Save Life, Save Earth: ACT NOW AGAINST POLLUTION

People had always altered their Environment with problems such as acid rain, desertification, food shortages and water pollution. From the catastrophic to the inconvenient, these environmental problems proved the dramatic and most visible negative effects of man’s carelessness to their environment. Although we struggle for more food, produce more potable water and plant every inch of a deserted land piece; still we must confront the issue of the neglecting and non-concern of man to their habitat.

According to the website www.chem.prenhall.com, the population growth and environment are intertwined. The increase in population leads to land clearing and habitat loss for other species, increased energy use with harmful industrial emissions, deterioration of water supply and other problems. As our resources dwindle, our mountains of garbage grow! And so was the emission of methane in the atmosphere. Truly, it is noted that methane (NH4) is a greenhouse gas- a factor contributing to the global warming problem.

There are many people in this world. And as we multiply, we consume more resources without even renewing an ounce of them, and worse, throwing our rubbish not into the trash can, but into the ground. I can relate to you some ecological problems and facts about them. You should read this between the lines, be the one to act first so everyone will follow, perform drastic measures in saving humanity’s haven- MOTHER EARTH.


Ø POLLUTION

Pollution is really part of our life. And the natural balance of Earth is now gone because of these. In some areas, the air is so bad that people become sick from breathing it, and some even die because of it.

Even before there were people, there was already air pollution. Volcanic eruptions and wildfires became events that continuously add pollutants to the atmosphere. The only main difference between air pollution problems today and in the past is that it is now difficult to get away from them.

In recent news, there is a now-dying (or totally died) river in Bulacan that belongs to the list of the World’s Top Fifty Dirtiest Rivers. It’s bad, but just up for now, we should do something to regain the life of this river and all of our water resources. Bring back the dead ones and regain marine life. We and the future generations greatly needed clean water.

We cannot totally eradicate pollution, because it is already stated in the 2nd law of thermodynamics-no process can be 100% efficient. Anyway, we can further minimize its cases by due cooperative efforts and measures.

1. Do not smoke. Its effects are generally obvious.

2. Do not burn wood, leaves and plastics. It can minimize our wastes but it can also destruct ecological balance and can also lead to asthma attacks and long-term effects in the lungs. Try segregating wastes.

So what are we waiting for? There is a small solution waiting to be administered against this problem. A small solution yet implies a big change among us.

Don't waste time. There is still time for this change. Not tomorrow but now.

Types of Pollutions

Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of substances or energy into the environment, resulting in deleterious effects of such a nature as to endanger human health, harm living resources and ecosystems, and impair or interfere with amenities and other legitimate uses of the environment.[1] The major forms of pollution include:

* Air pollution, the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. Common examples include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and nitrogen oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles. Photochemical ozone and smog are created as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons react to sunlight.
* Water pollution via surface runoff and leaching to groundwater.
* Soil contamination occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground storage tank leakage. Among the most significant soil contaminants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals, MTBE[2], herbicides, pesticides and chlorinated hydrocarbons.
* Radioactive contamination, added in the wake of 20th-century discoveries in atomic physics. (See alpha emitters and actinides in the environment.)
* Noise pollution, which encompasses roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as high-intensity sonar.
* Light pollution, includes light trespass, over-illumination and astronomical interference.
* Visual pollution, which can refer to the presence of overhead power lines, motorway billboards, scarred landforms (as from strip mining), open storage of trash or municipal solid waste.
* Thermal Pollution, is a temperature change in natural water bodies caused by human influence.

Sources and causes
pollution Motor vehicle emissions are one of the leading causes of air pollution.[3][4][5] China, United States, Russia, Mexico, and Japan are the world leaders in air pollution emissions; however, Canada is the number two country, ranked per capita. Principal stationary pollution sources include chemical plants, coal-fired power plants, oil refineries,[6] petrochemical plants, nuclear waste disposal activity, incinerators, large livestock farms (dairy cows, pigs, poultry, etc.), PVC factories, metals production factories, plastics factories, and other heavy industry. Some of the more common soil contaminants are chlorinated hydrocarbons (CFH), heavy metals (such as chromium, cadmium--found in rechargeable batteries, and lead--found in lead paint, aviation fuel and still in some countries, gasoline), MTBE, zinc, arsenic and benzene. Ordinary municipal landfills are the source of many chemical substances entering the soil environment (and often groundwater), emanating from the wide variety of refuse accepted, especially substances illegally discarded there, or from pre-1970 landfills that may have been subject to little control in the U.S. or EU. Pollution can also be the consequence of a natural disaster. For example, hurricanes often involve water contamination from sewage, and petrochemical spills from ruptured boats or automobiles. Larger scale and environmental damage is not uncommon when coastal oil rigs or refineries are involved. Some sources of pollution, such as nuclear power plants or oil tankers, can produce widespread and potentially hazardous releases when accidents occur. In the case of noise pollution the dominant source class is the motor vehicle, producing about ninety percent of all unwanted noise worldwide.
Effects on human health

Adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone pollution can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain, and congestion. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing countries. Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbance.

Effect on ecosystems
* Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen can cause acid rain which reduces the pH value of soil.
* Soil can become infertile and unsuitable for plants. This will affect other organisms in the food web.
* Smog and haze can reduce the amount of sunlight received by plants to carry out photosynthesis.
* Invasive species can out compete native species and reduce biodiversity. Invasive plants can contribute debris and biomolecules (allelopathy) that can alter soil and chemical compositions of an environment, often reducing native species competitiveness.

Regulation and monitoring
To protect the environment from the adverse effects of pollution, many nations worldwide have enacted legislation to regulate various types of pollution as well as to mitigate the adverse effects of pollution.

Historical and projected CO2 emissions by country. Source: Energy Information Administration.

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