Research project

PRESENTATION DAY

3/10/11

We finally assembled our product and presentation went well minus an editing flaw on my behalf. Our Demographics was a little off and I blame myself for not proof reading properly prior to our presenting.

I am unable to compress my infographic document with my version of Adobe Acrobat, so I have compressed using a zip folder and will place the link here as well as add pages with appropriate links.

Complete PDF

Infographic ZIP file ( approx 32mb)

Infographic pg1

Infographic pg2

Inforgaphic pg3

Infographic pg4

Infographic pg5

Infographic pg6

Research Project - week 8

2/10/11

Contribution time - 16 hours

Our current Earthship project is coming to an end and with it I have seen a great enthusiasm becoming apparent with the others. Steven has taken greater care in interacting with us and has become more involved with the motions of the group and I think he may have a better understanding of where he/we all fit in to make this project work. He had started to design our e-reader cover and has discovered that the e-reader market is growing in popularity but there have been issues with screen sizing. Although the page size may differ slightly, we found that the resolution on e-readers were 132psi. These were minor problems. So we allocated work to recreate our e-reader contents.

JIM

Heading  - Front cover        

Index

1pg

Introductions

Who is Michael Reynolds?

What is an Earthship?

Do Earthships meet Green Building Standards?

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JUSTIN

2pgs

Earthship systems

-Water

-WOM

-Sewage

-Electricity

-POM

-Types of power generation

-Climate control

-Food

 ----------------------------------------

Steven

1pg

How to source material

Tires

Bottles

Cans

 ----------------------------------------

PAT

1pg

How it’s made (Overview)

1pg

Full gallery

 -------------------------------------

STEVEN

1pg

Next issue Preview

-How will an Earthship impact your environment?

-Environment vs. Earthship

-Food production made easy

Of course we had to proof read Stevens work and correct any spelling irregularities.

Steven did the first cover and Pat did a recreation but then realised that the cover needed to be portrait not landscape for our use. We used a font called Earth kid which we thought looked earthy for the text but decided it needed to be more up to date so we chose "Baskerville Old Face".

 

The allocation of work started and I was able to do rough drafts of covers and the first one I did wasn't very appealing. I was going too earthy and not focusing on my current design skills enough. The font looked wrong, background too dark and the images were too small in file size.

With a little advice from Justin, I created a what I would call a much more appealing piece of work that I would gladly publish as a magazine cover.  It has a fresh new look. A cleaner font with sharper images. This has made a huge difference to the style of the magazine. 
The Introduction page will have an audio file link so as to allow the reader to experience the sound aspect of the e-page.

On Monday and Wednesday Justin stepped up to the mark to take on the role of co-coordinator as we move closer to finalising our product for presentation.
Pat has been easy going but has been able to question our decisions from time to time. This has been good for him as he sometimes doesn't wish to cause any angst or ill feeling towards any roles or decision making. If I had to make a choice on doing this project again I would ask more questions as to the validity of our subject matter earlier  rather than making slow headway and allowing our group to waste the first 5 weeks of study and research time.

To add, I feel that I have been able to convey an excitement found within research matter that others may find uninteresting or may find hard to fathom. Once the topic had been sourced it was only a matter of time before the others found that designers don't always have to be placed on a 2 dimensional playing field. 

While Earthships are still in their infancy there will be, as always,like minded people willing to take on the system and challenge their definition of beauty and functionality that works against them.

References....

http://meganebehrendsid.blogspot.com/2011/01/earthships.html

http://zacharysuhar.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/earthship-biotecture-is-out-of-this-grid/

http://zacharysuhar.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/michael-reynolds.jpg

http://chesterfieldpagans.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/earthship-brighton.jpg

http://www.earthzine.org/2010/11/06/earthships-as-an-affordable-sustainable-part-of-vernacular-architecture/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2039719/Simon-Dale-How-I-built-hobbit-house-Wales-just-3-000.html

http://www.mongrelmedia.com/data/ftp/Garbage%20Warrior/8.jpg

http://oberlinconservatorylibrary.blogspot.com/2011/04/click-to-play-workshop-on-streamed.html

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Research Project - week 7

weekend work 24/9/11

Contribution time (if allowed) - 6 hours on the day / 4.5 hours blogging

At the moment the current emissions rate of carbon gases released into our atmosphere is 390 parts per million. 350ppm represents the estimated target needed for future carbon emissions. If humankind continues with our extravagance and carefree attitude towards cleaner air we will pay dearly for future generations survival. On Saturday the 24th of September 350 events were held globally. Small towns to major cities participated in this event. Moving-planet 350 2011 original global invitation

The yarra valleys surrounding townships congregated at the site of the Yarra Valley ECOSS environment park in Wesburn. The residents  of the area were urged to travel by any means other than by motorised transport. Many took the challenge and rode bicycles or those nearer walked. 

