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Analysis Pollution can take many forms. The air we breathe, the water drink, the ground where we grow our food, and even the increasing noise we hear every day all contribute to health problems and a lower quality of life. Pollution is every,Inhere. Pollution is the unwanted introduction of substances that harm or destroy the atmosphere and our environment. The Economy is slowing third world nations have political unrest. Our culture is more focused on obtaining material possessions then addressing our geological problems.
In this essay I am going to identify the history, causes of pollution, effects on our planet, and the solutions to the Problems of pollution in our world. With the growth of cities and industrialization urban waste and pollution are an important part of history. From the rise of the first urban settlements until the emergence of mega cities in the 20th century, the scale and intensity of pollution has increased. Here is a brief history of pollution on our planet. In Ancient Civilizations air pollution was common it came from dust, wood smoke, tanneries, animal manure and other things. Water pollution was less ever in come civilizations.
Israel and Hindu cities tend to have less pollution due to strict religious codes about cleanliness. During the Middle Ages in the Renaissance area timbering in the foresting in England, France, German leaves large areas of deforestation. This led to the change to using coal as a replacement for wood as a use of power. The Era of Enlightenment reason begins to overcome superstition. Also during this period Ben Franklins starts his flight against Water Pollution. He led of group of Philadelphia to petition the government to stop tannery factories from dumping in the creek, a arbitrary of the Delaware River.
He was trying to create awareness about socially responsible investing. The petition stopped the dumping, and helped to set a precedent for the future fight against water pollution. Ben Franklin was a big proponent of the good quality of life through a healthy environment. He advocated for socially responsible investing. He was a keen observer and worked hard to keep the city of Philadelphia environment clean and pure for all its citizens. He saw the necessity for green business even back then. He believed that people could be better and healthier also, by making a few changes in their lifestyle.
His foresight, saws observation, and determination to create awareness for environmentally conscious companies to protect the environment, are many of the reasons Ben Franklin is a genius in American history. Anther important person during the Era Of enlightenment was Thomas Robert Malthusian. Malthusian was a British scholar; influential in controversial, in economic, political, social and scientific thought. Malthusian thought that the dangers of population growth depends on the sustainability of the earth ” The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in earth to produce subsistence for man”.
In many ways these men were the founding fathers of our environmental polices that we see today. The industrial revolution led to horrifying living conditions people began to understand that unsay Atari living conditions and water contamination contributed to disease epidemics. This new awareness prompted major cities to take measures to control waste and garbage. Progress is slow but the common interest was to establish purr drinking water and sanitation. This was because of the epidemics of typhoid. Conservation of wilderness also started to take place because of a extremely old tree called the “mother of the forest’.
Mother of the forest was an ancient and huge Sequoia Denton tree. The tree lived in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in eastern central California, Ignited States. In the mid-1 sass, Chicago built the first major sewage system in the United States to treat wastewater. Soon, many other U. S. Cities followed Chicago lead. In the United States, industrial chemicals and wastes, including sulfuric acid, soda ash, mercuric acid, limes, dyes, wood pulp, and animal byproducts from industrial mills contaminated waters in the Northeast.
Air pollution from automobiles from the industrial processes, and the burning of coal in stories and in homes also became a serious problem. In the 19th century, episodes of smog in cities like New York and London resulted in many deaths. The rising problems of pollution led to the formation of the National Coast Anti Pollution League. It was formed by municipal officials from Atlantic City to Maine who are concerned with oil and sewage pollution detracting from tourism from the areas. Led by Gifford Ponchos, Teddy Roosevelt the league succeeds with an international oil dumping treaty passed by Congress in 1924.
In late October of 1948, 20 people were asphyxiated and more than ,000 became seriously ill as the result of severe air pollution over Donors, Pennsylvania. In response was The Air Pollution control act that declared that air pollution was a danger to public health and welfare, but preserved the primary responsibilities and rights of the States and local government in controlling air pollution. The Seventies was the decade of awakening and clean up it began with the birth of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing isolations based on laws passed by Congress. Water Pollution was greatly decreased through a massive sewage treatment expansion program. Rivers, which were once sewers, now begin a gradual return from the grave. Air Pollution is cut back dramatically through use of catalytic converters on new cars that use only unleaded gasoline. From 1980-1990 Disasters showed the world the fragile side of industrial technology.
