Pollution
Introduction
The environment provides us such conditions that life can exist on our earth. There is
available on the earth air and water in just right quantities, and these are optimally supported by sunlight. Thus, our environment is the unique gift of nature to us.
It is an irony that despite being aware of the significance of environment for us, we continue to harm it. We do it in many ways :
1. We cut down trees to meet many of our needs of land and wood.
2. We burn and finish natural resources like coal, mineral oil and other things.
3. We destroy wildlife and natural environment.
4. We use chemicals and pesticides in farming, which not only cause ill-health but also harm the water and soil. As a matter of fact, we need natural resources to meet our needs.
The problem starts when we start to do it greedily. This is what we people have exactly been doing. This greed has led to an environmental crisis, which can be seen in two forms :
Many of our natural resources are limited in quantity. When we use a natural resource like coal or mineral oil, it is gone forever. So, there is need to conserve them.
Secondly, human activities cause a lot of pollution; for example, coal emits smoke and dust leading to large scale pollution.
Today, pollution has become a very massive problem. It is growing with every passing day. Pollution can be classified into four main types : air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and soil pollution. Let us know about them briefly.
Air Pollution
The atmosphere is made up of different types of gases, as oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and others. We inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Trees use carbon dioxide and release oxygen. In this way, the balance of gases is maintained in the atmosphere. This also means that trees are very important for us, without them, the balance of the atmosphere cannot be maintained. We need wood for different domestic and industrial purposes, so we cut down trees. The problem is that we have been greedy, so we have cut down trees in a larger number than we need. We also cut down trees to clear land to build houses, factories, roads and bridges. This simply means that carbon dioxide cannot be changed into oxygen at a rate that environmental balance can be maintained. This balance is further disturbed when we burn fuels in machines and vehicles which also release harmful gases.
Thus, we can see that human activities are responsible for air pollution. Air pollution causes a number of diseases to our lungs and eyes.
Water Pollution
Water is an important ingredient of the environment. Life cannot be possible without it. We need it for different purposes in our homes, fields and industries. When we use water, we pollute it too. When we take a bath, we mix soap with water, and thus pollute it.
A farmer uses water for irrigation, but he mixes chemical fertilizers and pesticides in it, thus water is polluted. In the same way, 3% industries pollute water during different applications. Garbage in river
The natural water cycle helps to clean water, but we are polluting water at a rate that nature cannot keep up with. Our rivers and other water bodies have become contaminated due to various human activities. To add to this problem, we also dispose of our waste into these bodies of water. The polluted water is the main cause of many diseases, such as jaundice, typhoid, and gastroenteritis, which lead to the death of a significant number of people each year.
Noise Pollution
Noise pollution is caused by many sources including sound systems, televisions, vehicles, trains, airplanes, machines and industries, among others. This high level of noise can disturb our peace of mind and cause various health problems such as stress, irritation, hearing loss, and digestive problems. Noise pollution is a major contributor to illnesses in cities and industrial towns.
Soil Pollution
Soil is an important natural resource. We need it to plant our trees and produce crops.
We have polluted soil with our activities. It occurs in many ways. Farmers mix chemical fertilizers and pesticides in water to irrigate the fields. This pollutes water as well as soil. In cities, you can see the hills of garbage where waste is dumped. This pollutes soil and adversely affects the environment. Our activities produce so much of garbage that dealing with it has become a major challenge.
Waste and Soil Pollution :
In our daily life, we create waste or garbage, such as paper, plates, glass, tins, bottles, machines, clothes, books, furniture and more. All this waste can be divided into two types : biodegradable waste and non-biodegradable waste.
1. Biodegradable Waste : Certain things rot and mix into the soil in some time, such as paper, fruit peels, seeds, cotton cloth, wood etc.; they take a few weeks. Such things are called biodegradable waste.
2. Non-biodegradable Waste : As against biodegradable waste, there are many things which will not rot over a very long period of time, such as glass, metal, silver foils, plastic etc. Such things form non-biodegradable waste. Soil pollution is caused by these things. We can deal with this type of pollution in the following ways. Together these are called a 3-R’s formula :
We can deal with Non-biodegradable Waste type of pollution in the following ways. Together these are called a 3-R’s formula :
Reuse:
Instead of discarding things, there are many items that can be reused. For instance, an old bicycle or machine can be repaired and used again. Old clothes and toys can be donated to those in need. Disposable plates and glasses can be washed and used multiple times. Even the blank pages of an old notebook can be removed and repurposed by stitching them into a new notebook.
Recycle:
The thing we are about to discard, its material may be useful. For example, the glass or plastic of an empty bottle can be recycled, that is, something new can be made from this. Recycle means that the material of discarded things can be used to manufacture or make other things. Many things can be recycled without a loss of quality, such as glass, metal etc. Some things can be recycled but not with a me quality, such as paper and plastic. Not all things can be, recycled, such as hard plastic, rubber etc. A local kabariwallah (junk-dealer) is always willing to help you in this, in the process of which you earn some money too.
Resell :
Resell means that you sell away an old thing, like your old bicycle. Does your mother exchanges old clothes for kitchen pots? This is resale. The kabariwallah can again help you in this.
If we want life to continue on this earth, and if we want to lead a happy and healthy life, there is no option before us but to conserve the environment. We cannot continue to lead a wasteful life as we are doing now. Complete destruction is staring us in the eye.
We must take the following steps immediately in our own interest :