The events, activities and forums held globally were to create an understanding that our mother earth needs an enormous amount of help to rescue her from the damage that we impose from our gorging of current natural resources, fossil fuels in particular.

 

 

 

 

 

** My son Thomas and I were approached by "Hillcrest and Upper Yarra SES to do some video work with an MVA ( motor vehicle accident) exercise on Sunday 25/9/11. The aim was to document the procedures and actions undertaken in various scenarios with authorities with regards to drinking, driving and a house fire. Unfortunately this was suddenly canceled due to a real house fire in Don Valley. We will be notified when the exercise is to be reinstated at a later date.

 

References..

http://www.moving-planet.org/

http://www.350.org

Kirsty Chalmers photography

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Research Project - week 7
21/9/11

Contribution time - 5 hours

I was watching Garbage Warrior ( this is the link for the full film on YouTube) as part of our research project so I drafted notes with my thoughts on the film. Here's the final draft below...

----------

“Garbage Warrior”

A summary

Steven, Pat, Justin and Jim

“Earthships were built to enhance our quality of life but we are talking about survival now…. We only have decades of life left on this planet.”
(Michael Reynolds – “Garbage Warrior” 2007)

After watching Michael Reynolds in “Garbage warrior”, I was enlightened as to what it would be like to be released from the shackles of corporate and political ownership. The true understanding of an Earthship is that they can empower the individual to live free. You are able to rely on your Earthship to the point where you don’t need anything from the outside world to survive. No utilities. No services, ever.

Unlike “An inconvenient Truth”, Al gore only informs us all about the downward spiral of current humankind trends but doesn’t give us alternative ways to change our lifestyle and carbon usage. Michael Reynolds, on the other hand not only gives information but also takes action by showing us an alternative to our complacent lifestyle with actual objectivity and construction ideas to minimise our carbon footprint on the planet.

“If you don’t bother looking at the problem, why would you bother looking at the solution.”? (Michael Reynolds – “Garbage Warrior” 2007)

Areas of natural disasters and third world countries welcome and embrace the Earthship and it’s world of recycled sustainable technology.

“American politics is a f*#@ing dinosaur and won’t make it. It will come to a grinding halt.” (Michael Reynolds – “Garbage Warrior” 2007)

Politicians are resistant to change. Their rulebooks obstruct the true visions of sustainable housing. Councils deem it necessary that homes be connected to utility services. We must open the door to this old way of thinking and prove that communities of Earthships are fully sustainable homes. There have been many years of experimentation and development into creating the Earthship. The demand all over the world speaks for itself. They just work!

 -------------------

This summary reflected some very serious issues and thoughts about myself on this journey of research and it's material. It also shows that I have a deep seeded interest in alternative living. I know that the sustainability issue set amongst our project was very difficult for the others to grasp the concept of as well as making our resolve worthwhile and make the journey interesting enough for ourselves as well as for the others in our class.

I have had confirmation with regards to using video of Michael Reynolds at the Little Yarra Steiner School lecture. Unfortunately we are unable to use footage of the lecture but, we are able to use photos taken from the footage and we are able to use the links to YouTube in our final product. I am yet to hear from Michael Reynolds with regards to the audio recording which I took but, once speaking with a local film maker Peter Charles Downey from Warburton, he informs me that since I initially did the recording and Michael Reynolds was aware he was being recorded that I give my concent to use the recording in our work. 

So...I hereby give permission for my audio recording of Michael Reynolds to be used for this research project only. James Lumsden-Keys for JLKDSIGN © 2011

 ---------------------

References…

“Garbage Warrior” 2007 by Oliver Hodge - Open Eye Media

Distributed by Hopscotch Entertainment

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9315/b829bd1c162343028fadd9e.jpg

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Research Project - week 7
19/9/11

Contribution time - 4.5 hours

Wednesday's group discussions were very productive. We all met at Swinburne Lilydale and researched further into Earthship construction, the generation of power, the collection and distribution of water which included recycling the used water 4 times throughout the Earthship and ventilation for heating and cooling.

We must become more aware of our energy sources.

