Much of air pollution comes from humans introducing into the air, chemicals, particles, or even biological matter that causes harm to living organisms. Found in the air are many foreign substances that can impair the health of humans, other animals, and plants, and we call these substances air pollutants. Air pollution is caused when, either these substances are released as a direct result of a process, or when pollutants are caused by interaction with another pollutant in the air. These types are referred to as primary and secondary pollutants and they are both very bad news for your health.

An example of primary air pollution is when a car is running, and as a result of this process produces exhaust, which releases carbon monoxide. It can also be caused by an erupting volcano releasing ash into the air. Even something you think of as normal, like ash, is considered a pollutant. Interestingly the ash produced from a barbecue grill or a chimney, is also considered air pollution. However when the pollutants do not arise from doing something, and instead come from interacting with other pollutants in the air to form a new substance, this is a secondary source of air pollution.

Air pollution is a serous cause for concern, especially when it comes to your health. This terrible problem is getting worse every day because the source for air pollution is things we do each day, like manufacturing things, and driving to work. If pollution continues going as it the current rate we will see severe health problems for us, and even the next generations, and this is a very scary thought. Air pollution can cause respiratory disease and even death.

Although we usually think of big nasty factories as our worst enemy, some of the most awful sources of air pollution are the types that are moving, like automobiles. For this reason many people who have a very long way to commute to work, use things like car pools. Car pools help to keep some extra pollution for getting into the air, so the more people not driving each day, the better. Little steps like this one, done by everyone, would drastically reduce the amounts of pollutants released into our air each day.

Everyone has dreams of breathing pollution free air and getting rid of the bad effects that the pollutants can cause like respiratory disease. If we ever want to see this day, we must all work together to make our air a little cleaner each and every day.

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Imagine floating in the sky in a space shuttle and looking down at the earth. One might hope that looking down you could see all the amazing things put together by humans on this earth, such as the Great Wall of China. While this is the case, there is also one thing that can be seen from space that the humans of this planet should not be proud of – the landfill in Staten Island, NY. Perhaps after viewing this from above it would encourage citizens to recycle!

If individuals begin to recycle there are many benefits to the planet, such as cleaner water for drinking and bathing, and healthier plants and animals. It’s estimated that each year
well over one million sea mammals, turtles, and sea birds are killed from litter. Sometimes this includes threatened and endangered species, and it could all be avoided if the population decided to recycle!

Those unfamiliar with the recycling program may be wondering what they can and cannot recycle! One can recycle glass bottles and jars, aluminum, cardboard, paper bags, newspapers, metal cans, frozen food boxes, empty aerosol cans, and much more. One cannot recycle Styrofoam packaging, sneakers, toxic product containers, and ceramics.

Large items can also be recycled, such as scrap metal from cars, siding, and window/door frames. In addition to being able to recycle these items because it is environmentally friendly, scrap yards are currently paying top prices for aluminum, copper, brass, and other such metals. Loading up a truck with scrap metal to recycle at the local scrap yard could make one a hefty profit as well as help keep the planet a little bit cleaner!

While some cities, schools, and businesses already recycle regularly, it is always a great idea to encourage those in ones own local area to business. Petitions are a great way to let local lawmakers know that many people are interested in helping in this process. It can be encouraged not only to recycle the waste of that individual town or business, but also to help by incorporating the use of recycled papers and other materials into their business methods. The more towns and businesses hear that their citizens, employees, or costumers value their recycling efforts the more likely they are to begin to recycle on a daily basis.

On a smaller level, beginning to help by recycling in ones own home is also a great idea. Every little bit helps. Collect old newspapers, egg cartons, and magazines instead of throwing them out each week and donate them to schools for art projects. Old clothing can always be donated to local charities instead of creating more waste in landfills, as well as old furniture. If old clothing and blankets are not in good condition, local animal shelters are always in need of these items for rags or pet bedding. Remember, before polluting the earth more than it already is, there is one thing to do: recycle!

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Land Pollution: Forever Changing Geography

When you think of land pollution, perhaps you think of general pollution like people throwing rubbish onto the side of the road but it is much more. Basically, land pollution is the decline of the earth’s surfaces caused by misuse of the land.

How Did It All Happen?

There is no one particular cause of this type of pollution. No one person or group who can be held responsible. A few examples of how this has happened would include:

• Wastes – Urban and Industrial wastes had to go somewhere, so the school of thought was to dig a large hole in the ground and dump it there. Once you cover it up then it just goes away, right? Well, eventually we learned that it takes many years for some of these things to decompose and others have yet to do so. The decomposition also led to leakage of toxins into the soil.

• Minerals – With the need of certain minerals to keep things running, such as coal, we quickly exploited our lands to strip mining. Many people got rich from this but you have to wonder at what cost to our precious Earth.

• Agricultural – Farming may seem like it would be harmless, however before we learned about proper crop rotation and fertilization, we would abuse the land with one type of crop and when the land would no longer produce because we stripped it of its vital nutrients, then we would abandon that land and move on.

How Can We Stop It?

Thankfully, we have learned a few expensive lessons along the way. Many new laws were instilled to prevent strip mining, crowded landfills, and proper crop rotation and fertilization. However, we have much more work to do and we all can help. A few suggestions:

• The three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. We have all heard of these three words, but they become increasingly important. We need to reduce the amount of waste that needs disposal and smart buying can help to do this. Reuse an item for another purpose instead of buying an additional item; so get your creativity cap on and think how an item can be used again. Recycle anything and everything you can. Get your local government involved and get a program started in your area. Another idea is to bring your unwanted clothes and household items to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army so others can benefit.

