Module 2: Societal Trends (Environmental Pollution)

APPT 6114: Module 2: Societal Trends

Environmental Pollution

What is environmental pollution? Such question can only be defined as existence of such matter that is solids, gases or liquid. Energy which is noise, heat or radiation that comes in contact with the environment causing damage through means of safety, health, property, animals welfare or human health. There are however, often two different types of environmental pollution caused in this world that everyday people, animals and other living organizes face that are pollution made by humans and natural. Obviously pollution caused naturally often occurs and therefore will not cause extreme harm. Reason being is that natural pollution tends to regenerate. Pollutions made by humans basically made through means of activities which humans produce.

Natural Pollution

Natural pollution has existed long before the existents of man. Natural pollution has always been a factor whenever we debate about air pollution and therefore isn't man made, even though such small scale or percentage impacts the environment. Although natural pollution cause such small effect this often triggers the decaying of organic matter, smoke from volcanoes, forest fires which occur due to extreme heat or through lighting, sand storms, ashes released by volcanoes. One of the deadest natural pollution would be the eruption of an active volcano.

(Source: Natural Pollutions. Retrieved: 27^th September 2012. http://arrc.ebscohost.com/ebsco_static/repair-tips/8852CH15_NATURAL_POLLUTANTS.htm)

Take for example a volcanic eruption in New Zealand on the (7^th August 2012, a active volcano erupted at Mt Tongariro hurling rocks up to 1km. Ash cloud drifting to the east of Tongariro as far as Napier City).

(Source: The New Zealand Herald. By APNZ and Herald Online. Retrieved:27^thSeptember2012. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10825125)

Some of these natural pollutions are:

Volcanoes    

                                 

Volcanoes are well known to discharge S02 in other teams known as sulfur dioxide with other gases also smoke when it erupts letting out smoke into the atmosphere.

Animals

Take for example methane gases that cow often release.

Pollen 

Which triggers hay fever.

Windstorm

Which generates when an area has very low pressure in terms of atmospheric pressure.

Human Pollution

There are basically six types of pollution we as human do that makes us suffer our very own action therefore we'll be talking mostly about three water/land, Air and noise pollution which we face regularly.

·      Water Pollution.

·      Thermal Pollution.

·      Air Pollution.

·      Radioactive Pollution.

·      Land Pollution.

·      Noise Pollution.

Pollution whether it’s natural or man-made is therefore relatively transforms our environment into an undesirable place to live in. environmental pollution can sometimes come as minor or major and sometimes it can come as noticeable or unnoticeable. Such pollution can range from oil spills that damage the coastal lines or its reef or simply factories letting out excessive smoke into the air, people dumping rubbish into rivers and lakes, etc.

Water Pollution & It’s Societal Trends

When we look at water pollution it is basically the unwanted or in other words the contamination of water into such rivers or lakes that contains ingredients or matter that are harmful. Water pollution is known to be the second most deadliest environmental problem in the world where air pollution is placed first. Water pollution is often caused by industrial, domestic and agricultural sources.

Domestic Waste

Domestic waste is often referred to as waste water produced from actives or gatherings from household. Waste water from houses often hold inorganic or could also hold organic matters like nitrates and also matters like phosphate in them. There are often times in rural or urban areas where people tend to through their waste, which they collect into nearby lakes or rivers, and in return this cause water pollution. Waste like organic products such as veggies etc. that has the ability to degrade when it comes in contact with water, this is however can be measured through BOD also known as Biological Oxygen Demand. With the large sum of oxygen needed, the microorganisms needed so that decomposing of organic waste is achieved. However, the more BOD the water will be more contaminated.

Industrial Waste

Chances are relatively high when it comes to industrial or factories creating pollution. Industrial waste can be deadly due to the fact that industrial areas often let out chemicals and other highly toxic matters. To name a few of these chemicals that industries produce and pollute are often nitrates, lead, mercury and so on.

Agricultural Waste

Agricultural waste is a thing that farmers use such as manure which helps fertilize plants and also pesticides, etc. When these chemicals such as pesticides and manure are used there is a high chance of pollution caused. This is however, caused when heavy rain wash away all these chemicals away which then finds their way into lakes or streams nearby.

(Source: Buzzle. By: Ningthoujam Sandhyarani. Retrieved: 1^st October 2012. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-water-pollution.html).  

Impacts of Water Pollution In a Society

Existence of water on this earth is extremely important to any living-breathing thing on earth. Every living organism and therefore animals and plants living in water needs water to survive. When there is water pollution it often affects the entire water system, therefore affecting we as human beings, animals, plants or any living thing. The affect on water during water pollution changes everything from drinking water, etc. with such effect creates diseases and which are normally transmittable from one person to another are also fatal.

 

Here are some of the problems caused by water pollution.

·      The food chain being damaged. Toxins and chemicals being released into lakes and rivers often absorbed into living things such as fish etc. in lakes, therefore is passed to human beings or to larger animals living in the sea.

·      Industry releasing chemicals or particles such as lead, iron, aluminum, etc. which cause poisoning of lakes.

·      Diseases will emerge therefore creating wide spread disease such as cholera and also typhoid through means of consuming contained water.

(Source: Lifestyle Lounge. Retrieved: 1^st October, 2012. http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/effects-of-water-pollution-8879.html).

Air Pollution & It’s Societal Trends

20,000 liters of fresh air is consumed everyday. However, there are often doubts whether or not that 20,000 liters of fresh air we consume or inhale is dangerous or not since air pollution is a very big problem now days in each and every society. The atmosphere has and therefore contains massive amount of contaminants whether in particles or gas form. Air pollution comes in either human made or natural. Due to pollution in the atmosphere, it has the advantage or the ability to travel or spread to other place depending on the wind direction. Since the population of people are expending there amount of cars made and purchased are increasing, therefore a possibility of more air pollution is likely to emerge. Cities that often use large sum of corals are the once that produce major air pollution and also cities or countries that has large amount of vehicles operating do so too.

