Sample+Page_AP


 * //Part A - Define your type of pollution and hypothesize a source. The source must be something that you can quantify and search for the data for each country. (This is what you've been using the World Fact Book for...) This part is worth 10 points.//**

Particulate Pollution
Particulate Pollution typically comes from coal-fueled power plants or burning wood or pelletized fuel. In examining information from Norway, Bulgaria, and Lithuania; I will compare their economic strength (GDP per capita), the number of coal fired power plants (per capita?), and their average life expectancy.

I chose to compare these countries because they are geographically fairly close, but economically very far apart. Norway is westernized and developed. Bulgaria and Lithuania are both former Soviet communist-bloc countries, but Bulgaria has a larger more diverse population and set of resources than Lithuania does.

**//Part B - Insert your graphs here. Your data must be visible. Your graphs should have titles. Your graphs should have the axes labeled. (All the standard requirements for graphs in science class...) This part is worth 15 points.//**

Graphs

 * [[image:Life-coal.jpg width="479" height="330"]] || In the chart to the left, it is very clear that as the number of coal-fueled power plants increases, the life expectancy of a country decreases. Thus, they are inversely related. To further examine this relationship, I would have to explore more data on health-related risks of population living near coal-fueled power plants.

I could look for lung cancer caused by particulates, heart disease, emphysema, or other particulate pollution induced risks. ||
 * In the chart to the right, it is clear that asGDP increases, the number of coal-fueled power plants decreases. Thus, they are inversely related. To further examine this relationship, I would have to explore what other energy sources these countries use and why.

I could look at legislation concerning types of fuel or pollution. I could look at the local sources of energy (coal, natural gas, solar, wind, or hydropower) to see if coal is the most cost-effective local fuel. || || //**I found it easiest to take screen-shots of my graphs and upload the images.**//

Raw Data: GDP and life expectancy data above from the CIA World Factbook.
 * ~ Country ||~ GDP per capita ||~ Life expectanc ||~ Coal-fueled power plants ||
 * Norway || $59,100 (2010 est.) || 80.2 || 1 ||
 * Bulgaria || $12,800 (2010 est.) || 73.59 || 8 ||
 * Lithuania || $15,900 (2010 est.) || 75.34 || 3 ||

A note that while Norway only has one coal-fired power/heat plant, they do mine and export coal. It's used in their iron and metal processing industry. http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Norway_and_coal

According to the same website, about 45% of Bulgaria's electricity is supplied by coal.

The Lithuanian power plants are fueled by peat, which is an organic material formed in the initial processes of coal metamorphosis. http://www.klasmann-deilmann.com/en/klasmann-deilmann/history/history.html

//**Part C - Analysis of your data. Hopefully, either your data is directly related (one variable increases as the other increases) or inversely related (one variable decreases as the other increases). Note that you can not assume causation, but only correlation! This part is worth 15 points.**//

//**The analysis section of this page is the text next to the two graphs!**//