Nitrogen Dioxide Pollution in Lancaster Dissertation

Nitrogen Dioxide Pollution in Lancaster - Dissertation Example Natural sources comprise only about 1% of the total emissions. With the increase in global warming around the world, incentives were undertaken to first create awareness and then to counter the causes of global warming and ozone depletion. United Nations took upon itself to encourage the respective governments of firstly the developed nations and then the developing ones. Similarly, the EU started funding researches and experiments to monitor the main causes of global warming, which were greenhouse gases, of which primarily, were oxides of nitrogen. The alarming statistics on the increase in NO2 concentration in U.K raised more urgent questions to be pondered over. What were the consequences of such high concentrations? Does it pose any immediate threat to the ecosystem in general and environment in particular? Hence researches and experiments were performed to delve further into the effects of the increased emissions of NO2 and our increasing dependence on non- renewable sources as our sole driving energy. The harmful effects, other than global warming, proved more concerning to the masses. The main effect on any individual exposed to high concentrations of NO2 was an increase in respiratory problems especially childhood asthma (Koenig 2003, p. 173). Child Health Study performed a research amongst children from 10 Californian communities using multiple indicators of exposure to NO2. The main indicator they made use of was traffic pollution in especially urban areas. The results proved that there was a co relation between the extent of exposure to NO2 and the occurrence of asthma or to the least, weasing amongst children. Further research explained this consensus (Ritz 2009). Nitrogen dioxide causes an inflammation in the lining of the lungs and reduces immunity to lung infections. This is exactly why children and aged people in particular are at high risk from exposure (Anzenbacher & Zanger 2012 p. 656). Not only does it cause lung problems but also increases the intensity of the nature of the illness. Other than health problems nitrogen dioxide is in itself, a potent threat to the ecosystem as well. Oxides of nitrogen promote ozone formation. It is a major contributor of acid rain and photochemical smog, both being very serious environment issues. Another major harmful effect of oxides of nitrogen is not in its gaseous form but in its element form (Inglezakis & Poulopoulos 2006, p. 22). Owing to the increasing agricultural industry, the use of fertilizers is inevitable. These nitrogenous fertilizers seep into the soil, only to be swept away by rains or flash floods into the nearby river, where the nitrogen boasts the algae population, thereby reducing the oxygen concentration. As a result all other vegetation and species of fish are fatally affected. Nitrogen dioxide reacts in the presence of air and ultraviolet light to form two very harmful compounds, ozone and nitrogen oxide. The NO then reacts with free radicals in atmosphere to pro duce NO2 again. Thus each molecule of NO2 has the ability to produce ozone molecules a lot of times. Also one molecule of NO2 has a very long lifetime because of its inability to absorb light photons. Ozone is an invisible gas with levels highest when it is warm. It also affects the lungs. Studies in animals claim that ozone damages the cells of lining the passages of the lungs, causing

The Outbreak of World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Outbreak of World War I - Essay Example 231). The German guilt stance was subsequently supported by the absolute majority of non-German historians. During the 1920s, a special department of the German Foreign Office - the War Guilt Section - published full compilation (39 volumes) of Germany's foreign policy documents. The compilation was supposed to demonstrate that Germany was not guilty of the outbreak of hostilities. Other European states also published the same collections of pre-war documents. These documents provided historians with massive data that suggested a revision of the view of solely German responsibility for the war, but did not lead to any major change of views among the historians. Furthermore, the Second World War only reinforced the traditional point of view. As a result, European and American historiography overwhelmingly supports the Germany guilt stance. Thus, Luigi Albertini (1952) believes that although part of the blame for the outbreak of World War I rests with the failure of dipl... In a similar vein, Steiner (1977) argues the German drive for power threatened British interests and British Foreign Minister Sir Edward Grey had no choice but respond defensively to an inevitable German aggression. However, this point of view is not in line with that of David Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister who seemed to accept the blame in his War Memoirs (1934) saying that "We muddled into war" (Price, 1981, p.27). Lieven (1983) also claims that Germany's inability to control its militarism was the major factor that the blame for war must "unequivocally rest with the German government" (p.85). And even, Taylor (1969) who is widely known for his famous argument which puts events beyond the control of diplomacies believes that the breakdown of the balance of power due to a self-aggrandizing Germany was the key factor for the First World War. Although remoteness of the event, coupled with the alleged desire of many participants to hide at least part of the truth makes it too difficult to find out what country or who was primarily responsible for the outbreak of hostilities the German guilt still seems to be the most reasonable. International and domestic policy conducted by the Germany leaders convincingly demonstrates that taking the responsibility for the war off her shoulder would be a highly imprudent and unjustified step. Main Discussion The major causes of World War I are often referred to as 'MAIN': Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism. The German build-up of its naval forces was the main reason for deterioration of Anglo-German relations. During only four years after Great Britain, France and the Russian Empire formed the