POLLUTION and ITS EFFECTS

 

We’ve all heard the term pollution. But do you really know what pollution is? Do you know where pollution comes from, or how it affects plants, animals and people? Let’s take closer look at what pollution is, what causes pollution, and what we can do to help reduce pollution.

What is pollution? 

Pollution is the contamination of soil, water, or air by discharging harmful

substances. There are a few different types of pollution, each with its own causes,

problems, and way of reduction. The three basic types of pollution are: environmental

(land), marine (water), and atmospheric (air).

Environmental Pollution 

Environmental pollution affects the land. Litter, soil contamination, deforestation, and

consumption of non-renewable resources are all forms of environmental pollution.

Environmental pollution affects every living creature, even those found in the oceans and

in the air.As far as scientists know, humans are the only creatures to create pollution. Take a walk

outside. Everywhere you go there are signs of human impact on their surroundings. Environmental pollution can come in the form of an empty Mountain Dew bottle on the side of the road, a clear-cut forest, or tires in a landfill. Humans have had a significant impact (often negative) on their environment. Can you think of other forms of environmental pollution? Once you learn how to start looking for signs of pollution, you can learn how to reduce pollution.

Air Pollution

The air we breathe is important for obvious reasons. The average human breathes about

3,400 gallons of air each day! What would happen if the air became too polluted for usto breathe? All of Earth’s living organisms would die. The air we breathe is made up of a variety of gasses and compounds, though primarily oxygen and nitrogen. So how does the air we breathe become polluted? What causes air pollution? Again the answer to the causes of air pollution is simple: humans cause air pollution. Factories, power plants, automobiles, and industrial emissions change the air’s composition by creating ground level ozone.

Water Pollution

Over 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. This alone makes water a very important issue. However, the Earth’s water resources and potable water supply is in danger of becoming contaminated. When water becomes contaminated, it is considered polluted.There are essentially two different forms of water pollution: oceanic water pollution and drinking water contamination.The oceans are home to some of the most interesting plants and animals on Earth. As humans, we rely on the oceans to provide us with food. And we also require safe drinking water to sustain life. So, if our water sources become polluted or contaminated, all of the living organisms suffer the consequences. Freshwater sources and oceans have an amazing natural ability to break down some waste materials, but not in the quantities discarded by today's society. The overload that results eventually puts the ecosystem out of balance .So how exactly are we affected by water pollution? Water pollution can have significant impacts on our food sources, the formation of acid rain, and our drinking water.But before we look at how we’re affected by water pollution, we must first look at how water recycles itself, known as the water cycle.

The Earth never increases the amount of water it contains, nor does it ever lose any of its water. The Earth’s water is recycled in three ways: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

What’s the Pollution Solution?

For a long time we’ve been told of the consequences of polluting our land, water and air.

But, how do we reverse the trend? The best way to combat pollution is through

education. When we learn what causes pollution, what its effects are, we can think of

solutions and think help prevent it. We all have needs. The Earth is very generous in supplying humans with an abundance of natural resources to help us exist more comfortably. Coal can be turned into electricity, which helps to provide humans with light. The sea provides us with enough

cod (as well as many other types of fish) to feed the people who live in the coastal

regions. The truth is that natural resources are provided to us for us to consume.

Yet we need to consume responsibly. Simply by turning off a light switch when you leave a room, riding your bike instead of driving, or re-using grocery bags, you are helping to reduce your consumption of resources. There are a ton of ways you can help the environment and reduce pollution. Afterall the easiest way to reduce pollution is to reduce consumption. By reducing the

amount of resources we use and making simple, environmentally friendly decisions, we

can help to reverse the global trends of pollution.

Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling are the simplest ways of combating pollution!