Essay Summary of Environmental Pollution
Pollution – Environmental pollution is any discharge of material or energy into water, land, or air that causes or may cause acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) detriment to the Earth’s ecological balance or that lowers the quality of life. Pollutants may cause primary damage, with direct identifiable impact on the environment, or secondary damage in the form of minor perturbations in the delicate balance of the biological food web that are detectable only over long time periods.
Until relatively recently in humanity’s history, where pollution has existed, it has been primarily a local problem. The industrialization of society, the introduction of motorized vehicles, and the explosion of the human population, however, have caused an exponential growth in the production of goods and services. Coupled with this growth has been a tremendous increase in waste by-products.
The indiscriminate discharge of untreated industrial and domestic wastes into waterways, the spewing of thousands of tons of particulates and airborne gases into the atmosphere, the “throwaway” attitude toward solid wastes, and the use of newly developed chemicals without considering potential consequences have resulted in major environmental disasters, including the formation of smog in the Los Angeles area since the late 1940s and the pollution of large areas of the Mediterranean Sea.
Technology has begun to solve some pollution problems (see pollution control), and public awareness of the extent of pollution will eventually force governments to undertake more effective environmental planning and adopt more effective antipollution measures. [1] Efforts to improve the standard of living for humans–through the control of nature and the development of new products–have also resulted in the pollution, or contamination, of the environment. Much of the world’s air, water, and land are now partially poisoned by chemical wastes.
Some places have become uninhabitable. This pollution exposes people all around the globe to new risks from disease. Many species of plants and animals have become endangered or are now extinct. As a result of these developments, governments have passed laws to limit or reverse the threat of environmental pollution. Ecology and Environmental Deterioration the branch of science that deals with how living things, including humans, are related to their surroundings is called ecology.
The Earth supports some 5 million species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. These interact and influence their surroundings, forming a vast network of interrelated environmental systems called ecosystems. The arctic tundra is an ecosystem and so is a Brazilian rain forest. The islands of Hawaii are a relatively isolated ecosystem. If left undisturbed, natural environmental systems tend to achieve balance or stability among the various species of plants and animals.
Complex ecosystems are able to compensate for changes caused by weather or intrusions from migrating animals and are therefore usually said to be more stable than simple ecosystems. A field of corn has only one dominant species, the corn plant, and is a very simple ecosystem. It is easily destroyed by drought, insects, disease, or overuse. A forest may remain relatively unchanged by weather that would destroy a nearby field of corn, because the forest is characterized by greater diversity of plants and animals.
Its complexity gives it stability. [2] Environmental pollution has become a major issue over the years and one of the biggest problems the world faces today. It is an issue that troubles us economically, physically and everyday of our lives. It has caused death, disease, and many health problems. A lot of major concern of our world today and not much is being done to prevent it. If not all, a lot of pollution is caused by humans. Many people are realizing now the threat that pollution poses to humans.
This shows that environmental pollution is becoming an increasingly worse problem that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible, not only for the good of the environment but also for the people that live in it. Many factors are present for why environmental pollution has become such a large issue in the world. However, if the people of the world were to address the issue it would definitely help both the environment and its people. There are many activities that can be done by both the common citizen to the governments of the world, which could severally improve the world’s environmental problem.
On the other hand, if the current way the world’s environmental problem is being handled continues, catastrophic consequences can follow for the future population. [3] REFERENCES 1. http://library. thinkquest. org/C001611/pollution. html 2. (2009, 09). Environmental Pollution. StudyMode. com. Retrieved 09, 2009, from http://www. studymode. com/essays/Environmental-Pollution-236498. html 3. (1999, 10). Environmental Pollution. StudyMode. com. Retrieved 10, 1999, from http://www. studymode. com/essays/Environmental-Pollution-17496. html