Electricity: Earthships produce their own electricity with a prepackaged photovoltaic / wind power system. This energy is stored in batteries and supplied to your electrical outlets. Earthships can have multiple sources of power, all automated, including grid-intertie.

Vertical Axis Dynasphere Wind Module    Water Organizing Module Water from the city, cistern, your well, etc. can all be hooked up to the WOM. Automated systems can manage your water levels. Filters clean the water for human consumption and use. Bottom Line: Your home has normal plumbing, your plumber sees what they are used to seeing. The WOM is part of our retrofit package for your existing home. Click here for more information about the WOM. Interior botanical pump system

The path of waste water...

• After water is used in sinks, showers and bat-tubs, it then drains into linear biologically developed interior gray water treatment and containment systems (gray water planters).
• Clean looking (but not drinkable) water is piped to flush the toilet (toilets) with.
• Next the water goes outside to a conventional septic tank that is solar heated with a glazed south side to enhance the anaerobic process. This unit functions like a regular septic tank (only better) with a line out to a conventional leach-field.
• We add a preferred but optional line out that goes in to rubber lined exterior botanical cell(s) (size and quantity varies) that are constructed very similar to the interior gray water treatment and containment planter. This facilitates total containment of remaining effluent and directs its use toward exterior landscaping. After this use the water again tests below measurable nitrate levels

 

The cooling system can accommodate adequate heating for winter which may have an outside temperature (in USA) of -30 degrees while the interior temperature will remain a constant 24 degrees. Constant enough to produce your own food sources.

For further information on Earthship specifications....

http://www.archinnovations.com/articles/editorials/earthship-biotecture-/

 http://www.earthship.com/systems

 

Codes and building regulations are an obstacle at present in certain areas around the world. Green building would be one answer to climate change. Recycle and reuse discarded waste would also clean up our planet, baby steps at first and a complete change in corporate and council thinking. Working with the consumer and the environment and not against it.

References......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znAX13Q6AKQ

http://www.safecom.org.au/earthships.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship

http://www.earthship.com/systems

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SolarHomes/Earthship/Visit/WaterSystem.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_building

http://www.earthship.net/water

http://www.earthship.net/buildings/836

http://www.earthship.net/electricity

http://earthship.com/dynasphere.html

http://www.earthship.net/sewage-treatment

http://earthship.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=935

http://www.earthship.com/comfort-in-any-climate

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Research Project - week 6
12/9/11

Contribution time - 5 hours

Today is the first time we worked well as a team. Once we sourced our topic it seems it is all starting to come together. Sustainable housing was just the tip of the garbage heap, so to speak. Once we dug deeper we discovered that Earthships were the main source of our material. Our interactive teamwork led us to discover that we can debate with one another and not dishearten each others ideas with too much criticism. That said one of our members is really starting to get the hint that we can listen, discuss and if we choose retain certain ideas or reject them and start again.

With our skill range we will create an interactive infotainment package with video and motion graphics suited to e-readers. 

While I may have a passion for permaculture and sustainability, the contents of our project has come from subtle suggestions that war and conflict may not be a viable package to convey to a multiple audience. Our material now would reach a far greater audience with a better understanding of our intentions.

Steven will resource e-readers and the technology behind them.

Jim is to do more research on Earthships, obtain permission to use vision and audio recordings of Michael Reynolds.

Justin and Pat will research Earthships and create a motion graphic interactive.

All of us will then meet on Wednesday 14/9/11 at Lilydale campus to discuss and review our material before we spend the next week creating our final product.

 Sources....

http://www.editorsweblog.org/e-readers.jpg

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Research Project - week 5

11/9/11

Contribution time - 8 hours

This week we have all unanimously decided to change our topic at the 11th hour.

Our research will no longer be about conflict but will concentrate around "Sustainable Housing' in reference to recycling the amount of "garbage" we all throw out and could be used for housing instead.

During our meeting I had mentioned to the others that conflict is such a broad area to concentrate on and with the mention that the film trailer would be an ambitious attempt to portray a solution, it came clear that we needed to concentrate on a problem and solution that surrounded us all and we had the means to research and collect information with regards to sustainable living. In our case housing.

We have all seen how to recycle material to create a home but what about a fully sustainable home such as an "Earthship". I mentioned the name Michael Reynolds to the others and showed them several images of Earthships throughout the world. Justin replied..."We're doing this!"

