Geography

An eruption of Indonesia's Mount Sinabung on 4 February resulted in an ash plume of 3.6km. Based on dispersion model simulations by the Meteorological Service Singapore as well as Australia's Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, the volcanic ash is expected to move southeast, and be confined to the northern half of Sumatra for the next 48 hours. The NEA added that three other volcanoes - Mount Karangatang, Mount Lokon and Mount Paluwah are likely to erupt but pose little threats,

The impacts of ash from volcanic eruption on people:

• Health issues esp people with lung problems
• Reduction of outdoor activities
• Burns and even death from the hot ashes falling onto them

The impacts of ash from volcanic eruption on the environment:

• Air pollution
• Destruction of forest
• Destruction of farmland
• Contamination of water sources

 How does air pollution affects Beijing?



With reference to the map:
What are the areas which pollutant level are high?
Why do you think the pollutant level is high in these areas?

The PSI is as high as 79 this morning - the sky is so hazy that people with heart or lung disease as well as children and older adults aged 65 and above are advised  to avoid all physical activity outdoors.
The haze is caused by the fires builds up during the dry season when farmers clear their land by burning.  The fires are mostly concentrated in the provinces of Jambi and South Sumatra in Indonesia.   The haze has been affecting tourism and contributing to health problems across the region.
Indonesia's government has outlawed land-clearing by fire but weak law enforcement means the ban is largely ignored.

For Sec 2 students - think about the following:
1. Why do farmers clear their land by burning? You have studied this under the topic shifting cultivation.
2. How does the haze affect tourism?

Pretty amazed by a documentary on TV - in an effort to protect the forest, an innovative way of making paper from rocks had been developed in China.

The new Rich Mineral Paper (RMP) is made from mainly mineral rocks containing variants of calcium carbonate, such as calcite, marble and limestone, which are easily found in China.

RMP is eco-friendly and does not involve pollution of water, toxic gases or waste products in its production process. Unlike wood pulp paper, RMP is made from stone. Grinding minerals into powder and dissolving the powder into non-poisonous organic macromolecular compounds, the production process does not need water, strong acids, strong bases, bleaching agents nor other organic chlorines. This means it does not produce waste. In production, it will also reduce per-unit energy consumption to two thirds of traditional techniques.

RMP is biodegradable and easily recycled. The paper degrade and cracks like eggshell when exposed to direct sunlight for six months or more and will turn into inorganic powder within a year of being buried.

RMP looks like conventional paper but it is more pliable and tougher, therefore more durable, and is waterproof. When used for writing, it will help resist water damage. When used in print work, it provides clearer imprints and pictures. It can be used to replace plastics for grocery bags, tablecloths and raincoats.

Information extracted from:
http://www.bjreview.com.cn/science/txt/2010-02/27/content_249035.htm

Great news - the UN scientists announced that the ozone layer depletion has stopped.

Ozone provides a natural protective filter against harmful ultra-violet rays from the sun, which can cause sunburn, cataracts and skin cancer as well as damage vegetation.

This is partly credited to the efforts by many countries in the signing of the Montreal treaty in 1987 to reduce the use of CFCs, substances used in refrigerators, aerosol sprays and some packing foams which has caused the destruction of the ozone layer.

However, the ozone-friendly substances that have replaced CFCs in plastics or as refrigerants, which are hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are also powerful greenhouse gases. HFCs alone are regarded as 14,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO2) and HFC emissions are growing by eight percent a year, according to UN agencies. This will pose a challenge in dealing with the global climate change problem.

Adapted from http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5go2RnKHmYcJjFtzH-vKYV2gs_yJA