Geography 5.05 Human Impact on the Environment of Western Europe

Potential Benefits of GMOs

*More nutritious food *Disease and drought resistant plants *Faster growing plants and animals *Decreased use of pesticides *Increased supply of food with longer shelf life

Potential Risks of GMOs

*Unexpected or harmful genetic mutations *Extinction of original organism due to interbreeding *Less resistant to some pests *More susceptible to certain diseases *Unexpected environmental effects

Human Impact on the Environment of Western Europe

Acid deposition, global warming, and genetic engineering are just a few of the most important issues facing Western Europe these days. The human impact on the environment of this region has sparked heated debates, the development of think tanks, the funding of large-scale studies, and governmental oversight committees. In this section you will explore these current issues and learn more about what is being done, if anything, to mitigate any negative environmental impact.

Architecture as well as artwork can be destroyed by acid deposition.

Acid particles can land on buildings, causing corrosion. When sulfur pollutants fall on the surfaces of buildings, especially historical buildings made out of sandstone or limestone, the sulfur chemicals react with the minerals in the stone to form a powdery substance that can be washed away by rain. This powdery substance is called gypsum. Limestone is especially popular in architecture, and many landmarks around the world, especially in North America and Europe, are made primarily of the material. Limestone is readily available and relatively easy to cut into blocks or more elaborate carving. Limestone was most popular in the early 20th and late 19th centuries. Train stations, banks, and other structures from that era are normally limestone.

Impact of Pollution on People and Structures in Western Europe

Acid rain has become an international problem because pollutants can be transported thousands of miles due to the introduction of tall chimneys that can release poisonous chemicals high into the atmosphere. For a continent with such a rich cultural and artistic history, the effects of acid deposition take on a different meaning. Historic statues, buildings, and sculptures are crumbling throughout Europe due to the corrosive effects of acid rain.

Genetic Engineering and Genetically Modified Food

Genetic engineering is currently a hot topic of debate and discussion around the world, and specifically in Western Europe. Historically, farmers have bred plants and animals for desired traits for thousands of years. However, this type of selective breeding relied on nature to produce the desired gene and then humans mating the plants or animals with the correct genes to make the desired trait more pronounced. Genetic engineering allows scientists to speed this process up by moving desired genes from one plant into another—or even from an animal to a plant or vice versa. Genetic engineering can be done with plants, animals, or micro-organisms.

Most of the current landscape features of the beautiful Alps region owe their origins to ice movement and the deposition of eroded material due to glacial processes.

Glaciation is where precipitation in the form of snow has covered an area and has eventually been converted into ice by the force of gravity and pressure. Most glacial ice is generally found near mountains and/or near the poles. The deep ravines and the rock steps of the Alps were formed by the formation of thicker ice which led to greater erosion. Faster flowing ice also created more erosion. These types of landforms are called erosional landforms because they were formed where ice developed and then moved on. Erosional landforms are more likely to occur during colder seasons because glaciers tend to advance downward due to gravity and pressure. Erosional landforms are different than depositional landforms because depositional landforms tend to dominate an area where the ice flowed to, namely toward the edges of an ice mass.

The Alps: Glacial Processes

Human impact on the environment can also be clearly seen in the deterioration of the Alps. Scientists believe that Europe's Alps could lose three-quarters or more of their glaciers due to climate change. The prospect of more frequent floods and heat waves is now a serious public health risk due to these retreating glaciers, report European safety watchdogs. From 1850 to 1970, glaciers in the European Alps lost about a third of their area and half their mass, with 20 to 30% of the remaining ice lost since 1980. The High Alps are the only part of the mountains that still contain any permanent ice or snow and as of 2006 the 5,150 glaciers covered about 50 percent of the area they did in 1850. Computer projections show the possibility of the glaciers totally disappearing by the end of the century!

In the 21st century, the threat from acid deposition has been steadily increasing due to booming industry throughout the world.