An Earthship is a fully sustainable building with no need for any external utilities to be connected such as power, sewerage or water. The water is collected and stored in tanks, power is provided by solar and or wind and the sewerage is is recycled and resupplied throughout the household.
For example.. 
"Water is used to carry away our household sewage in a conventional way such as bathing, washing dishes, and for the toilet. The sewage-water, also called gray water, is used and cleaned for a second time in interior botanical cells. The flush toilet is the third use of the water. After the toilet, the water is contained and treated, and used a fourth time in exterior botanical cells."

Steven was skeptical at first with the building regulations regarding an Earthship, but with further information  at his fingertips he was interested. Pat would still like to undertake it from a motion graphics point of view. So on Friday we all decided to create an information interactive that could be utilised onto web sites, e-readers or mobile devices.

In 2009 I was lucky enough to see Michael Reynolds give a lecture at the Little Yarra Steiner school in Yarra Junction.  A week after his lecture, the committee that arranged for him to attend, asked me to record a phone conversation with him as a follow up to his involvement with the school.

I have emailed Michael Reynolds to gain his permission to use part or all of this conversation which will then be used to form part of our motion graphic product.

I may also be fortunate to perhaps obtain footage of the 2009 lecture from a local film maker, Peter Downey.

Below is a document I have sent to the others to get their feedback....

 

Research Project MKII

“Sustainable housing”

Here is the link to my blog with regards to the sustainable “Earthships”.

http://jameslkresearchproject.blogspot.com/

This is the concept information I showed you all on Friday.

Australia spends $....... on many household items. Many of which are recyclable but many are non recyclable. This brings us to the point that our recycling centres are not being utilised enough. Most of our everyday items are taken to landfill sites.

(We could insert some archival footage at this point. People throwing out garbage, old tyres being dumped etc..)

What if we utilised all our non-recyclable materials towards sustainable housing.

This would cut down our needs for more natural resources.

One architect has taken the initiative to reduce the pressure for the need to use new materials and build with materials that we as a society throw out everyday and wouldn’t usually use for sustainable housing.

Michael Reynolds is affectionately known as “the garbage warrior”. His building techniques combined with his architectural background make for an artistic vision towards fully sustainable and economic housing.

This is only one mock up idea of the interactive.

Let me know tomorrow what you think.

Jim

Further information....

http://www.earthship.com/

http://wiki.verkata.com/en/wiki/Earthship

http://itchyfeettraveler.com/Underground_in_an_Earthship.aspx

http://www.garbagewarrior.com/press 

http://theopenend.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/earthship-living-watercolor-text-1024x744.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/PHOENIXBATH.jpg 

http://motherjones.com/files/images/trash.jpg 

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Research Project - week 4

4/9/2011


Contribution time - 10 hours


The past week has been eventful for personal reasons but I have been researching more and more on the topics of "the effects of war resulting in pollution" and "children and war pollution".

I have a long list of links with varying amounts of information with regards to children and the effects it has on them.
Here is a link to a short animation of a young Korean boy during the 1956 Korean war. It shows what is deemed as a normal life for him as he grows up. On this particular day it is his birthday. It is called "Birthday Boy".
Another animation..."Hope" story of a world undergone a drastic change with want of a little hope.

Please take note that this next video contains graphic material viewing discretion is advised.
"War Planet Pollution Earth Death Crying"


I still feel that our research group doesn't have a firm grasp on the subject of sustainability where by they need to recreate scenes of conflict for a video trailer. There are huge amounts of data on the web. By strategically piecing and editing video clips, this would save our group an immense amount of work time.




 Links to references....


Iraq War Pollution Equals 25 Million Cars 

Iraq littered with high levels of nuclear and dioxin contamination, study finds 

Depleted Uranium: A War Crime Within a War Crime 

War and Pollution. What the Hell Happened?

IRAQ: War remnants, pollution behind rise in cancer deaths?

War Pollution Can Last for Generations

War Pollution

 

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Research project - week 3

24/8/2011
Contribution time - 4 hours


With reflection of our project so far, the subject matter is coming along slowly.
I am undertaking the role of researcher while the others undertake their various roles within storyboarding and script writing.
The content of our subject will need to be aimed, so to speak, on a smaller area of conflict. With that in mind I have decided, under the guidance of our teacher, to draft a letter of request to the Facebook community asking for suggestions and comments and views on air pollution with regards to conflict and have included in the draft an excerpt from our research project brief.


I have concluded within the draft that if any comments or suggestions that are relevant or used within the project final product that they would be duly acknowledged within the usual references and bibliographies.
--------------------------------


Draft copy of letter...

