Pollution
April 20, 2022
We need to take care of our Earth!
It’s no secret that pollution is bad, it lives in our streets, and oceans, and parks almost everywhere you look, you can see litter. And every year millions of Americans suffer from health issues regarding the air pollution and quality of air.
Air Pollution
In 2020 about 68 million tons of pollution were admitted into the atmosphere of the United States.
As air pollution becomes worse, more people are at risk of serious health issues and even death.
And large wildfires from 2021 to now have led to huge increases in pollution in the air, a study led by Washington State University states that more than 68% of the western US (representing about 43 million people) were affected by these rises in air pollution and harmful levels reaching at the highest number in 20 years.
Another study done by “Science Advances” has said that not only are these levels increasing in numbers but also spreading to affect more areas and persist longer. The conditions that create these episodes are also expected to increase, along with their threats to human lives.
Air pollution remains one of the leading environmental issues to this day.
Issues in the air pollution can cause some cancers and respiratory infections. Inhaled air pollutants damage the respiratory system.
Although there has been astronomical improvement since 1970 due to the Environmental Protection Agency and Clean Air Act. Though the number of Americans exposed to poor air quality has consistently stayed over 125 million since 2013.
Causes can range from cars & truck exhaust to factories, dust, pollen, volcanos and wildfires.
Marine Debris
On average there is 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean. Of that mass, 269,000 tons float on the surface while about 4 billion liters are in the deep sea. Affecting hundreds of marine habitats and animals negatively. Animals can become entangled in garbage or ingest sharp plastics that can hurt/make them sick.
There are various causes for this such as illegal waste dumping, sewer overflows, littering, inadequate waste management, and storms pushing trash into the oceans.
This also affects the oxygen levels in the waters of the ocean, and limits marine life from getting the proper amount of oxygen they need to survive.
Toxins from plastics and garbage have entered and can enter the food chain, threatening humans’ health as well.
These beautiful ocean creatures do not deserve to lose their lives over human carelessness.
Land Pollution
Ranges from deforestation to litter and garbage dumps not handling garbage properly. Urbanization: building homes and businesses/buildings to make more areas neighborhoods in efforts to make more homes for humans. People often forget they’re ruining the homes of animals. There can also be hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
The Texas Disposal Systems Landfill is built on favorable soil and is an area that contains natural shale and clay. By utilizing these resources, the risk of land pollution is significantly reduced.
According to Keep America Beautiful, 76% of litter found on roadways is from pedestrians and motorists. Not all litter though is intentional. Large amounts of litter also come from items that fall off the back of vehicles or out of trash bins.
Mining and using oils and gases that come naturally from the earth can deplete the earth from its natural resources. Wind and solar power is really important in this case in the movement against climate change and pollution.
Things to know
- April, 22, 1970 the first Earth day was created.
- Biden has brought back federal protections (that were rolled back when Trump was in office) to protect communities and the environment. And is working on plans for climate change and environmental justice.
We should all work together to make this planet a better place, it’s a team effort!
