Air Pollution in Lebanon: Outline - Informative Presentation

Air Pollution in Lebanon: Outline - Informative Presentation

I. Introduction: In this presentation, I will be informing you about Lebanon's situation regarding air pollution: its global and regional rank in addition to the causes and effects of this problem

Body:

A. Lebanon's environmental rank:

1. Lebanon ranks 90 out of 149 countries overall in the 2008 Environmental Performance Index (EPI)

2. It was based on a study conducted in a collaboration between Yale and Columbia universities.

3. According to an article in Newsweek magazine in 2007, the Pew Global Attitudes Project ranked Lebanon in the bottom three of 46 other nations in terms of public awareness of and concern for the environment.

B. Causes of air pollution in Lebanon

1. According the Lebanese Ministry of the Environment's (MOE) 2001 State of the Environment report, the most recent comprehensive assessment of ecological conditions in the country, air pollution in cities is due to exhaust gases from motor vehicles as well as areas near power plants and cement factories.

2. We should not forget the combustion of landfills and trash in Beirut which emit poisonous gases into the air

3. Finally, we should not forget the greenhouse effect

C. Effects of Air Pollution in Lebanon

1. The health and economic effects of the smog that lingers are extensive.

2. Higher levels of respiratory diseases that lead to increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits all have a human toll that strains healthcare recourses and results in lost job productivity.

3. The ministry of environment sited one estimate that if Lebanon could cut emissions and approach international standards for air quality, the state would save $100 million a year on healthcare costs in the greater Beirut area alone; and this was a conservative estimate.

4. Damage to the plants and greenery areas which can make the city look uglier and less appealing for tourists

D. Lebanon compared to other countries:

1. But although Lebanon falls short of the EPI's stated goal on air pollution, it is better than other nearby countries.

2. It ranks above the regional average, better than such environmental offenders as the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

II. Conclusion: Air pollution is a major problem in Lebanon which is leading it to remain at the low ranks among countries around the world. The causes range from traffic emissions to combustion gases and the effects can be unhealthy