"I am a student at Swinburne TAFE in Melbourne, Australia and am part of a group research project with 3 fellow classmates.

The theme we choose for our project must involve a relevance to sustainability.

An extract from the brief is as follows….

“Brainstorm a theme and project of interest to the group and one, which can be responded to using a Multimedia solution. The project must have demonstrable relevance to the theme of “Sustainability” and address a perceived need / issue / problem / solution relevant to a specific target audience. The project must be unique and not imitative of an existing solution. Each group must determine how to best utilize every member of the group in the conceptual research, production and documentation stages of the project. Be sure the scope of the project is such that your group has the means to access relevant materials, “proof of concept” and other feedback from relevant stakeholders.”

We have chosen the theme… Air pollution in the format of a 3-minute movie trailer, with the question…“How would humanity cope and react if one of our most precious resources became depleted?”

 We are exploring the area of conflict with regards to weapon discharge contributing to air quality.

I would highly value any comments with regards to this topic.

Whoever contributes will be duly referenced within the finished product.

Many thanks."

I hope to receive a varied response as the majority of my friends list on Facebook live overseas who have first hand experience within their areas where conflict resides.

----------------------------

I have also done quite a bit of specific research on the topic of conflict and air pollution. Resources included Greenpeace.

Air emissions are becoming one of the most significant environmental issues facing industry as regulations become more stringent and communities become more aware of air quality issues.

Air pollution means the presence of one or more unwanted substances in air. Air pollutants have negative impacts on humans, animals and plants, and on air quality.
The most frequently present categories of air pollutants are sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and small dust particles (aerosols).

Read more: http://www.lenntech.com/faq-air-pollution.htm#ixzz1VjEmNICN

Achieving and maintaining good air quality is crucial to the public health and economic vitality of San Francisco. As a leader in developing and implementing policies to support good air quality, San Francisco should aim to provide its residents and visitors with the benefits of clean air and a healthy environment at home, at work and at play. By setting standards that further the achievement of global sustainability, the City of San Francisco stands to become a model of a responsible global city.

The surrounding air, both outdoors and indoors, has the potential to affect human health, attitudes, productivity, and people’s ability to enjoy their lives. It is important to maintain the quality of the outdoor air since all life forms depend on it, and since the quality of indoor air is dependent on that of the outdoors. In addition, a recent study reveals that Americans spend 90% of their lives indoors, with the result that there is now an increased awareness of the importance of the quality of the indoor air.

What causes air pollution?

The main sources of air pollution are the industries, agriculture and traffic, as well as energy generation. During combustion processes and other production processes air pollutants are emitted. Some of these substances are not directly damaging to air quality, but will form harmful air pollutants by reactions with other substances that are present in air.
Examples of large-scale air pollutants are VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) and small dust particles. When large concentrations of these substances are emitted this negatively affects ecosystems, materials and public health.

Emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O) mainly stem from agriculture, because nitrogen in soils can easily be denitrified by bacteria. Nitrous oxide is emitted during the denitrification process. Additionally, the application of (artificial) fertilizers causes emissions of ammonia (NH₃), nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and methane CH₄), a greenhouse gas.
The agricultural sector is known for its extensive use of pesticides. This application causes emissions of many toxic chemicals.

Industrial processes vary greatly and as a result there are many different chemical wastes. The industries are responsible for emissions of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, small dust particles, VOC, methane, ammonia and radioactive radiation.
During energy generation chemicals such as methane are released into the air as a result of oil and natural gas extraction. The combustion of coal and natural gas for electricity production causes the release of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide into the air.

Traffic is held responsible for one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions caused by traffic are mainly those of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, VOC and small dust particles.

Consumers are also partly responsible for air pollution. Firstly because the products they use have caused air pollution during their production and distribution and secondly because heating of houses and offices causes chemicals release into the air. When people use paints or cosmetics VOC is released and perspiration, pet fertilizer use and cleanser use cause ammonia emissions. Last but not least, many chemicals (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide) are emitted during smoking.

How does air pollution form?

Air pollution can form in various ways. Chemicals are emitted during many different human activities. In the atmosphere these chemicals can react with other chemicals to more dangerous substances. Air pollutants often have properties that are harmful to the environment.
The weather plays an important role in the formation and disappearance of air pollution. This is mainly influenced by wind and temperatures. Air pollutants can be transported by wind, causing a pollution to spread widely. Rain can remove pollutants from air, causing soil and water pollution. Sunlight can aid the conversion of air pollutants to different substances.