In the late 20th century, acid rain became a transboundary environmental issue in Europe due to the fact that the countries that were causing the acid rain were not the countries feeling most of the effects of the acid rain. For example, although Poland was not the cause of the increase in acid rain, due to its location on the continent, the entire country was under a medium to high threat from the corrosive effects.

Marble is feeling a similar effect.

Marble is a metamorphic rock formed by the alteration of limestone. Marble statues, like the one in the photo above, can be found throughout Western Europe. The same effect on buildings made of limestone can be felt on statues made of marble—the acids in the water can wear away the details of statues and other art. In addition to statues and building, acid rain regularly damages stained glass, railroad lines, airplanes, cars, steel bridges, and underground pipes.

Acid Deposition

Most people have heard the term acid rain. However, the term acid deposition is a more accurate one to describe the process whereby acid is trapped in the atmosphere and then falls out of the atmosphere in one of many forms—acid rain being just one of them. Acid deposition is any combination of airborne dry acidic particles and precipitation that falls to the Earth. It occurs in forms such as rain, snow, mist, and fog.

Polluted water, dying forests, and airborne chemicals are all considered secondary effects of acid rain.

Problems with acid deposition can be found in aquatic environments, forests, and human environments. In an aquatic environment, fish absorb the chemicals in the water and either die, become unable to reproduce, or produce mutated offspring. Often the fish survive but contain too much mercury for human consumption.

As food prices continue to rise and a global grain shortage threatens many developing nations, there has been reduced international resistance to genetically modified crops.

Scientists continue to research the safety of these food crops and much more remains to be studied, but in the meantime, genetically modified foods are supposed to be labeled so that the consumer can make a personal choice to purchase a GMO product or not. Unfortunately, some would say that the labeling process has been relatively ineffective and many genetically modified products remain unlabeled.

So what is the solution?

The solution to acid rain is a tricky one! The best solution to the problem of increasing acid deposition is a combination of approaches. Technical fixes, such as clean coal technology and catalytic converters on cars might help reduce some of the anthropogenic emissions. Reducing traffic in cities, educating people to use their cars less, and building more greenways and bike paths could also help reduce man-made pollutants. Some people suggest that further developing bio-fuels is also a way to reduce emissions, but that solution has its own source of problems. Did you know that the corn equivalent of a full tank of ethanol in a large SUV could feed a person for a year? As you can see, there is no easy or clear cut solution to reducing acid deposition.

There are two main sources of acid rain:

anthropogenic causes and natural emissions. Industrial emissions from factories and other man-made pollutants are considered anthropogenic sources of acid rain. Natural causes of acid rain are things like volcano emissions, lightning, and microbial processes. When nitric and sulfuric acids are released into the atmosphere by smokestacks, fuel combustion, or natural causes, they mix with water vapor at unusual proportions to cause acid deposition. Although both humans and nature cause acid rain, 2/3 of acid rain is actually attributable to humans.

As a continent, European food and culture is ancient and treasured.

Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that Europeans are leading the fight against genetic engineering, specifically genetically modified food. For many years, the European Union even had a ban on growing genetically engineered crops or importing genetically engineered crops. However, in 2006, Europe was forced to lift its ban due to pressure from the World Trade Organization and the United States. However, as late as 2009, the EU has allowed individual countries to maintain their own bans on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) at the discretion of the nation. The World Trade Organization issued a statement declaring that a ban on genetically modified crops amounted to creating an unfair trade barrier. Although most of Europe has lifted its ban on growing genetically modified food, only about 1% of the world's genetically modified food crop is grown in Europe.

Glacier Facts From NOAA:

•About 10 percent of Earth's land is covered with glaciers. •During the last Ice Age, glaciers covered 32 percent of land. •Glaciers store about 75 percent of the world's fresh water. •Antarctic ice is more than 2.6 miles (4,200 meters) thick in some areas. •If all land ice melted, sea level would rise approximately 230 feet (70 meters) worldwide.