PHYSICAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

Air, weather and climate, and air pollution

REPORTER:
RUEL M. BALURAN
OBJECTIVE :

At the end of the lesson the students would be able to;

A . Understand air, weather and climate, and air pollution;

B . Appreciate the importance of air and the uses of air resources;
C . States the cause and effect of climate change and air pollution.
 I. AIR

•Air is a mixture of higher proportions of gasses such as oxygen,

nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and much lower quantities of argon, water
vapor, and other pollutants. Living people live and the pure gas
breathes. The shape and composition are indefinite
 USES OF AIR

• Air is a Substantial Supplier of Energy: To produce useful energy, both living

plants and animals depend on oxygen.
• It is a Conducting Medium for Sound: Only when there's the air surrounding
us we can hear the sound of the voice, vibration, etc.
• It is an Essential Part of the Water Cycle: The water cycle is a process of soil
water, oceans, and seas evaporating by the heat of the sun and clouds
formation.
• It is Responsible for the Pollination of Crops: In pollen-grains, plants produce
male gametes.
• It Reduces Pollution: Environmental pollution is a major problem because
various types of pollution stem from the modern way of living.
• Wind Energy (Electricity): The wind can be used to generate
electricity by the installation of wind turbines. Under the power of
the wind, these turbines rotate and produce electrical energy.
 II. WEATHER AND CLIMATE

• Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the

degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear
or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest
layer of the planet's atmosphere, the troposphere, just below the
stratosphere. Weather refers to day-to-day temperature, precipitation,
and other atmospheric conditions, whereas climate is the term for the
averaging of atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time.
When used without qualification, "weather" is generally understood
to mean the weather of Earth.
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF WEATHER
• Sunny - The weather is sunny when there are no clouds
blocking the sunlight and the temperature is warm.
Sunny days are most common in Spring and Summer,
but they can also happen in Autumn and Winter, but
usually they are less warm in these seasons.
• Cloudy- the weather is cloudy when there are lots of
clouds in the sky that get in the way of the sun. Cloudy
days can be cold, because there is not much sunlight,
but they can also be warm if there is lots of humidity.
•Rainy- Rainy weather happens when there are large
clouds in the sky that produce rain. Cloudy days can
become rainy days if the clouds get large enough and
there is a lot of precipitation.
•Snowy- Snowy days usually happen in winter, when
precipitation falls as snow instead of rain. This happens
because the low temperatures cause the water in clouds
to freeze and become snowflakes, which fall to the
ground and pile up.
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEVERE WEATHER

• Thunderstorms– are produced by

cumulonimbus clouds! Thunderstorms include
rain, hail, thunder, lightning, and strong winds.

• Tornadoes- occur when warm air collides with

cold air, and then it creates a narrow and
rotating column of air from a thunderstorm
3. Hurricanes and typhoons– are also spiraling
storms, but these are huge and long-lasting. They
form over water and can produce winds of 200 mph.

4. Winter storms–these storms occur in colder

temperatures which causes rain to freeze and create
snow and ice. A winter storm is when a large
amount of snow has fallen.
5. Blizzards–blizzards are a type of severe snow storm
and occur for a longer period of time. Blizzards also
include dangerously low temperatures and strong winds
as well as lots of snow.

6. Droughts–a drought is a long period without rain

or precipitation. They can happen all around the
world and can have devastating effects. Droughts can
also cause forest fires, famine, and can last for
months to years.
 CLIMATE

• Climate is the general weather over a long period. This can include
rainfall, temperature, snow or any other weather condition. We
usually define a region’s climate over a period of 30 years.
• Tropical: In this hot and humid zone, the average
temperatures are greater than 64°F (18°C) year-round and
there is more than 59 inches of precipitation each year.
• Dry: These climate zones are so dry because moisture is
rapidly evaporated from the air and there is very little
precipitation
• Temperate: In this zone, there are typically warm and humid
summers with thunderstorms and mild winters.
• Continental: These regions have warm to cool summers and
very cold winters. In the winter, this zone can experience
snowstorms, strong winds, and very cold temperatures.
• Polar: In the polar climate zones, it’s extremely cold. Even in
summer, the temperatures here never go higher than 50°F (10°C)!
 WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE?

• is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come

to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates. These changes
have a broad range of observed effects that are synonymous with the
term.
 CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

• Generating power-Generating electricity and heat by

burning fossil fuels causes a large chunk of global
emissions. Most electricity is still generated by burning
coal, oil, or gas, which produces carbon dioxide and nitrous
oxide – powerful greenhouse gases that blanket the Earth
and trap the sun’s heat.
• Manufacturing goods-Manufacturing and industry
produce emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels to
produce energy for making things like cement, iron,
steel, electronics, plastics, clothes, and other goods.
• Using transportation-Most cars, trucks, ships, and
planes run on fossil fuels. That makes transportation a
major contributor of greenhouse gases, especially
carbon-dioxide emissions. Road vehicles account for
the largest part, due to the combustion of petroleum-
based products, like gasoline, in internal combustion
engines
Producing food -causes emissions of carbon dioxide,
methane, and other greenhouse gases in various
ways, including through deforestation and clearing of
land for agriculture and grazing, digestion by cows
and sheep, the production and use of fertilizers and
manure for growing crops, and the use of energy to
run farm equipment or fishing boats, usually with
fossil fuels.
•Powering buildings- Globally, residential and
commercial buildings consume over half of all
electricity. As they continue to draw on coal, oil, and
natural gas for heating and cooling, they emit
significant quantities of greenhouse gas emissions.
•Consuming too much- Your home and use of power,
how you move around, what you eat and how much
you throw away all contribute to greenhouse gas
emissions.
 EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

