Every action of ours would be either directly or indirectly affecting the environment, somehow. Unfortunately, too much of a damage have been done by the time we have realised that certain technology and industrialisation (main progress of man) are harmful to the nature. That is not all. Whatever harm that we have done to the environment, it is actually directly affecting us.
One other example would be pig farming, intensive agriculture.
It may be much more logical to keep thousands of pigs in a place in order to save on the capital cost, but what the farmers are unaware of is the large amount of waste that may cause danger to us. It emits gases like ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, and is suspected of containing antibiotic resistant diseases, as the pigs are kept alive by consumption of big doses of antibiotics. Although their waste is processed according to rules, and levels of airborne gases are within legal limits, a research that has been conducted by it found it to be untrue. When those toxic gases are given out in high concentrations, headaches, eye irritations, mood alterations and fatigue can be caused. If nitrates are seeped through the water systems, it may cause implications for aquatic life and it is a risk to human health. The food sold on the shelf may be more expensive, but the environmental and social impacts are lesser. In this case, the country actually focuses more on their economic status than their environmental status. By doing so, they are actually being very naive, as income can still be earned back, but once the environment is spoilt, it can never be brought back to its original state within any means. Consequences have been ignored, as greed has long taken over their mind. They have no reasons to claim that they are unaware of such consequences, as the smell of ammonia is way too strong to be ignored. Poland may come to regret only when she has lost the last few bison left in the world, as well as the lovely clean environment it was blessed with initially. The government could actually step in, to limit the amount of antibiotics given to pigs, or the amount present in their waste. Levels of airborne gases are very important as well. Authorities should actually make regular checks on theses. As a Mother Nature lover, I honestly feel that there should be no limits spent when it comes to protecting your very own environment that you live in.
pig slurry that is emptied into the river illegally.
amount of ammonia present in pig slurryScientific researches against religions. What is more important is to learn from what they have discovered, and to prevent it from happening again, no point using scientific evidence to prove that the ten plagues may have been caused by these. But the main thing is, these ten plagues may happen to us, if proper actions are not taken. Pig slurry is one of the reason that may set off a chain of events similar to those produced by pfisteria(when a genetic mutation in a marine micro-organism happens, it causes the fish to die, thus turning the river red; the pollution would have driven the frogs onto the land, on land the frogs would die, causing an explosion of flies and lice. The flies could then have transmitted viral diseases to livestock, killing them.), and since it can be controlled, let us put this knowledge into good use. One of the ways is to take proper handling care towards pig slurry, ensuring that it would not pollute the water by perhaps install a pig slurry filtration system. The effects of volcano would be harder to deal with since it may have caused darkness, as well as the sudden drop in climate. The rain may be poisonous, and can cause even more plagues to happen. Furthermore, it have been thought that fall-out of volcanic ash could have produced a toxic bloom of algae in the River Nile; thus setting off a chain of events similar to those produced by pfisteria. Though volcano eruptions are beyond human controls, but signs of eruption can be detected beforehand. Thus prevention could be prepared and taken when the eruption happens, so as to reduce the impact. If an earthquake happens, and it is suspected of causing a tsunami, a warning could perhaps be sent out, allowing no one to be boating or to be on shore, area to be evacuated before it happens and causes disaster. I am certain that even if it is a natural catastrophe, we are able to prevent or to detect it with the advanced technologies we have. So, actions should come after prediction of what would happen may more or less help to reduce the impact.
The incident of the blast at the chemical plant in China was an unfortunate incident. However, I felt that the authorities chose to do the right thing, and that is to own up the responsibility, apologizes and immediately took actions to ensure that water supply has been cut off once benzene level has been found. In this place, China clearly knew what should be done, as they cut off water supply for four days, while they install special charcoal filters for the city's water system, and arranged for their residents to queue up for clean water. As for Russia, their water supply was cut off for at least 40 hours. Also, I would like to applaud Russia's immediate plan once they have been told of what happened. Instead of blaming the other party, they chose to ensure that water supply was safe. The oil company that caused the blast, leading to pollution also faced the music and took up the blame, instead of thinking of an excuse. Such responsibility is very rare, but yet this is just what we need in this world.
Dead fishes floating.
Shortly after this incident, appropriate actions were taken to survey plants that were just beside China's river. Brave to face the truth, they would be publishing the findings of the investigation of the plants identified as unsafe. They have realised that a total of 21,000 chemical factories had been found to be located along China's rivers and coastline, and the need to take necessary measures to avoid any future consequences of possible accident. Songhua (the river that was first affected by the blast at the chemical plant) has been frozen, and chemicals in the Songhua had since dissipated and that the amount that sank into the river bed was "limited". In other words, the water would be safe, and the fishes would not be poisoned as well. Mr Zhou's predecessor as head of the State Environment Protection Administration, Xie Zhenhua, resigned soon after the leak, and criticism of the government's response-a good example of someone who does not does his work well. Thankfully, the government is determined to change after this incident. He has decided that economic growth cannot be valued above environmental degradation. Also, 'pollution and destruction first, treatment later' is no longer one of his approaches towards development. We need such government who are flexible enough and not so 'money-minded'. Able to change the mindset with determination to stop environmental degradation from happening, this world would be a much more relaxing place to live in, with no worries that this world is dying faster. However, not everyone should wait till such tragic incidents from happening to take actions. We should actually learn our lessons from each other and prevent such similar incidents from happening.