The world’s worst industrial catastrophe took place in India a leak of methyl cocaine’s gas from the union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant and resulted in the exposure of he hazardous gas to the local communities. Estimates vary on the death toll. The official immediate death toll was 2,259 and the government of Madhya Pradesh has confirmed a total of 3, 787 deaths related to the gas release. Others estimate that 3,000 died within weeks and that another 8,000 have since died from gas-related diseases.
Through these tragedies Environmental reform starts to gain momentum. Several peace seeking ships looking to stop the water pollution were bombed. The Rainbow Warrior was one of the first to take active action on the seas. The ship was active in supporting a number of Greenback protest. In 1990 the Persian Gulf War started to take place. Insurgents burn oil wells releasing hazardous gases into the ozone. In politics there becomes a standoff between conservatives and liberal factions in congress between environments over economic development.
China begins production of the Three Gorges Dam, which became the world’s largest capacity hydroelectric power station with a generating capacity of 18,200. The new millennium brought upon changes in the presidents views of environmental policies. Bill Clinton a conservative steps down from the presidency and George Bush steps in to take his place. George Bush lowered environmental regulation on behalf of industry. Barack Obama in 2009 restored environmental and conservative missions for LSI regulatory agencies. Global Climate change became a pressing problem.
An increasing number of scientist are warning that Global climate change is problem being created by pollution. All around us there are becoming more and more signs that our long history with pollution is going to have a negative effect on our planet and future generations More than two billion of the world’s poorest people still rely on biomass: wood, charcoal, Animal dung, crop wastes and coal-burning for household energy needs. Use of these fuels indoors leads to high levels of harmful pollution. This exposure increases the risk of diseases such as pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease and lung cancer.
This accounts for a substantial proportion of the global burden of disease in developing countries. Evidence is also emerging that exposure may increase the risk of a number of important conditions such low birth rate and cataract. Household pollutants are contaminants that are released during various products in daily life. Hazardous household products fall into six broad categories: household leaner’s, paints and solvents, lawn and garden care, automotive products, pool chemicals, and health and beauty aids. Many commonly used household products in these categories release toxic chemicals.
Household cleaners, paints and solvents, lawn and garden care, automotive products, pool chemicals, and health and beauty aids. Many commonly used household products in these categories release toxic chemicals. Insecticides, pesticides, weed killers, and fertilizers that are used for maintaining one’s lawn and garden are another source of household pollution. When these products are to properly kept or properly disposed they may leak into the ground. When these chemicals hit the ground destroy all the nutrients in the soil and plants that are trying to grow.
After it rains the pollutants run into local streams that flow into large bodies of water that we use for drinking. The U. S. Is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1 ,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world’s people generate 40% of the world’s waste. Trash from households plays a major role in our struggle against pollution. Americans generated 251 million tons of trash in 2006. Sixty-five percent name from household trash. Every year, each American throws out about 1200 pounds of organic garbage that can be recycled. The Garbage that does not get recycled get put into large landfills across our country. The problem is because we throw out so much garbage we are running out of room to store it. Another way households add to the pollution problem is through consuming extreme amounts of energy. Most people do not conserve energy so it wastes power and burns through fossil fuels. Energy conservation is also important because consumption of nonrenewable sources impacts the Environment. Households is many Ways add to the rowing pollution problem on our planet As Industries grew larger citizens are forced to contend with staggering quantities of industrial waste.
The impact of pollution on the population varied according to prevailing methods of waste disposal, the shifting geography of manufacturing, and changes in the city’s economic strength. Pollutants given off by various industries and factories are often considered to be one of the prime factors contributing to air, water and soil pollution. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it has been estimated that industrial pollution is responsible for almost 50 percent of the elution present in the United States. The main source of pollution from industries is air pollution.
