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WHAT IS POLLUTION? Pollution is the act of environmental contamination with man-made waste. It includes the major forms of land, water, and air. The lesser-known forms are noise, light, and thermal. Of all the First World countries, the United States is the most polluting nation on Earth, according to various statistical indications.
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Ms. Stephanie MclarenEnvironmental Science
9/25/09
WHAT IS POLLUTION?Pollution is the act of environmental
contamination with man-made waste.
It includes the major forms of land, water, and air.
The lesser-known forms are noise, light, and thermal.
Of all the First World countries, the United States is the most polluting nation on Earth, according to various statistical indications.
Statistical Indicators of the Rate of Pollution in the U.S.Ranked seventh on pollution controlThe U.S. spends about 60% of its Gross
National Product to help the environment.We spend over 120 billions dollars a year on
pollution control and abatement, regulation and monitoring, and research and development.
According to the Council on Environmental Quality, our country consumed over 98 quadrillion Btu of energy in 2000.
THE THREE MAJOR TYPE OF POLLUTION
LAND
WATER
AIR
LAND POLLUTIONMan-made environmentalContamination occurring on land.
Five pounds of solid waste is created in American everyday.
In an average day in the United States, people throw out 200,000 tons of edible food and throw 1 million bushels of litter out of their automobiles.
The main human contributor to pollution are landfills.
AIR POLLUTIONEnvironmental contamination with man-made
waste into the air.
The air is composed of a mixture of gases: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and a small percentage of other gases like argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.
The Earth’s air also contains pollutants or harmful material that we can breathe.
The “Big Six” air pollutants are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, and particulates.
AIR POLLUTIONIndustry is the main source of air contamination.
It leads to the distribution of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere.
These gases lead to the greenhouse effect also known as global warming.
Thus air pollution leads to the increase in the Earth’s temperature, weather shifts, and natural disasters.
SOLUTIONS & ALTERNATIVES TO
POLLUTIONSpread awareness about pollution and its
dangerous effectsThrow waste in the garbageRecycle all waste necessaryInvest in hybrid carsBuild more “Green” homesClean up trash and waste on land and in waterLimit the amount of fuel used in cars and
household chemicals.
Watch this YouTube clip on How the Earth is being damage by pollution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaBoLqds-Bg
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