Category Environtal Studies

               Heat in summer can be troublesome. We resort to fans or air conditioners to cool us down. However, when the season changes, we often forget about the inconvenience by heat. Our planet, however, is facing a far larger problem. The fact that our planet is slowly heating up over the years has been ringing alarm bells in the science fraternity for a long time now.

               The process of the earth’s warming up and rise in temperature is known as global warming. This happens when there is an increase in the production of gases like carbon dioxide, water vapour, nitrous oxide and methane, which are known as greenhouse gases. These greenhouse gases trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere. This trapped heat, in turn, increases the temperature and causes global warming.

               It is matter of great concern that since the beginning of the 20th century the average temperatures of the earth have risen by 0.8 degrees Celsius. Global warming hurts people, animals and plants. In fact, many organisms cannot take the change; and therefore, they die out.

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             Children generally love to play in the rain. Rainwater refreshes our body and invigorates our spirits. We think that rain water is probably the purest water as it comes from above and remains unpolluted by soil and other polluting agents. We even harvest rainwater. However, what if the rainwater is polluted?

             Acid rain is one of the most widespread forms of pollution. To put it simply, acid rain is rain that has a higher amount of acid in it than what is normal. It is a fact that the acidity in the rainwater in parts of Europe and North America has dramatically increased over the past few decades. It is now common in many places for rain to be ten to seventy times more acidic than unpolluted rain.

             Acid rain is due to smoke and gases that factories and cars that run on fossil fuels give off. When these fuels are burned to produce energy, the sulphur that is present in the fuel combines with oxygen and becomes sulphur dioxide. Some of the nitrogen in the air becomes nitrogen oxide. These pollutants go into the atmosphere, and become acid. Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are also produced when coal is burnt for fuel.

             Acid rain destroys trees, kills fish in lakes, harms wildlife and eats away the stonework in buildings. It also brings about certain health conditions such as asthma, headaches, throat aches and coughs.

              Clean air is the most vital aspect of life. If the level of oxygen decreases in the air, there will be disastrous after-effects in the biosphere. Polluted air can bring about diseases and even death to human and other life forms.

              Air pollution can cause health problems including burning eyes and nose, itchy irritated throat, and breathing problems. Some chemicals found in polluted air can cause cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage, and long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages in certain circumstances.

              Apart from the personal injury to individuals, air pollution can also damage the environment and property. Trees, lakes and animals have been harmed by air pollution. Air pollution can damage buildings, monuments, statues, and other structures. Sometimes, air pollution results in a haze in the atmosphere, which reduces visibility so that drivers and pilots cannot see properly.

              In the blind rush in the name of development, if Man does not take proper care of the environment, his survival would be at high risk.

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            Fresh air is probably the most important commodity in our life. Air pollution can cause various diseases and lead us eventually to death. Therefore, clear air is a necessity to lead a happy and comfortable life. People living in the rural areas often think that they have cleaner air; however, any part of the atmosphere can be contaminated by  pollutants.

            Many products that we use at home, in the yard or at the office are made with smog-forming chemicals. These chemicals can escape into the ail and pollute it. Products such as cleaning agents, paints and glues often contain harmful chemicals. If we do not use them sparingly and carefully, they might poison the air.

            Conserving energy helps reduce air pollution. Whenever we burn fossil fuels, we pollute the air. Use less petrol, natural gas and electricity. Be especially careful to turn off lights and fans so as not to waste electricity. You can also use recycled paper and other recycled products.

            We can reduce the air pollution by determined and concerted effort. However, to begin with, we must think of more and more innovative ways to prevent air pollution.

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            The vastness and volume of oceans often make us think if oceans can be really polluted. However, Man’s wayward interventions and irresponsible use of natural resources have had alarming effects on the pollution levels of the hydrosphere.

            Pollution of the oceans is quickly becoming a disturbing problem. The world’s oceans are a virtual dumping ground for trash. Sometimes the garbage includes the junked fishing nets, plastics and even general household garbage.

            Garbage in the oceans is a serious issue as fish and other marine organisms entangle themselves in fishing nets. Many sea animals eat trash products and die.

            Sewage is yet another major cause of ocean pollution. When people dispose of sewage in the ocean, there will often be algae blooms in the water. Algae blooms lead to the loss of dissolved oxygen. When the oxygen level in the water comes down, many organisms in the ocean die from being unable to breathe properly.

            Another key cause of water pollution is the release of heavy metals into the water by industries. These elements collect in the tissues of predator animals such as whales and sharks.

            Pollution affects the fish that we consume too. You may have heard that some kind of fish has high mercury level in its body; and therefore, is harmful to humans when consumed.

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               Recently, Delhi, our capital city, had been in the news due to the high levels of pollution in its atmosphere. Flights had to be cancelled as visibility was reduced to alarmingly low levels. It also caused health issues in the people of the city.

               Pollution happens when water, air, and land become very dirty and pose a danger to the health and wellbeing of living things in general. It can come in four different ways affecting various types of areas in the world.

              Air pollution affects the air in the atmosphere. The use of the automobiles and fossil-fuel-run machines has led to air pollution. Statistics say that fumes from traffic are responsible for releasing over 225,000 tonnes of lead into the atmosphere every year. Lead is harmful for humans and animals.

             Water pollution affects the aquatic life. Harmful factory Wastes dumped in the water bodies pollute water and kill the first level organisms in food chains, thereby putting the lives of other animals in peril. Land pollution, on the other hand, affects the land, destroying soil and environment. There is also noise pollution, which can affect our hearing. Pollution is the most dreadful environmental problem that our planet is facing today.