse gas present in the air. The gases should be cut down to such a level that it will prevent harmful human intervention with the climatic setup of the environment. It enforces the developed nations to cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions and also look for more conventional sources of energy with the outlook of sustainable development. The developed nations have been asked to cut down emissions as they are believed to have caused the present scenario of extreme emissions from historical times.

UNFCCC

This convention of United Nations about Climate Change provides us with a framework. This convention was enforced on 21st March, 1994. It shows us how the Intergovernmental efforts can help us tackle all the adversities that are prevailing due to climate change and global warming. Climate is a universal factor and a shared resource. Affecting the climate can influence the well being of the whole system completely. The stability of climatic conditions can be influenced by industrial emissions, vehicular emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases. This convention is quite popular and almost has universal membership of all the nation states throughout the globe.

There are guidelines which are provided to all the governments through this convention. The member nations are supposed to share and gather the necessary information about the greenhouse gases, their emissions, national policies and their best practices. They will launch various national level strategies to address the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. They will need to adapt to the expected impacts which include the provisions of financial and technology based support to developing member nations. The convention also enforces them to cooperate to prepare to adapt to the forthcoming impacts of climate change and side by side global warming too.

Paris Agreement

This Climate Conference abbreviated as COP21 was held in Paris on December 2015. This agreement will be enforced only in 2020. There were around 195 member states who had participated for this legally binding global climate deal. It was the first of its kind in which everyone has agreed to put in their best efforts and follow by this agreement with international obligations to be followed. This agreement has set a standard of global action plan. This obligation mainly concentrates on putting the world on track by avoiding dangerous climate change and global warming effects through reduction and limiting of global warming before it exceeds 2°C increase in temperature.

Read more about What is Global Dimming and its causes

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