Chemicals can come from various sources, and are formed during different processes. Air pollution can be divided in categories according to the source it is derived from:

- Biological air pollution, such as pollens, small insects and microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, yeasts and algae)
- Physical air pollution, such as sound, smell, thermal pollution and radioactive radiation
- Chemical air pollution, such as ozone, aerosols and ammonia

Air pollution is caused by both human and natural sources. Human sources are traffic, agriculture or industry, as was mentioned before. Natural sources are dust storms, volcanic eruptions and emissions from plants.

Air pollution undergoes a number of processes:
- Emission (contaminants are released into the air)
- Transport (contaminants are transported to different locations through air)
- Exchange (compounds react with other compounds in air)
- Distribution (contaminants are distributed in air)
- Immission (contaminants maintain in a certain area)
- Deposition (contaminants are deposited in a certain area, on the soil or on objects)

What types of air pollution are there?

Air pollution consists of gases and/ or particles. These have a distinct chemical or physical structure, or a distinct effect on human health.

The main air contaminants are:

- Sulphur dioxide (SO₂). This contaminant is mainly emitted during the combustion of sulphur-containing fossil fuels, such as crude oil and coal. Sulphur dioxide concentrations in air have decreased in the past two decades, mainly because we use more non-sulphur-containing fuels for the generation of energy. Sulphur dioxide is a stinging gas and as a result it can cause breathing problems with humans. In moist environments, sulphur dioxide may be transferred to sulphuric acid. This acid causes acidification and winter smog.
- Nitrogen oxides (NO_x). These contaminants are emitted by traffic, combustion installations, such as power plants, and the industries. Nitrogen oxides are also released from farmland in the agricultural sector. Using catalysers in car exhausts can prevent emissions of nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen oxides are gasses that react with other air pollutants when they are present in air. For example, nitrogen oxides play an important role in the formation of ozone in the lower atmosphere, and in acidification and eutrophication processes. They can deeply penetrate the lungs and damage human lung functions.
- Ammonia (NH₃). Ammonia forms during agricultural activities. Ammonia plays an important role in acidification and eutrophication.
- VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds). VOC can be a range of different contaminants, such as carbohydrates, organic compounds and solvents. These compounds usually derive from petrol and gasoline reservoirs, industrial processes and fuel combustion, paint and cleanser use, or agricultural activities. VOC play an important role in ozone shaping in the lower atmospheric layer, the main cause of smog. VOC can cause various health effects, depending on the kind of compounds that are present and their concentrations. Effects can vary from smell nuisance to decreases in lung capacity, and even cancer.
- Methane (CH₄). The main source of methane pollution is agriculture. But smaller amounts of methane can also be released during waste combustion and natural gas extraction. Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect and ozone loss.
- Carbon monoxide (CO). This gas consists during incomplete combustion of fuels. When we let a car engine run in a closed room, carbon monoxide concentrations in the air will rise extensively. Carbon monoxide contributes to the greenhouse effect, smog and acidification. The gas can bind to hemoglobin in blood, preventing oxygen transport through the body. This results in oxygen depletion of the heart, brains and blood vessels, eventually causing death.
- Dust particles. Dust particles form a complex of organic compounds and minerals. These can derive from natural sources, such as volcanoes, or human activities, such as industrial combustion processes or traffic. Particles are categorised according to particle size. The smallest particles have the ability to transport toxic compounds into the respiratory tract. Some of these compounds are carcinogenic. The upper respiratory tract stops the larger dust particles. When they are released into the environment, dust particles can cause acidification and winter smog.
- Ozone (O₃). Ozone is created through photochemical transfer of oxygen. This process takes place under the influence of ultra violet sunlight (UV), aided by pollutants in the outside air. Ozone causes smog and contributes to acidification and climate change. Ozone is an aggressive gas. Which can easily penetrate the respiratory tract, deeply. When humans are exposed to ozone, the consequences may be irritation of the eyes and the respiratory tract.
- Radioactive radiation. Radioactive radiation and radioactive particles are naturally present in the environment. During power plant incidents or treatments of nuclear waste from a war where nuclear weapons are used, radioactive radiation can enter the air on account of humans. When humans are exposed to high levels of radioactive radiation, the chances of serious health effects are very high. Radioactive radiation can cause DNA alteration and cancer.

What are the main environmental effects of air pollution?

