Urbanization and the environment

Air pollution

Wikipedia - Air Pollution

Met Office - The Great Smog of 1952

1. What kinds of pollution can be a problem for residents of urban areas?
2. What is air pollution?
3. Using the Wikipedia article on Air Pollution - list 5 causes of air pollution in urban areas.
4. What steps can councils/governments take to reduce urban air pollution?
5. Produce a case study of the Great London Smog of 1952.
   • What (What was it? What did it cause?)
   • Where (Where did it happen?)
   • When (When did it happen?)
   • Why (Why did it happen?)
   • Who (Who did something about it?)

Biodiversity in cities

The Guardian - It may not look very inviting [14 August 2003]

6. Read the news article: ‘It may not look too inviting’.
7. List the environmental indicators that show the River Thames is a ‘clean and healthy’ river.
8. The introduction of what in the 1830s caused such a problem for the River Thames?
9. What did scientists do in 1957? What does it mean?
10. What has helped the River Thames to recover?
11. Describe how the ‘agency’ (the Environment Agency) monitors the river.