Air Pollution and Global Warming

Catalog description

This course provides a detailed introduction of the formation of gaseous and particulate pollutants and the role they play in affecting global warming. The pollutants discussed include carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, ozone, hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and greenhouse gases. The emissions of these gases from natural and industrial sources and the principles used for controlling the latter are described. The chemical and physical transformations of the pollutants in the atmosphere are investigated and the phenomena of urban smog and acid rain are discussed. The impact of these pollutants on the planet¿s climate are outlined. Current proposals of renewable energy supply and combatting temperature increase by geoengineering solutions are examined. This course discusses technical, ethical, and commercial perspectives that have shaped pollution producing industrial processes during historical times and in the present era. The efforts to formulate regulatory control mechanisms to limit the impact of air pollution and to ameliorate global warming are outlined in this class.