What Effects Does Pollution Have on the Environment - Coursework Example

Essay on Pollution and Environment Outline Introduction Body Greenhouse gas effect and climate change Air pollution Water pollution Soil contamination Conclusion (Last name) 1 Pollution and Environment Introduction Our environment is a complete natural system evolved over the ages and held in fine balance that promoted life on this planet. Human beings are but one part of this intricate ecosystem. All species of life, with the marked exception of human beings, follow the natural process of evolution to the extent the environment permits. Human activities of all types – from simple farming to complex industrial production processes and movement of people and goods – leave a trail of pollution that disturbs the natural environmental balance. In the pursuit of economic growth and prosperity, all nations of the world are contributing more and more to the level of pollutants in air, water and soil and this is leading to ever deteriorating quality of life. Are nations, individually and collectively making enough efforts to tackle environmental issues? This essay examines the effects of pollution on the environment and seeks answer to the question posed. Greenhouse gas effect and climate change Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide (greenhouse gases) are held in natural balance in the atmospheric air, and this balance is disturbed by the exhaust gases from automobiles and industrial plants, particularly the carbon dioxide. This imbalance traps the solar heat within our atmosphere resulting in rising temperatures around the world, the global warming phenomenon. This is leading to faster melting of the ice caps at the poles, rising sea levels, inundation of low lying coastal areas in a number of countries, and in general a catastrophic climate change. During the UN Conference on Climate Change in Kyoto in December 1997, the EU Member States (Last name) 2 agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 8% between 2008 and 2012 (European Parliament Fact Sheets, 4.9.2 Air Pollution). Some of the most developed nations, especially the USA, have been resisting to accept the Kyoto and Montreal Protocols on climate control, for many reasons like additional investments or losing competitiveness. Air pollution A variety of particulate matter and noxious gases like the oxides of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen are released into the atmosphere, especially by the metallurgical processing units and power plants. Similarly the road transport sector, both for personal and commercial use, is another major contributor of pollutants in the atmosphere. Micron size particles enter our lungs when we breathe and cause severe respiratory health problems. In rainy season, these oxides of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen and other hazardous chemicals react with falling rain drops to form acids, and this leads to the effect of acid rains, which contaminate both soil and water bodies. “From 1960 to 2000, we (in the USA) more than doubled per person driving-- from 4,000 to close to 10,000 miles per year”(Jackson, 2006, UCB College of Environmental Design). For the auto industry, a new definition of performance, based on emission norms (grams per mile) have been given by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA Standards in USA, Wikipedia, 2006). Coming to Europe, a similar trend of tightening norms is noted. These standards are named Euro 0, Euro I to Euro V and limit the emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from automobiles (European Emission standards, Wikipedia, 2006). (Last name) 3 Water pollution Wastewaters from chemical, mineral processing, crude refining and power plants are a few of the major industrial sources that contribute to water pollution. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides used in farms readily find their way to ground water resources as well as canals and rivers. Net result is that in many of the major cities, towns and villages in the world today, supply of potable water is scarce and its quality is far below the standards laid down by the World Health Organization. In addition, accidental spillage of crude oil while being shipped in very large crude carriers across the seas is another source of major environmental pollution. The Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in March 1989, quickly spread over 4600 sq. km., and across 5100 km. of coastline (Thinkquest). The environmental impact of the spill was of catastrophic proportions on marine life, with hundreds of thousands of birds killed, fish poisoned, large-scale death of other marine life like seals, sea otters and whales. The Exxon Valdez event led to the enactment of Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (Birkland, 1998). Soil contamination Million of tones of slag from steel plants and ash from power plants are regularly dumped in open areas as waste materials. In addition, spills occur when handling, transporting, storing or transferring hazardous chemicals, paints, oils and lubricants. These waste materials and spilled chemicals leach into the ground and cause soil contamination (US EPA). All over the world, efforts are being made to utilize the slag cement making, road constructions, and ash for making bricks. The staggering volumes of these accumulated waste pollutants are unlikely to be consumed quickly, considering (Last name) 4 the costs and market acceptability of the end products. Supported by the World Bank, a number of countries are offering attractive incentives for projects which utilize the slag and ash. (World Bank) The idea of utilizing fly ash is to prevent denudation of the rich top soil of the earth, which is the traditional source of clay for brick making. Conclusion Basic elements of our environment are air, water, and soil. Increased economic activities in search of growth and prosperity is leading to increased release of pollutants like the particulate matter, the hazardous gases, chemicals and other waste products of production processes. These pollutants are causing alarming damage to the environment upon which we depend for our health and sustenance. The methods that are being used to reduce pollution of the environment include better designs / processes, legal enforcement for limiting the emissions, penalties, and utilization of waste products. While individual nations are implementing their own agenda for pollution control, agencies like the United Nations and the World Bank are coordinating global efforts. Global warming and climate change are currently hot topics attracting a lot of attention world over. (Last name) 5 References Birkland, T.A., 1998, In the wake of the Exxon Valdez: how environmental disasters influence policy. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://72.14.235.104/p/articles/mi_m1076 European Parliament Fact Sheets, Air Pollution. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://www.europarl.eu.int/factsheets/4 History, Exxon Valdez, Thinkquest, 2006. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/History/exxon_valdez.html Jackson, R. J., 2006, Frameworks, UCB College of Environmental Design. US EPA, Soil contamination. Retrieved December 4, 2007 from http://www.epa.gov/superfund/students/wastsite/soilspil.htm World Bank Carbon Finance Unit, India: FaL-G Brick and Block: Micro Industrial Plants Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://carbonfinance.org/Router.cfm?Page=Projport&ProjID=9597 Bibliography Environmental issues, Al Gore. Retrieved from http://72.14.235.104/search? q=cache:gaIjhRyWzLMJ:en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Al_Gore+Al+Gore+and+Environmental+issues&hl=en&gl=in&ct=clnk&cd=3 EPA Standards in USA, Wikipedia, 2006. European Emission Standards, Wikipedia, 2006. Major environmental laws, EPA, 2006. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://www.epa.gov/epahome/laws.htm Natural resources and environment, Press Release 1, University of Michigan. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://www.snre.umich.edu/news/details.php?id=1138 US Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory, (2006). Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Transportation. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://www.transportation.anl.gov/software/GREET/index.html Read More