(The Environment a Global Challenge. Retrieved: 3^rd October 2012. http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/Environmental_Problems/air_pollution.html).      

Automotive Pollution (Emissions)

Pollution from vehicles tend to be the 3rd worlds major source. Vehicles such as internal combustion engines tend to be the main source due to its large amount of emission released into the air. Whenever a vehicle starts its engine or operating, fuel is needed and within it there is often a combination of gases and also particles that are produced, which has the ability to damage the environment. Carbon dioxide is one of the deadest gases to the environment therefore is a greenhouse gas. The amount of build up of emission from CO2 also known as carbon dioxide and this could cause a change in whether known as globe warming. Vehicle pollution contributes in many ways from oil leaks to unwanted motor oil being drained to improper draining or storage containers. This however leaks to the ground and damages the environment leaving behind dangerous yet deadly fluid being washed to different areas.    

Impacts of Air Pollution in a Society

Health effects are a major problem when it comes to air pollution. Air pollution every year has caused health problems to people living in areas which industrial areas release toxic chemicals into the air. Often the level of sickness a person gets really depends on what type of chemicals they come in contact with and the length of time they are exposed. 

• There is a risk that elderly people have high chances of expose to disease that are caused by air pollution. 
• The major concerns are those people who have an existing lung or heart problem would get worst and also infants along with children due to the in haling of toxic chemicals. There are many different types of diseases which air pollution can cause. 
• In most cases people who often comes in contact with air pollution would suffer from lung cancer, heart disease or even bronchitis. Such nitrogen oxides, ozone or even sulfur dioxide can cause a major problem to the environments ecosystems, which could lead to destroying trees or plants being killed and eventfully killing animals.

(Source: The Environment a Global Challenge. Retrieved: 3^rd October 2012. http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/Environmental_Problems/air_pollution.html).

Noise Pollution & It’s Societal Trends

When looking at noise pollution we can say that it isn’t a form of pollution. It is just basically noise that has the ability to give bad effects on people anywhere when faced with noise. The creation of noise pollution is through any means or source. This could either be from large industrial machines, through human behavior or even animals. Even though noise pollution does not pollute the environment like industries polluting streams and lakes, it has the ability to cause side effects and also be as damaging to people. Noise pollution can be described as any form of noise that’s often annoying or it can be irritating in a sense that a person can not bear its sound or noise. Some form of noise pollution is through house or vehicle alarms, aircraft engines, and engines from transportation, even contraction and sound systems during functions where entertainments are being held. People staying in cities or near to airports face noise pollution everyday.

 Impacts of Noise Pollution in a Society       

As mentioned before the creation of noise pollution is heard everywhere in the world. The impacts it has upon everyone including animals. This however creates devastating effects such as mental health problems. 

• Noise pollution can therefore not just lead to irritation and being annoyed, but can also create aggression. With aggression being shown this may very well involve violence, not having the right amount of sleep time, stress, hearing loss or hypertension. 
• If someone has high blood pressure through stress created by noise pollution it may cause an outcome such as cardiovascular effects, heart attacks or even most effects. 
• Building of industrial centers close to habitats where animals live and breed has the ability to interfere with their living life styles. Animals have the same sense of hearing and some may have excellent hearing abilities, which can someday affect them. Through this animals tend to leave scaring them away. 
• This however can lead to more deaths of animals and extinction of animals will increase due to the decrease animals mating.

(Source: Wise Geek. By: Matthew F. Retrieved: 4^th October 2012. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-noise-pollution.htm).

Environmental pollution is a very serious issue. A young girl named Severn Cullis Suzuki, 12 years old made a speech at a UN conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 at the Earth Summit addressing the world leaders on environmental pollution. Her 6-minute speech silenced the world.  

(Click video to watch)

Video 

Conclusion

Environmental pollution is something everyone’s afraid of, from diseases to falling sick and even death at some point. The face of pollution everywhere we go. From what I have learnt after completing this assignment, I believe that it is not nature’s intent but is the intentions of human beings that pollute this precious environment, which we humans and other living things live on. This ranges from people suffering from diseases, which were mentioned earlier to animals loosing their homes maybe due to construction or even massive amount of noise. Will there but a stop to such act and think of the future? This assignment I also had the chance to learn that we sometimes take things for granted and never know the effects of what the end result will be until it finally affects us. The amount of impact it has upon us is far greater then imagined when humans or industrial hubs decided to drain oil, chemical toxins and so on into river and lacks. Poisons fish being poisoned through chemicals and so on, smoke from never by factories and noise from machines that operate during the day do annoy people. On completion of this assignment I had to ask myself will environmental pollution be the same 15 to 20 years from now or will we take a stand stop environmental pollution?  

Reference

(Source: Wise Geek. By: Matthew F. Retrieved: 4^th October 2012. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-noise-pollution.htm).

(Source: The Environment a Global Challenge. Retrieved: 3^rd October 2012. http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/Environmental_Problems/air_pollution.html).

(Source: Lifestyle Lounge. Retrieved: 1^st October, 2012. http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/effects-of-water-pollution-8879.html).

(Source: Buzzle. By: Ningthoujam Sandhyarani. Retrieved: 1^st October 2012. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-water-pollution.html). 

(Source: The New Zealand Herald. By APNZ and Herald Online. Retrieved:27^thSeptember2012. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10825125)

(Source: Natural Pollutions. Retrieved: 27^th September 2012. http://arrc.ebscohost.com/ebsco_static/repair-tips/8852CH15_NATURAL_POLLUTANTS.htm)