• Budgeting – Budget your fuel usage in your car and at home. Doing this will lessen the demand of fuel and will conserve our fossil fuels. Lump your errands together and put on a sweater instead of turning up the heat. Also, learning about alternative fuels and getting local government involved in the solution is always a good idea.

• Smart gardening – Having your own garden provides enjoyment and fresh food for you. However, take on the organic way of gardening so you are not dumping pesticides and chemical fertilizers into your own soil.

Land pollution has been in the making ever since man started learning what the soil can provide us. We are supposed to get smarter as we evolve and hopefully greed and productivity do not get in the way of that.

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Water Pollution: Be Careful Not To Take A Sip

Take a sip, take a swim, but take a moment and think what may be in that water. Water pollution is everywhere and we may come in contact with it more then one may think. Water pollution does not just occur when a big tanker has a spill, but when we see or hear about those incidents it helps us remember how precious our water sources are.

What It Boils Down To

Water pollution is more then just dirty water. A good definition of water pollution would be any biological, physical, or chemical change in the quality of the water that has a harmful effect to any living thing that uses, lives in, or drinks it.

There are different classes or categories of water pollution, which include:

• Disease-causing agents, such as bacteria, viruses, parasitic worms, etc. These enter the sewage systems and untreated waste.

• Oxygen-demanding agents which are wastes that can be decomposed by oxygen-requiring bacteria. When large amounts of decomposing bacteria are trying to breakdown these wastes it is using the oxygen in the water, which depletes the supply needed by the fish, so they in turn die.

• Water-soluble inorganic pollutants that make water unfit to drink and cause death to aquatic life. Examples of these would be acids, salts, and toxic metals.

• Water-soluble phosphates and nitrates. These agents cause excessive growth of algae and other plants that deplete the much needed oxygen supply.

• Organic compounds. Just because the word organic is there, does not make it healthy. Oil, plastics, and pesticides are in this category and these are harmful to all humans, plants, and animals in the water.

• Water-soluble radioactive compounds, usually associated with illegal dumping; these can cause birth defects, cancers, and genetic damage.

Water Pollution Solutions

All the information can be overwhelming and it may seem that all hope is lost but one should consider that there are standards that have been put into place that did not once exist. However, we should ask what we can do to help. A few helpful suggestions include:

• Waste not, want not – The lack of water can be just as harmful as the possible toxins found. It is best to use smart water consumption, like not running your sprinklers in the heat of the day, using water smart appliances, and don’t let the water run constantly while brushing your teeth.

• Chemical charade – Toxins and chemicals do not make the house cleaner and now thankfully there are more choices on the market that will allow you to make smart choices. Purchase items that do not include phosphates and other toxins, so the wastewater is entered back into the ground as chemical free as possible.

• Crackdowns – Stricter laws on drinking water standards, illegal dumping, and possible environmentally friendly business tax breaks can be an enormous help. Get involved locally with new bills because the power of the vote can help out our water supply for today and for tomorrow.

Water is one of our most indispensable resources and the fact that our world is covered by a large percentage of it should not be taken for granted. We need to take a daily consideration for our own actions to help preserve our supply and protect our waterways. The effects of pollution do not stop at bad drinking water, but can and do lead to death. If we do not take action, then that will become our reality.

Noise Pollution: Do Not Like The Sound Of That

Noise pollution may sound like a term that a parent comes up with in regards to popular music heard on the radio, but it is actually a form of pollution that has come increasingly known and the affects are linked to stress disorders. How does one define noise pollution? Well, quite simply it is excessive noise, at different volumes, that disrupts, distracts, or diminishes the regular functioning of an environment.

Noise Pollution Culprits

There are quite a few alarming causes of noise pollution and many of these everyone may come in contact with on a daily basis. A few of these may include such factors, like:

• Airplanes – Those who live near the airports or in the flight path of heavy airline traffic have exposure to noise pollution. Increased heart disease, high blood pressure, hearing loss and stress disorders have been linked to this type of pollution.

• Cars – We have all sat in traffic and you can almost feel your blood pressure rise as you sit there just waiting for it to move. The horns blaring can be grating on the nerves. However, the everyday car noise driving by your house or place of business can be a cause of noise pollution.

• Workplace noise – You do not have to work in a loud factory to experience this type of noise pollution. Offices trying to run more efficiently by creating cubicle offices to cram their employees into a smaller space are also creators of this increasing type of pollution. Telephones ringing, typing of keyboards, copy machines, chatting, finger tapping, and other annoyances are all contributors.

• Home sweet home – Think about all the modern day conveniences that cause noise. Now have several of them running at once, add people noise, and outdoor noise of lawn mowers, etc and you have a recipe for noise pollution stress. Children who grow up in these environments have been known to get ill easier, have greater stress, and do poorly in school.

How To Quiet It Down

How do we make it all stop? After all, we all can’t just pick up and move to the quiet country and not be exposed to any noise. However, there are certain things that a person can do to lessen the exposure or combat the effect of noise pollution. A couple examples include:

• Stress release – Part of noise pollution’s toll is due to the body’s reaction to the stress it may cause. One can alleviate stress by practicing things like yoga, deep breathing exercises, or meditation.

• Noise reduction – Making changes to reduce the noise will help immensely. Buying double-paned windows, turning the television off at home, discussing tactics in the workplace, and if need be changing your job or housing environment are all ways to reduce exposure to noise pollution.

Noise pollution is just one type of pollution that we are exposed to everyday. However, it is one that is easier controlled in one’s own environment. Taking a step back and evaluating what changes can be made will make a big difference in your life. It is time we stopped unnecessary noise and live a more peaceful life.

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