AP Environmental Science

Last year, acid rain affected the food safety in China. This acid rain was caused by sulphur dioxide from factories and power plants. Over 50% of the 696 cities and countries that were monitored had acid rain, according to a report from the standing committee of parliament. One third of China’s land was affected by the sulphur dioxide, according to Sheng Huaren, the NPC standing committee cice chairman. China is the world’s leader in contributing sulphur dioxide into the air. Their numbers rose 27% from 2000 to 2005, making the amount emitted to 25 million tons. The amount of sulphur dioxide released into the atmosphere by China were double the acceptable limit according to Sheng. The excessive sulphur dioxide amounts are mostly contributed to coal-burning power stations and coking plants. In Shanxi, China’s main coal-burning province, 650 out of 680 coking plants emitted too much sulphur dioxide.

Air pollution is also on a rise affecting 40% of Chinese cities. This air pollution can be mostly attributed to sulphur dioxide and particulate matter. With the 2008 Olympics coming up soon in Beijing, China has agreed to get rid of the smog filled skies and replace them with clear skies.

In my opinion, it is a shame that China’s food is being jeopardized by sulpher dioxide, something that they have the power to control. I would be nervous if I was a farmer that my crops and animals would be affected by the acid rain and would die, thus leaving me with no money. Other countries should be concerned as well because the acid rain could travel and ruin their lands.

<a href=”http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=A9E18CB5DD9D3AB420946FA19EBBBF52&ref=sciam&chanID=sa012″>Scientific American: Acid rain affects large swathes of China: report</a>

Global warming is a serious issue throughout the world.  Malasiga, Papua New Guinea is one of the first places to feel the effects of it, even though they do not have power lines, factories, or air conditioners within a days walk of this village. The houses of this small village are being destroyed because of the rising water level. Humans have not been too concerned in the past with the amount of carbon dioxide they are putting into the atmosphere; however, that may change when people in their own country, or for that matter their own town, are affected by what is in the atmosphere. Researchers are saying that smokestacks, tailpipes, and other sources will raise the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 50% over the next century.

What exactly does this mean? This means that oceans will rise due to the climate change causing the water to expand. Not only this but, because the water temperature is higher, ice bergs and glaciers will begin to melt. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that the sea level will most likely raise between 1.5 and 3 feet by the end of the century. This could effect tens of millions of people in low lying areas around the world.

 Could this change be from natural fluctuation? Not likely.John Hunter, an oceanographer who studies sea levels at the University of Tasmania in Australia, along with other researchers, concluded that through decades of measurements of the Pacific and Indian oceans that “natural fluctuations could not explain the rise.” 85 % of people in PNG, Papua New Guinea, depend on what they grow, fish or hunt for survival.

Although the countries that are feeling the effects of global warming are not the cause of it, they need a plan to help the world control the carbon dioxide amounts put into the atmosphere. PNG, along with eight other countries, suggest that carbon credits should be eligible for nations that reduce deforestation. Carbon credits can be traded internationally under the terms of the Kyto Protocol A country can earn a carbon credit through having their trees absorb a ton of carbon from the atmosphere or prevent the carbon from burning. As the current rule states, a carbon credit can only be earned by plating new trees, not for old trees. The men and women of Malasiga have seen parts of their land disappear since 1982 piece by piece. Some villagers are now even having to move to higher ground for fear of the water overtaking their homes and families.

To me it seems so sad and in some ways inconceivable that the world is sitting by and watching homes and villiages be destroyed because of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These people are not even the ones that are putting it there, yet they are the ones who have to feel the consequences.

The carbon credits seem like a good idea to me. Amending the rule also seems good because if the people in Malasiga can no longer fish, grow, or hunt food because of what the rising water has destroyed, then they might resort to cutting down trees and selling it for lumber or have paper made out of it. They would then be able to plant new trees and earn carbon credits, but is that what we really want?

The world needs to take a look at what we can do independently and as a whole to see what can be done about the rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and what is happening to cultures throughout the world.
Chicago Tribune (Evan Osnos)