Air Pollution by Choong Zhan Hong 4Kindness

The picture shows a way of preventing air pollution.

the picture is relevant to the issue because the people in China are trying to prevent air pollution.

Smoke polluting clean surrounding air. The picture is relevant to the issue because the smoke is coming out of a factory pipe in the middle of a field.

A lot of cars and motorcycles causing air pollution.The picture is relevant to the issue because it shows cars polluting the air.

A lot of smoke coming out of 2 factory pipes. The picture is relevant to the issue because it shows 2 factory pipes with smoke coming out of them.

smoke coming out of 4 factory pipes. The picture is relevant to the issue because it shows 4 factory pipes with smoke coming out of them.

Introduction

The environmental issue I will be addressing today is air pollution. I chose this issue because the air will be polluted in places with a lot of smoke such as factories. It may harm workers of the factories, people and animals that live near the factories.

Air pollution

Air pollution is the pollution of air caused by smog, acid rain, soot, ect.

Smog is a type of large-scale outdoor pollution. It is caused by chemical reactions between pollutants derived from different sources, primarily automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. Cities are often centers of these types of activities, and many suffer from the effects of smog, especially during the warm months of the year.

When a pollutant, such as sulfuric acid combines with droplets of water in the air, the water (or snow) can become acidified . The effects of acid rain on the environment can be very serious. It damages plants by destroying their leaves, it poisons the soil, and it changes the chemistry of lakes and streams. Damage due to acid rain kills trees and harms animals, fish, and other wildlife.

Soot is a black powdery form of carbon produced when coal, wood, or oil is burned, which rises up in fine particles with the flames and smoke.

Conclusion

We can stop air pollution before people get harmed by air pollution.We must be more careful in the things we do that harm the Earth.

Natural Disasters by Nicholas Phung-Zhang 4L

The environmental topic that I would be addressing today is natural disasters.

1.The first photo depicts a Volcano that has just erupted by shooting lava out of the cone, which contains thick black ashes and ‘red’ gas.

A Volcano is an opening in the earth’s crust, often in the shape of a conical mountain, through which lava, gas and ash sometimes burst out.

The magma within the largely solid mantle sometimes rises and collects in certain places. When there is too much magma in the chamber, the pressure of the subsurface of magma exceeds the pressure of the overlying rock. The magma is buoyed by water vapor and other hot gases, then the magma migrate through cracks and vents towards surface. Then the volcanoes are formed when it rises to the earth’s surface and bursts out.

There are many kinds of volcano eruptions, most form along plate boundaries or under the sea. Volcanoes that erupt regularly are known as active volcanoes, e.g. Mount Kilauea. The ones will never erupt again are called extinct. Those are in sleeping stage are known as dormant.


2.The second photo shows that aftermath of an earthquake, the house has been nearly destroyed and the left part of the building has caused the ground beneath it to subside.

The constant movement of plates causes pressure to build up at faults, and at the plate boundaries themselves. When two plates move apart or push upward, or slide against each other, an earthquake occurs.

When the pressure produced by these movements reaches a certain level, the pent-up energy ruptures the rocks and creates a fracture known as a fault. This sudden release of energy also unleashes the ground-shaking vibrations that constitute an earthquake.



3.The third picture I chose is that a terrified child is holding tightly on his relative or a rescued person, the water level has reached to the man’s chest. The devastating situation is because of flooding.

Flooding is great overflow of water, which can be caused by natural such as high rainfall, snowmelt or sudden relief water in the low land and can be caused by other natural disasters. Another reason of flooding is caused by human, for instance, deforestation, poor farming, overgrazing and over cultivation, plus poor water management and the population pressure. Flooding can be very devastating if the water rises like the picture shown.


4.The fourth picture describes the huge fire is burning in the forest. Forest fires can be caused by forces of nature or human negligence.

Fire needs fuel, oxygen and heat to survive. In the forest, the fuel is provided by trees and brushes. When it is in the hot and dry summer, the wood is extremely dry (when wood reaches 572°F, it gives off a gas which reacts with oxygen to make a flame. The flame will heat the remaining wood, making the fire grow stronger.) Lighting, campfire sparks, flint or matches can help wood reach the flash point necessary to create a fire.