Here, we will sum up and briefly explain the main environmental effects of air pollution:

Acid deposition

Acid deposition is not merely characterized as acid rain; it can also be snow and fog or gas and dust. Acid deposition mainly forms during fossil fuel combustion. When emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides come in contact with water, they will become sulphuric acid and nitric acid.

When acidifying agents, such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia, end up in plants, surface water and soils, this has a number of consequences:
- Availability of nutrients and metal spores is likely to decrease.
- When acidity is high more metals will dissolve in water. This can cause surface water to become polluted, which has serious health effects on aquatic plants and animals. For example, high aluminum (Al) concentrations can complicate nutrients uptake by plants. This makes aluminum one of the prior causes of forest decay. Mercury can be dispersed by transport through surface water, causing it to accumulate in fish. Mercury can bio magnify up the food chain, to be taken up by humans eventually.
- Buildings and monuments may be damaged through erosion. Sulphur dioxide breaks down limestone by reacting with calcium carbonate, causing limestone to absorb water during rainfall. Limestone will than fragment.

Eutrophication

Eutrophication is caused by an increase in plant nutrients in water. The higher availability of nutrients causes certain water plants, such as algae and duckweed, to grow so extensively. This blocks sunlight supplies to water. The plants also use all available oxygen supplies, which will not be renewed because heterotrophic plants and bacteria need light to perform photosynthesis. Eutrophication causes ecosystem disruption. Nitrogen pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and ammonia contribute to this problem.
For further information about eutrophication click here.

Smog

Smog is a combination of the words smoke and fog. We can distinguish two separate types of smog, summer smog and winter smog.

Photochemical smog, or summer smog, mainly consists of ozone. It is a brown, oxidising fog. The causes of photochemical smog are nitrogen oxides and VOC, which stem from traffic and industries. Ozone is formed according to the following chemical reactions:

NO₂ + uv --> NO + O
O + O₂ --> O₃

The reverse reaction is:

NO + O₃ --> NO₂ + O₂  

The best circumstances for the creation of high ozone concentrations are summer temperatures, direct sunlight and standing air layer, which enable dilution of contaminants.
Humans cannot adapt to smog. Health effects of smog greatly depend upon the concentrations of ozone and other photochemical oxidants. These contaminants cause eye and respiratory irritations. Plants are extremely vulnerable to ozone. Even in low concentrations it can cause serious damage.

Winter smog is also referred to as acid smog; it mainly consists of foggy elements. Winter smog is found in areas where vertical dispersion of air pollutants is not possible. Usually temperatures decrease during the day in high air layers.
Heated air layers near the earths' surface rise, causing the air pollutants to be dispersed vertically, and to be diluted. In winter ground temperatures are sometimes lower than those of the upper atmospheric layers, causing the air to stay near the ground, so that pollutants will not spread. This causes winter smog.
Winter smog can form when temperatures are low and sulphur dioxide concentrations increase consequential to central heater emissions from houses.
The cold outside air will cause moist to condensate into fog. Aerosols in air play a part in this process, because they serve as condensation cores for water vapour.
Humidity aids the transfer of sulphur dioxide to sulphuric acid, causing the smog to be acid. Acid smog causes breathing problems and eye irritations.

Ozone loss

Ozone is created everywhere in the atmosphere through chemical reactions under the influence of UV-light. Ozone is decomposed under the influence of visible light and UV-A light. During ozone decomposition an oxygen-poor molecule is released, which aids the breakdown of ozone. There are a number of compounds that catalyse ozone decomposition. Examples are hydroxide (OH), nitrogen oxides, chlorine (Cl) and bromine (Br).
Chlorine mainly aids the decomposition of ozone when it is a part of CFC-bonds (Chloro-Fluor-Carbohydrates). These compounds are not lost during the chemical reaction, causing them to decompose ozone multiple times.
The decomposition and production of ozone is a natural process. However, human activities have caused large concentrations of ozone-decomposing chemicals to enter the atmosphere, causing the natural balance to be disrupted.
Ozone is very important for all life on earth, because it absorbs harmful UV-B radiation from the sun. The highest concentrations of ozone are located in the atmospheric layer between twenty and forty kilometres above the earth. When the ozone concentrations in this layer decrease, UV-B radiation may reach the earth. This radiation damages DNA and causes skin cancer. The radiation can also damage the human immune system, causing humans to become more susceptible to infections. UV-B radiation also causes cataract and nearsightedness. The radiation can decrease growth and photosynthesis activity in a number of plants. Primary crops, such as rice, corn and sunflower are very susceptible to this. Trees are also susceptible to the radiation.
UV-B radiation can affect aquatic life up to twenty metres under the water surface. It is damaging to species, such as plankton, fish larvae, shrimps, crabs and seaweeds. Phytoplankton forms the basis of the aquatic food chain. When radiation causes phytoplankton to decrease in number it will affect entire ecosystems.
The Greenhouse effect (GE)

Air pollution impacts
In the following table we can see which air pollutants are involved in various environmental problems.