The emission of various greenhouse gases such as CO, methane (CHI), among others from various industries, increases the overall temperature of the earth, resulting in global warming. Dumping of various industrial waste products into water sources, and improper contamination of industrial wastes, often result in polluting the water. This is popular among chemical companies. Industrial wastes contain large amounts of various chemicals whish get accumulated on the top layer of soil resulting of a loss of fertility. This creates large amounts of soil pollution resulting from industry.
Industries are a major source of pollution in our country. When industrial catastrophes happen most times it has the most negative effect on Environment. For Example last summer when the BP oilier blew up it dumped gallons of oil into the ocean. The effects of that spill will be felt for the next ten generations. BP lost a large sum of money but you cannot put a price on destroying a habitat for millions of living things. Industries have polluted our environment throughout our history and it will hurt our ecosystems on our lane for years to come. Pollution does not only damage the air it also damages the environments on earths surface.
Plants and animals are harmed by air pollution. Sometimes it is the pollutants themselves that cause damage. Other times pollutants combine and change the resources that plants and animals depend upon such as water, soil, and nutrients. When an air pollutant, such as sulfuric acid combines with the water droplets that make up clouds, the water droplets become acidic. When those droplets fall to the ground as rain or snow, the acidity of the water can have damaging effects on the environment. When acid rain falls over an area, it can kill trees and harm animals, fish, and other wildlife.
Acid rain destroys the leaves of plants. When acid rain infiltrates into soils, it changes the chemistry of the soil making it unfit for many living things that rely on soil as a habitat or for nutrition. Acid rain also changes the chemistry of the lakes and streams that the rainwater flows into, harming fish and other aquatic life. Thinning the ozone layer from air pollutants harms living things. Air pollution releases gases known as chlorofluorocarbons that destroy ozone molecules in the atmosphere. This leaves ozone holes that which ultraviolet radiation escapes through. Ultraviolet radiation causes skin cancer and damages plants and wildlife. Another Effect of large amounts of air pollution is Global warming. Our planet’s temperature is rising more rabidly than expected because of the additional greenhouse gases. Polar icecaps melt and permafrost melt are causing changes in the habitat and resources for plants and animals that live in these Polar Regions. This has had a major effect in the species on our planet. Disappearing habitats and resources makes it hard for an ecosystem o sustain itself. The earth was cover by 14. 8 billion acres of forest 8,000 years ago.
Now only 8. 6 billion of acres remain. Species are currently going extinct at a faster rate than at any time in the past. This is not due to hunting but to chemical pollutants and over harvesting. Years of unregulated pollution have destroyed habitats and drove species to become extinct. There is no simple solution to the pollution problem on our planet. For years we have polluted our planet and have been set in our ways of doing so. The way for our planet to rebuild our ecosystem and reduce pollution is trotter regulations on hazardous waste and switching to renewable resources.
Pollution taxes are charged on a per unit basis. Transferable Pollution permits allow firms to emit only the level of pollution, which they have permitted. One option for pollution control is the direct regulation by government officials. The Environmental Protection agency can set the emission standards for particular in industries and products. Also make punishments for going against these laws more severe. Another part of stronger regulation would be a market-based pollution control system. This would put a tax on every emission per unit. These solutions are making it so that pollution is not the cheaper option.
The reasons why corporations choose to pollute because its a cheaper option most times then proper disposal. Pollution control clearly has its advantages but it is impossible to predict the total amount a of pollution reduction that will be created. Renewable resources are the way of the future. A major way to reduce the amount of pollution in the environment is using renewable resources that do not cause harm to the environment. Moving away from fossil fuels is important for our planet to achieve. The main types of renewable resource re Wind Energy, Solar power, and hydroelectric power.
Wind power is the use of wind to power fan that connects to a turbine that creates renewable energy source. Solar power uses a grid that catches energy that is given off from the sun. Solar polar can generate the most amount of electricity out of the renewable resources. Hydroelectric power uses the current of a body of water to turn a turbine to create electricity. Using this solution will reduce the amount of fossil fuels that are being used on our planet since they are renewable we will never run out. It will be a long time before we see real hangers towards a switch to renewable resources.