5.The last photo I want to highlight is hurricanes. Hurricanes are the most dangerous storms on the earth, it starts over the ocean. They begin as groups of thunderstorms near the equator during early summer to early fall. The water vapor is the fuel for the hurricanes; the eye wall is the strongest winds occur. By the time a hurricane reaches shore, it can be 500 miles wide; its winds can blow at speed over 150 miles per hour. Hurricane winds can blow down office buildings, piers, power lines, homes and trees.

I feel these photos are relevant because all catastrophes can cause massive destructions and losses of property even human lives.

Most of the natural disasters can not be controlled by humans, however, we can learn to predict/forecast/prevent before hand; we can well prepare ourselves and other people when the disaster strikes and try to minimize the losses.

We should increase people’s awareness on the environment; educate people to use renewable resources and encourage people to use natural resources properly.

Tips on saving the environment:

Government should enforce the policies to punish those who spoil the environment.
Control the population growth.
Encourage farmers to grow crops in the vertical farms for proper usage of land; avoid over cultivation and over grazing.
Plan our cities in an environment friendly manner.

We can not stop the natural disasters happening; however, we can make our building stronger and plan the escape route in advance in case of earthquakes. We can build dams and dykes to stop rivers overflowing in the lowlands to avoid flooding. Most of all, we need to love our earth and protect it for ourselves and others.

Forest Fires by Jackie Sim 4 Kindness

Caption- The above photo shows a forest fire burning. I feel it relevant to the topic because the animals will die and become extinct.

Caption- The above photo shows a chart about the number of forest fires and the burned area of forest and other land. I feel it relevant to the topic because it can show the number of forest fires and the burned area of forest and other land.

Caption- The above photo shows an un-controllable forest fire. I feel it relevant to the topic because it causes more global warming and air pollution because of the carbon dioxide and smoke.

Caption- The above photo shows a forest fire raging in the Bunyip State Forest near the township of Tonimbuk east of Melbourne on February 7, 2009. I feel it relevant to the topic because it destroys many trees, houses and lives.

Caption- The above photo shows a deadly forest fire burning the trees. I feel it relevant to the topic because it destroys natural resources and habitats.

Introduction
The environmental issue I will focus on is forest fires. I chose this topic because I felt sad for the people that lost their homes or died. The government also has to pay all the cleanup costs of the people affected by the fires.

(Issue) Forest fires
Forest fires can be very dangerous because when a fire starts at a place, the fire will carry the glowing embers into new areas. Forest fires can be caused naturally, caused by lightning, by the dry weather or man purposely made the fire.

Conclusion
Man can save electricity and water. Man can also reuse, recycle and reduce.

Global Warming By Andrew Tan 4Loyalty

This picture depicts a bushfire in Victoria, Australia. It has killed more than 200 people.

Picture 1: A recent bushfire in Victoria, Australia.

This picture depicts the glaciers melting rapidly. It has started to melt because of the extreme weather conditions.

Picture 2: The glaciers are melting rapidly.

Some cities are being flooded by the rising sea levels.

Picture 3: Due to the melting glaciers, some cities are being flooded.

The Earth is simply getting too hot!!

Picture 4: Earth is getting too hot!

The melting glaciers of Alaska.

Picture 5: The melting glaciers in Alaska.






Introduction




The environmental issue that I would be addressing today is Global Warming. We sit in this classroom today and look around us and we feel safe and unaffected. Global Warming is somewhere else and affect somebody else, and will not affect me. WRONG!
I chose this issue because I feel that Global Warming affects all living things on Earth now and in the future. The damage done by the human race over the last 200 years has accelerated the degradation of the natural environment on Earth.





Issue





Global warming causes many problems for everything on Earth now and in the future. The damage done by the human race over the last 200 years has accelerated the degradation of the natural environment on Earth. Due to the melting glaciers in Alaska, countries like Netherlands are suffering floods while over the other side of the world, Australia is suffering a drought.








5 Pictures

I feel these pictures are relevant because some of them are the causes of Global Warming while the others are results of Global Warming.





Conclusion





Mankind can help save the environment part by reusing, recycling and reducing. We could also drive our cars less, use less plastic bags, do not waste electricity, water, food, etc.

Natural disasters by Jonathan Tay

The environmental issue that I will be addressing today is about natural disasters. I chose this topic because I felt that natural disasters are threatening many people’s lives and they are important to let people know about it. Another reason for selecting this topic is because they are many types of natural disasters such as heat waves, blizzards and hurricanes so. It would be quite easy to obtain photographs on natural disasters for my photo journal.