•Hotter temperatures-As greenhouse gas concentrations

rise, so does the global surface temperature. The last
decade, 2011-2020, is the warmest on record. Since the
1980s, each decade has been warmer than the previous
one.
• More severe storms-Destructive storms have
become more intense and more frequent in many
regions. As temperatures rise, more moisture
evaporates, which exacerbates extreme rainfall
and flooding, causing more destructive storms.
•Increased drought- Climate change is changing water
availability, making it scarcer in more regions. Global
warming exacerbates water shortages in already water-
stressed regions and is leading to an increased risk of
agricultural droughts affecting crops, and ecological
droughts increasing the vulnerability of ecosystems.
•A warming, rising ocean- The ocean soaks up most of
the heat from global warming. The rate at which the
ocean is warming strongly increased over the past two
decades, across all depths of the ocean.
•Loss of species- Climate change poses risks to the
survival of species on land and in the ocean. These risks
increase as temperatures climb.

•Not enough food- Changes in the climate and increases

in extreme weather events are among the reasons behind
a global rise in hunger and poor nutrition. Fisheries,
crops, and livestock may be destroyed or become less
productive.
•More health risks- Climate change is the single biggest
health threat facing humanity. Climate impacts are
already harming health, through air pollution, disease,
extreme weather events, forced displacement, pressures
on mental health, and increased hunger and poor nutrition
in places where people cannot grow or find sufficient
food.
•Poverty and displacement-Climate change
increases the factors that put and keep people in
poverty. Floods may sweep away urban slums,
destroying homes and livelihoods.
 .
III AIR POLLUTION

• Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air—pollutants that are
detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole. According to the
World Health Organization (WHO), each year, indoor and outdoor air pollution is
responsible for nearly seven million deaths around the globe.
 10 COMMON AIR POLLUTION CAUSES ALONG WITH THEIR
EFFECTS. THEY HAVE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR YOU AND
YOUR LOVED ONE’S HEALTH ON A DAILY BASIS.

• The Burning of Fossil Fuels-Most of the air

pollution takes place due to the incomplete
burning of fossil fuels. These include coal, oil,
and gasoline to produce energy for electricity or
transportation.
• Industrial Emission- Industrial activities emit
several pollutants in the air that affect the air
quality more than we can even imagine.
• Indoor Air Pollution-Use of toxic products also
called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs),
inadequate ventilation, uneven temperature, and
humidity level can cause indoor air pollution,
whether you are in an office, school, or at your
comfortable home.

• Wildfires- Climate change is not just increasing

wildfire but also spiking air pollution.
Burning stubble and farm residue is also a major
contribution to wildfire.
• Transportation- Cars on the roads are
increasing day by day. There is no denying
that vehicle pollution is the major
contributor to air pollution, especially in
urban cities, where car ownership rates are
more as compared to rural areas.
• Open Burning of Garbage Waste-Open
burning of garbage is much more harmful to
your health and the environment than one
may think.
• Construction and Demolition- During the clean
air act movement, the Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB) registered the highest number of
air pollution complaints in the
Delhi NCR due to construction pollution and
demolition activities.
 EVALUATION:

1. What do you call the mixture of higher proportions of gasses such as

oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and much lower quantities of
argon, water vapor, and other pollutants?
A. Air B. water C. vapor D. none of the
above
2. What do you call the mixture of higher proportions of gasses such as
oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and much lower quantities of
argon, water vapor, and other pollutants?
A. Air B. water C. vapor D. none of
the above
3. Which of the following are the types of weather?
I. Rainy
II. Sunny
III. Cloudy
IV. Snowy
A. I B. I and II C. I, II and III D. I, II, III and IV
4. What do you call the general weather over a long period? This
can include rainfall, temperature, snow or any other weather condition.
A. Climate B. weather C. climate change D.
pollution
5. What phenomenon considered as a long-term change in the average
weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and
global climates?
A. Climate B. weather C. pollution D. climate
change
6. Which of the following is NOT one of the effects of climate change?

A. Hotter temperatures
B. More severe storms
C. A warming, rising ocean
D. Cutting down forests
7. What environmental problem refers to the release of pollutants into
the air that are detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole?
A. Climate B. climate change C. pollution D. air pollution
8. The following are types of severe weather EXCEPT?
B. Thunderstorm B. tornadoes C. hurricane

and typhoon D. wildfire

9. Which is NOT true about weather?

A. Weather refers to day-to-day temperature, precipitation, and

other atmospheric conditions, whereas climate is the term for the
averaging of atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time

B. Weather is driven by air pressure, temperature, and moisture

differences between one place and another.
C. "weather" is generally understood to mean the weather of
Earth.
D. Weather is a protection that prevents the Planet from
becoming too cold or too hot.
10. Which of the following is NOT one of the causes of climate change?
A. Generating power
B. Manufacturing goods
C. Cutting down forests
D. Poverty and displacement