Environmental pollution is one of the biggest problems the world faces today. It is an issue that troubles us economically, physically and everyday in our lives. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that causes adverse change. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants
We all live on earth which, is but a planet, – and the only planet known to have an environment, where air and water are two basic things that sustain life. Without these air and water the earth would be like the other planets – no man, no animals, and no plants. This balance does not only help the life-cycles of animals and plants, but it also creates the perennial sources of minerals and energies without which the human civilization of to-day could not be built. It is for this balance that the human life and other forms of existence have flourished on earth for so many thousands of years. But man, as the most intelligent animal, never stopped being inquisitive, nor was he content with the bounties of nature. Man’s excursions into the darkest regions of mysteries laid foundations for the stupendous civilization, for the conquests of men had ensured their domination in their world and gave them a key to control all the forces in nature.
With the dawn of the age of science and technology the growth the development of human potentials were so enormous that man, as Supreme Being, was in a position even to defy his gods. And it is here that man first began losing control and became prisoner of his own creations. The incredible achievements in the field of science and technology brought many boons, but in the absence of checks and balances the curses to began multiplying threatening the very existence of man on earth. The industries all over the world that brought prosperity and affluence, made inroads in the biosphere and disturbed the ecological balances. The pall of smoke, the swirling gases, industrial effluents and the fall-out of scientific experiments became constant health hazards, polluting and contaminating both air and water. Almost of our gains in the fields of industrial progress, science and technology had so far been realized at the cost of our health. Even our flora and fauna were found to be threatened with extinction.
There are many different types of environmental pollution (e.g. Water, air, atmospheric.)
Scientists believe that all cities with populations exceeding 50,000 have some degree of air pollution. Burning garbage in open dumps causes air pollution, and also it smells pretty bad. Air pollution comes from many different sources. One of the major sources is carbon monoxide which manly comes from automobiles, but also burning of fossil fuels, CFCs etc. Air pollution does not leave the Earth it all gets trapped up in the atmosphere. People burn down forests and fossil fuels. Every bit of this harms our atmosphere. Factories and transportation depend on huge amounts of fuel billions of tons of coal and oil are consumed around the world every year. When these fuels burn they introduce smoke and other less visible by-products into the atmosphere. Although wind and rain occasionally wash away the smoke given off by power plants and automobiles, the cumulative effect of air pollution poses a grave threat to humans and the environment. A big example of smog is LA you can see the smog just hovering above the city. I don't think any human alive should be subject to that kind of environment.
We call water a life giving source. But do we ever think of it when we pollute it? Industrial waste containing asbestos, phosphates, nitrates, sulphur, etc., sewage and waste water, oils, ocean and marine dumping, underground storage and tube leakage are the primary agents of water pollution. The control of water pollution requires each individual’s participation and involvement. We should not litter the beaches, pools, riversides with garbage. We should use environmentally safe cleaning liquids for the use at home and other public places. They are less dangerous to the environment. Water should be used wisely and one should never keep the tap running. Proper treatment of chemicals and medicines should be ensured before letting them into the lakes and rivers. Over-use of pesticides and fertilizers should be stopped. In many developed cities, waste or sewage treatment is very efficient, and designed to minimize pollution of water bodies.
We treat soil as our mother but not when it comes to preserving it. The mainspring for land pollution is oil refineries, deforestation, garbage and waste, mining sources and agricultural sources. In order to subdue land pollution, people should be educated and made aware about the harmful effects of littering. Buying of biodegradable products is quintessential. We should switch to organic foods that are grown without pesticides. Personal litter should be disposed properly. We can separate household waste at home for recycling. The best way to curb land pollution is following simple three R’s; they are Reduce waste, Re-use things and Recycle things.
Earth will regain its beauty, but only if we human perform our duty. “Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children”. This proverb marks the pungent need of the hour i.e. eco-friendly lifestyle. It is high time that we stop the blame game and take initiative and responsibility to conserve and preserve our nature. We all want to extend our generation, then why not gift them an environment that is safe, healthy and free of pollution. Let our future generation see the exploding palms, clear skies, elegant waves, etc. In short let them enjoy the mesmerizing beauty, the elegance of nature and live in a safe, healthy and uncontaminated environment.