Natural disaster is the consequence of a natural hazard (e.g. volcanic eruption, earthquake, or landslide) which affects human activities. Human vulnerability, exacerbated by the lack of planning or appropriate emergency management, leads to financial, environmental or human losses. The resulting loss depends on the capacity of the population to support or resist the disaster, and their resilience. This understanding is concentrated in the formulation: "disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability”. A natural hazard will hence never result in a natural disaster in areas without vulnerability, e.g. strong earthquakes in uninhabited areas. The term natural has consequently been disputed because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement. Earthquakes cause most tsunamis. An earthquake happens when the huge plates on the earth’s surface slide against each other. A strong underwater earthquake causes tsunamis by forcing large amounts of water up and down. Other events can cause tsunamis too. Falling rocks and dirt from huge landslides can also start tsunamis. Volcanoes that erupt in or near the ocean can also cause tsunamis. Very rarely, tsunamis are caused by large meteorites crashing into the ocean. When these events occur under the water, huge amounts of energy are released as a result of a quick upward bottom movement. For example, if a volcano eruption occurs, the ocean floor may very quickly move upward several hundred feet.

The picture I have chosen depicts a wrecked coastal village in Sumatra after after the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami. There were many lives lost and people were very sad after this natural disasters because many of their friends, relatives or family membrs had died.

The picture I have chosen shows a collapsed building in DuJinagYan after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Right after the devastating Sichuan earthquake of May 12, 2008, in which over 70,000 people lost their lives, officials rushed to deny that the massive Three Gorges Dam complex hundreds of kilometres downstream could have played any role in triggering the natural disaster.

The picture I have chosen depicts many cars trying very hard to get from one place to another.
Residents of low-lying towns stacked sandbags or grabbed belongings and evacuated Wednesday after a foot of rain pushed rivers and creeks out of their banks in the nation's midsection. At least 13 deaths had been linked to the weather, and three people were missing

All the cars in USA are having a hard time driving around.

The picture I have chosen depicts a few people standing on some fallen things to not step into the water. Many people managed to survive this incident because proper tsunami warning systems had set off an alarm to tell that a tsunami is coming.

The December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami took over 200,000 lives. Proper planning and a tsunami warning system could have saved thousands of lives.

The picture I have chosen depicts a man trying to find water during the drought.First drought then floods and again drought, weather is playing mockery with Australia. Green parkland has turned light brown with parched grounds, failing crops, water-thirsty land Australia is a story of how global warming stirs a cycle of extreme weather changes.

Australia is facing the worst-ever drought in its history. Flash flooding a few months ago seemed to have marginalized drought, which has again sprouted its head from the dark, desiccating Australian food bowl.

Some of the natural disasters are caused naturally such as cyclones and hurricanes. However, some other natural disasters are caused by men. These pictures are relevant to the issue because all the pictures whhich I have selected are one of the many types of natural disasters in the world.

People can overcome natural disasters such as tsunamis by setting up warning systems to warn people when and where tsunamis are going to strike next. As for earthquakes, people can try

Air pollution by Lee Zen Been 4 Loyalty

lots of air pollution in the sky.the amount of smoke is very dangerous.the picture is relevant because the air pollution in the sky will affect a person's condition in all ways









taxi emitting lots of black smoke.
people in the area are endangered
the photo is relevant because it shows how air pollution can be very dangerous









massive air pollution shot in the sky.air pollution
clashing with the clouds.the picture is relevant because it shows alot of smoke being shot into the air










major air pollution in the city.all cars contribute to it
this picture is relevant because it shows how air pollution can be a very large issue in the city










massive air pollution in city


the smoke is everywhere.the picture is relevant because the massive amount of smoke can take lives