Atmospheric problems	SO2	NOx	NH3	VOC	CO	CH4
Photochemical smog		+		+	+	+
Winter smog	+
Acidification	+	+	+		+
Eutrophication		+	+
Climate change		+		+	+	+

How does air pollution spread and how can we handle this?

The dispersion of air pollutants mainly depends on physical processes is air; those of wind and weather. How far air pollutants are transported mainly depends upon particle size of the compounds and at which height the pollution was emitted into the air. Fumes that are emitted into air through high smoke stags will mix with air so that local concentrations are not very high. However, wind will transport compounds and the pollution will become very disperse. Rain can remove pollutants from air. This causes precipitation and consequentially soil and water pollution.
For environmental agencies it is very important to determine exactly how an air pollutant spreads. Air is not a very complex medium. This enables us to predict the dispersion of air pollutants with computer models. In a computer model dispersion is calculated by means of different parameters, such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, air humidity and cloudiness. These predictions are of great significance when we are dealing with toxic clouds or radioactive radiation, because these are a danger to human health and because inhabitants of polluted areas need to be warned.

Read more: http://www.lenntech.com/faq-air-pollution.htm#ixzz1VjFFn1jY

References…

http://www.siaustralia.com/air-quality.html

http://www.sustainable-city.org/Plan/Air/intro.htm

http://www.lenntech.com/faq-air-pollution.htm

http://rainbowwarrior2005.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/war-pollution-equals-millions-of-deaths/

 

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Research project week 2

15/8/11
Contribution time - 6 hrs

Research Project Proposal

Steven – Pat – Justin – Jim

Our group discussions and selection of war as a topic was very gung ho to say the least. For myself, recreating war scenes was going to be a very ambitious thing to do. But, with further group discussions and brainstorming we have narrowed down the broad topic of war itself to what actually happens during and after a conflict ... with the very atmosphere that sustains our planet. With this in mind any number of conflicts attribute to contaminating our atmosphere including a simple drive to work.

We all take for granted the air we breathe but, with mass pollutants created by factories, chemical warfare, weapon discharge and numerous other toxins released daily into our earth’s atmosphere, our air quality has become reduced. Therefore we pose the question “How would humanity cope and react if one of our most precious resources became depleted?”

What avenues could we choose to arrive at a possible solution?

An attempt to achieve this is to create a video trailer based on a story about the potential loss of that resource and the search for a solution. The reason for this format is to combine our resources in film, editing, SPFX and access archive footage to produce an interesting and appealing and possible solution to a greater audience from various demographic backgrounds while being able to deliver a message and present a visualisation which can be thought provoking and acted upon.

Timeline - 8 weeks:

Week 1 – conception – brainstorm – ideas – location search

Week 2 – conceptual ideas – proposal of idea- resources research

Week 3 – resources research -

Week 4 – story concept – story presentation - location settlement

Week 5 - production

Week 6 - 

Week 7 - 

Week8 - presentation of multimedia design solution

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18/8/2011
Contribution time - 35 mins

The original topic of choice was suggested by Steven. This is fine with all of us in the group but, a little ambitious as to the extent of the content and recreating war scenes and the journey we all have to make together with the time frame we are locked into.


Steven has great drive and has the quality to lead and give direction, even if some of us don't quite agree with his choices.


Justin has a unique quality where you think he is non committal or have down time when without warning you realise he has been listening and thinking over ideas and suggesting alternative solutions to our topic and filming needs such as using archival footage and sound to create instead of recreating the past/future.


Pat listens to all of our discussions and when the timing is right he will suggest or disagree appropriately with the situation. He is also itching to create some explosions with after effects.


My journey has me thinking all the time with ways I could change the way I interact with this group.
Why I should or shouldn't agree with Stevens original idea. I realise that there are 4 of us and it's been a very long time since I was put in a group situation similar to this with the responsibility of a production schedule. I have the ability to change my views but be mindful of the others without causing any friction and still get the job done.