Environmental and Medical issues

Environmental and Medical issues

1. Causes of global warming

   • Enhanced Greenhouse effect
     • Burning fossil fuels, produces carbon dioxide which forms a barrier that stops heat escaping earth. Causes temperatures to rise. Polar ice caps will melt, rain will increase and many places will be flooded.
       • Without the greenhouse effect humans would die!
   • Natural climate change
     • Warmest times in the last 10,000 years have come before humans were burning fossil fuels. Nature produces more CO2 than we do e.g. volcanoes and animals
   • Solar activity
     • Radiation from the sun is warming Earth. Burning fossil fuels does not seem to fit with the theory because the earth gets cooler after WW2 when lots of CO2 was produced. increased sunspot activity has lead to increased warming.
   • Possible solutions
     • Make electricity without producing CO2 e.g. wind, solar
     • Cars can be powered using biodiesel and electric batteries
     • everyday appliances more energy efficient
     • use public transport instead of car

2. Forms of Pollution and possible solutions

   • Acid rain
     • burning fossil fuels releases sulphuric and nitric acid. In the atmosphere this changes the PH of rain water making it more acidic. This destroys buildings, forest and kills fish in lakes.
       • use other energy sources (renewable) instead of fossil fuels
   • Human waste
     • Sewage and rubbish leads to the spread of disease and attracts rats. huge landfills sites across UK produce methane a greenhouse gas
       • Recycle more, use sewage to make electricity in power stations (example in Japan)
   • Eutrophication
     • Excess nitrates and phosphates in rivers lead to a lack of oxygen and more plants in the water. These kill fish and poison the water supply. Caused by fertilisers and sewage. Can cause blood poisoning in humans.
   • Radioactive pollution
     • Nuclear power stations produce Nuclear waste. It take thousands of years to become safe. We bury it in the UK or send it to other countries for processing. It causes cancer.
       • Reprocess nuclear waste. means 97% of waste can be re used

3. Problem of scarce Natural Resources

   • Types of Natural resources
     • renewable
       • Can use over and over again. Renew themselves e.g. wind and solar power. Using them causes few problems but expensive to produce electricity using them
     • Non renewable
       • disappear once used e.g. coal and oil. Become rarer when used and can't be used as much. take millions of years to produce
   • Possible solutions
     • Can now make electricity using renewable energy sources.
     • cars and batteries being developed to run on water, sugar cane
     • Recycling will extend the life of finite resources
     • Chemicals from plants now being used to make plastic

4. Stewardship

   • Christian teachings on stewardship
     • believe God made everything and the earth is perfectly suited for human life. Genesis 1 and 2 states how God made everything. All was made by God the way he wanted it to be. 'God saw what he had made and he was pleased'. Rest of Bible says humans need to be responsible with the world e.g. Sermon on the mount, Jesus says the earth's resources must be shared fairly. Christians believe God will judge on how they have acted as Stewards.
     • how beliefs on stewardship affect Christian attitudes to the environment
       • try to reduce pollution and leave it in a better state than they found it
       • try to help people in LEDC's as this means things are shared fairly
       • only by being a good steward that a Christian becomes a good Christian
       • support conservation groups as they know God will judge them
   • Islam and stewardship
     • God created Adam as his Khalifah (someone who looks after something for you). Muslims believe they follow on from Adam and should keep the balance of creation and look after the Earth for God. believe they will be judged by God when they die on how they have looked after the Earth. Polluters will not get into paradise.
     • How Islamic teachings affect attitudes to the environment
       • being God's Khalifah they should try reduce pollution
       • help people in LEDC's as Shariah says they should share the earth's resources fairly
       • judgement day means they will help to conserve resources, as they want to get to heaven
       • Teachings on the unity and balance the creation means they will try to preserve the environment

5. Nature and importance of medical treatments for infertility

   • why important?
     • 12.5% of UK couples have fertility problems
     • 1.5 million UK men have fertility problems
     • it is human nature to want to have children
     • people can suffer from depression if can't have children
   • attitudes to infertility treatments among Christians
     • Catholics - life is taken by God. no one has the right to children/ only allowed natural sex acts. Therefore all fertility treatments involving medical technology are banned because...
       • IVF uses a number of eggs. some are thrown away. Catholics view this as an abortion
       • Surrogacy involves male masturbation which is a sin
     • other Christians allow IVF and AIH (using husbands sperm) because.....
       • Technology allows couples to have children which is the purpose of a Christian marriage
       • Egg and sperm are from the husband and wife, so baby is biologically theirs
   • Islam and Infertility treatments
     • Most accept IVF and AIH because..
       • It is a form of medicine that allows a family, which Muslims are expected to have
       • Husbands and wife give egg and sperm so baby is theirs
     • other types of embryo technology are banned because...
       • deny a child the right to know the parents. Essential in Islam.
       • egg or sperm donation is seen as adultery

6. Nature and importance of transplant surgery

   • uses organs from a dead person
   • uses organs from a living donor. the person is able to survive without what they are donating
   • why transplant surgery important?
     • cures life threatening disease
     • could save over 4000 extra lives each year if enough donors were found
     • people needing transplant rises by 8% each year
     • lets people help others even after they die
   • Christian attitudes to transplant surgery
     • most agree but object to rich people being able to buy them from the poor because..
       • believe in the immortality of the soul. Body parts not needed after death
       • Jesus said ' love thy neighbour'
     • Against organs from dead people but allow donated organs from living relatives because..
       • the heart is central to who a person is and that is who God created
       • Taking things from the dead could be seen as playing God
     • Some do not agree with transplant at all because..
       • takes away from the idea of the 'sanctity of life'
       • seen as playing God
   • Islam and transplant surgery
     • most are against it because..
       • Shariah says nothing should be taken from a body after death
       • Qur'an sees it as acting like God which is 'shirk' (most serious sin in Islam'
     • some allow the use of organs from a living donor because..
       • some Muslims lawyers have said that it is allowed
       • Islam aims to do good and does not want to burden people