Air pollution
The enviromental issue that I will be addressing today is air pollution.I chose this
issue because air pollution plays a big part in global warming,and some iresponsible
people are not only not trying to stop air pollution but contributing to it.
Contamination of the air by noxious gasses and minute articles of solid and liquid(particulates) that may cause people to suffer.the main sources of air pollution are transportation engines,power and heat generation,industrial processes,and the burning of solid waste
the combustion of gasoline and other hydrocarbon feuls in many vehicles produces
several primary pollutants: nitrogen oxide,gaseous hydrocarbons,and carbon monoxide,as well as large quantities of particuates.in the presence of sunlight, nitrogen oxides combine with hydrocarbons to form a secondary class of pollutants,
the photo chemical oxidants,among the ozone and the eye-stinging peroxyacetylnitrate(PAN).
I feel these photos are relavant because there are major air pollutions in each picture
in the fourth,the taxi may look like its only emmiting a small amount of smoke compared to the other pictures,but as time passes the amount of smoke increases,
endangering people.
The photos depict massive amount of smoke,and the air got polluted.I feel that the photos show that the air can be very polluted very well.
There are lots of things that man can do to stop air pollution,like taking public transport more often or just try not to smoke.If the air gets too polluted,the government in some countries may spend alot of money to stop air pollution.

Deforestation by Yong Cheng Hoa 4 Loyalty

The envoironmental issue that will be discussed in the following is deforestation.I chose this issue because I feel it is a serious world threat.

The photographs i have picked depicts forests being cut down or burnt for agriculture(food),clearing of land for housing,logging for furniture,etc,etc,etc.The second photo depicts a tree that has been marked for deforestation.

It is relevant to the issue because it shows the devastation deforestation can cause.

Carpet of trees......?(more like mass destruction.)

Now for the statistics.Africa is suffering twice the world rate of deforestation as 90%of Africa's forests have been completely wiped out.

Ethopia only has 11.9% of its land forested as over the last 50 years, 98% of its forestefd regions are gone.

And since the arrival of mankind 2000 years ago,Madagascar has lost over 90% of its forested lands.

Nice view,huh?(but the tree's going down

soon(in a different way from the sun))



And according to the FAO(Food and Agriculture Organization),Nigeria is suffering the highest deforestation rate in the world since over half of its primary forests are gone through the last 5 years.

And ever since the Vikings settled in Iceland in the ninth century,95% of its forest covering at least 25% of its land is gone.

And,due to deforestation,the Atlantic Rainforest has been reduced to just 7% of its original size.



Fall,mighty forest(more to come boys,


deforesters are here)








In 2008,Brazil has announced a record rate of deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest,there,deforestation has increased by 69% since 2007.And according to the WWF(Worldwide Fund for Nature),by 2030,if this rate of deforestation continues,nearly 60% of the Amazon Rainforest will be wiped out or severely damaged.

According to the FAO,Vietnam has the second highest rate of deforestation after Nigeria.



Forest Lacanja fried...........






And finally,if these rates of deforestation continues,all of Indonesia's forests will be gone in 10 years.

As you can see,if these rates of deforestation goes on,not only will there be no forest then,but much more animals like the passenger pigeon,Cardina parakeet,ivory-billed woodpecker and Bachman's Warbler will be extinct.


Good day to all of you guys!

Chop,Chop,Chop,will it ever stop?

Singaporeans' behaviour by Jeremy Lee 4 Loyalty

Does this picture look familiar to you? The above picture shows many Singaporeans shuffling other Singaporeans in queues just to get to the counter first.

This picture shows a family queuing up early in the morning to go to they are the safari and think they are the first but they do not know that there are many people inside, queuing.

The above picture shows a lady waiting for a train, she is standing, and blocking commuters from coming out from the train.

This picture shows how much litter some Singaporeans throw,

expecting the cleaner to help them clean it up.

This picture shows that some Singaporeans think the staircase lobby is the rubbish dump.

I think that the five pictures are relevant. The first picture is relevant to the issue as it shows how Singaporeans like to push and shove, the second, as Singaporeans do not like queues and queue up early before an event starts. The third is because most Singaporeans are quite impatient when waiting for MRTs and tend to stand very close to the yellow line, the third as Singaporeans like to litter. The fourth is as most Singaporeans are lazy and do not bother to throw their rubbish into the rubbish bins provided but instead throw them onto the floor and the fifth is as most Singaporeans do not have the habit of throwing their bulks of rubbish into the big dumpster outside their flats (For HDB).

My conclusion is that everyone should be more considerate and try to stop being selfish and stop behaving badly. Please try to stop bad behaviour, everyone.

Global Warming by Cedric Tay 4Loyalty

Uh oh, this is seriously uncool, I mean, just look at the fumes!


The picture is relevant because it shows how much fumes the industry spews out every minute.








































Ta-da! A polar bear doing a balancing act……in the middle of the North Pole?Not funny at all. The picture is relevant because it shows the dangerous plight of the poor polar bears in the North Pole.

A large part of an enormous glacier crashing down.
This shows that the glacier is melting like an ice-cream on a hot day! The picture is relevant because it shows that the glaciers and ice-burgs are melting drastically.

Ha, ha, very funny, but when it really happens, don’t come crying for your mummy. The picture is relevant because it shows that the sea level rise is caused by global warming and it will destroy people and property.

You are about to be fried alive if you don’t do something soon. The picture is relevant because it shows that the Earth is practically frying up.

The environmental issue that will be discussed in the following is about global warming. I chose this issue because I feel that it is important and needs to be highlighted as it concerns everyone on Earth. Global warming is an extremely serious matter for the earth and its inhabitants, that is, you and me! It is a major problem due to the industrialization and progress by humankind. There has been a hue and cry about global warming ever since the idea was first put forward. Here is one of some theories that have evolved.

According to the solar variation theory, the sun has been gaining strength and is at its strongest since sixty years. Therefore, it may now be acting as a cause of global warming. Global warming has been and is being caused due to a various number of factors. It is basically a change in the climatic conditions of the earth. It affects everyone and everything like animals, Man, Mother Nature, etc.

Polar bears, for instance, are most affected as their homeland, the North Pole, is practically melting down. Glaciers are cracking and icebergs are melting.

How can we slow down global warming? What can we do?

We can try to reduce Global Warming by

Natural disasters by Chew Kuan Yang 4Loyalty

Natural disasters

The environmental issue that will be discussed in the following is natural disasters. I chose this issue because natural disasters are killing humans and should be warned to people. I also chose this issue because I feel we should help people who have suffered from natural disasters (and of course they are surviving!).

Natural disasters are caused by of course, nature. But sometimes, humans cause natural disasters. For example, earthquake’s huge damages are partially caused by the structure of the buildings. If the structures of the buildings are strong and durable, earthquakes would not cause the buildings to collapse so fast that nobody would have time to escape.

Figure 1: Two tornados hitting the Midway Trailer park

This photo depicts two tornados hitting the Midway trailer park In Kansas. This is only 2 out of 78 tornados on April 11, 1965. This makes it the second palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter) tornado outbreak. 261 people were killed altogether during the 1965 second palm Sunday tornado outbreak. Also known as a twister, tornados are the most violent storm. They are twisting air that are destructive. I think Kansas has the most frequent tornado outbreaks.

Figure 2: A bank building in Beichuan after the earthquake

This photo depicts a bank building in Beichuan after the Sichuan earthquakes. As you can see, earthquakes are destructive. The Sichuan earthquake is ranked 19 according to death poll. The Sichuan earthquake has caused 69,227 lives to be gone. The Sichuan earthquake happened less than 3 months before the 2008 Olympics. An earthquake is a large vibration that can destroy and kill. I wonder how a vibration can do this.

Figure 3: Aftermath of cyclone Nargis from aerial view

The picture depicts the aftermath of cyclone Nargis from aerial view (from an airplane view). Cyclone Nargis was a strong tropical cyclone that is the worst natural disaster in the history of Myanmar. Countries that help people affected by cyclone Nargis are: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brunei, Cambodia, Singapore, etc.

Figure 4: An early 19-century drawing of Krakatoa

This picture depicts an early 19-century drawing of Krakatoa. On August 26–27, 1883, the volcano erupted (said to be the worst on the island). 165 villages and towns were destroyed and 132 seriously damaged and at least 36,417 people died. The eruption destroyed two-thirds of the island of Krakatoa. I heard that volcanoes help the earth by getting the earth’s core magma pressure so that the earth will not explode.

Figure 5: Rubble of buildings after Tangshan earthquake

The photo depicts rubble of buildings from the Tangshan earthquake. The Tangshan earthquake is said to be the worst earthquake of the 20th century by death poll. It is the second largest earthquake worldwide. 242,419 to 779,000 were lives were killed. It happened on 1976 July 27 at 19h:42min:53.8sec.

These pictures are relevant to the issue because it is about natural disasters and they are either the aftermath, the looks, or the action.

We can improve this situation by building strong structured buildings for earthquakes, a reservoir near a volcano and underground basements for tornadoes. I was actually thinking about building a big dam just at the entrance of a tsunami affected beach and there will be a door to allow visitors to come in but when there is a tsunami, everybody just rush out of the door and be safe.