Never did I realize that overcooking or burnt meat could actually cause a number of chemicals to be formed, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which can be harmful. PAHs can occur in air attached to dust particles, which actually causes cancer if breathed in. Some PAH particles can readily evaporate into the air from soil or surface waters. PAHs can break down by reacting with sunlight and other chemicals in the air, over a period of days to weeks. PAHs enter water through discharges from industrial and wastewater treatment plants. However, most PAHs do not dissolve easily in water. They stick to solid particles and settle to the bottoms of lakes or rivers. Microorganisms can break down PAHs in soil or water after a period of weeks to months. In soils, PAHs are most likely to stick tightly to particles; certain PAHs move through soil to contaminate underground water. PAH contents of plants and animals may be much higher than PAH contents of soil or water in which they live. Development of cancer happens when people breaths or touches the mixture of PAHs for too long.This actually shows how important knowledge is. Knowing that actually barbeque affects our health and environment if done in the wrong way, we should now learn the right way of doing it, ensuring it that it is safe for consumption. Enjoying it the right way, which would be a much easier way to have fun, without eating charred food as well!
To me, the level of pesticides in our food is a health concern. "The health benefits far outweigh any concern about pesticide residues," said the committee chairman Dr Ian Brown. However, I do disagree. I would definitely not enjoying eating something that has pesticide residues in it, only God knows what will happen to them in our bodies! "At very low levels they are not a concern to health. We are all exposed to chemicals in the environment every day, but whether they are toxic or not are down to the level of the dose." Since it is true that we are all exposed to chemicals in environment every day, we might as well take this extra precaution to ensure that the food that we consume would then not contain any pesticide residues. It adds on to the level of doses of chemical we already have in our bodies. However, I trust the food that we purchase in Singapore, I am almost 100% sure that the information about the food that we consume is true as stated. Also, Singapore always ensures that the food is of a certain standard before allowing it to be sold in markets. After reading this article of food traces exceeding legal limits in 1.7% of cases - up a third on the year before due to more exotic food being tested, I feel relieved that I am living in Singapore, a place where I can trust that nothing can go wrong for too long! As for the other countries that are not so particular about such food quality, I believe that education (as again ) plays such an important role. This is when people learn about what is good and what is not, for their own health benefits. For their own sake, it is worth finding out. It is also important for manufacturers to state the truth about the products.
Whether a not pesticides are harmful to our human health is not the main concern. The main concern should be that many have claimed themselves to be ill due to crops spraying. Sally Brown has been diagnosed of cancer; her dog had died due to cancer after getting caught in a cloud of chemicals. Kay Wadey lives in a surrounding full of fields, and her first child apparently was not born normal. After trying to ensure that the sprays would not be harmful, the farmer did not want to engage in a conversation. Furthermore, there is no buffer zone between their houses, which increased the risk of spreading any hazardous substances the chemicals contained. Worse of all, the proposal to impose a buffer zone between homes and fields to be sprayed was rejected. The reason: there has not been evidence that pesticides are related to cancer. However, I strongly believe that they should actually find out if pesticides really do any harm to our body. Fair enough that the quality and quantity of food would be reduced drastically, but should not precautions be taken like to ensure that notice would be given out, as well as buffer zones set so that no one would inhale the harmful pesticides(if present)? I do strongly believe that precautions should be taken until researches shows that pesticides does not harm us.
Whether a not pesticides are harmful to our human health is not the main concern. The main concern should be that many have claimed themselves to be ill due to crops spraying. Sally Brown has been diagnosed of cancer; her dog had died due to cancer after getting caught in a cloud of chemicals. Kay Wadey lives in a surrounding full of fields, and her first child apparently was not born normal. After trying to ensure that the sprays would not be harmful, the farmer did not want to engage in a conversation. Furthermore, there is no buffer zone between their houses, which increased the risk of spreading any hazardous substances the chemicals contained. Worse of all, the proposal to impose a buffer zone between homes and fields to be sprayed was rejected. The reason: there has not been an evidence that pesticides are related to cancer. However, I strongly believe that they should actually find out if pesticides really do any harm to our body. Fair enough that the quality and quantity of food would be reduced drastically, but should not precautions be taken like to ensure that notice would be given out, as well as buffer zones set so that no one would inhale the harmful pesticides(if present)? I do strongly believe that precautions should be taken until researches shows that pesticides does not harm us.
The effects on human health and environment of naphthalene are not as simple as we think it is. Large amount of naphthalene exposed would actually damage or destroy red blood cells. There would then not be enough red blood cells to replace the damaged ones. Naphthalene can dissolve into water and it may be present in our drinking water, through wells that are close to hazardous waste sites and landfills. It may even be attached to soil or pass through soil into underground water. Bacteria would then break down naphthalene or evaporate it into air, and it would then be broken up again. So as much it may do the termites and our household good, it is actually harmful, so it is best that it is kept safely, out of reach of children.
This article proves that recycling actually plays a very important role on Earth. Just by plainly striping an old computer into its own different parts, it is actually contributing to pollution as toxic materials are present. Also, the remainder would be dumped or burnt, which means the environment would be damaged no matter what. Emission of harmful gases would happen when the remainders are being burnt. If dumped, it would actually be using harmful chemicals, which will then seep through the soil into the groundwater. It may then be present in drinking water. Furthermore, the recyclers have been reported to suffer from breathing difficulties, and skin rashes. These health problems may be due to their state of poverty, but I personally feel that it may be too much of a coincidence. These recyclers (no matter how poor they are) should wear protection gloves, masks, and they should be working in a safe place, instead of having direct contact with those harmful substances. Realizing the importance and danger of the toxic materials present in computers, some manufactures have already taken action to remove the harmful substances from the computers. Some have offered to take back the computers for recycling, and either ways it helps to minimize the danger caused towards the environment. No matter how poor one can be, I believe that health is always more important than finance. There is no point striving so hard to earn money to spend or save them, because by the time they are rich, they would most probably be very ill. Good to see that some companies actually realizes the problem, and are trying to help to reduce the impact in a way or another. But it would be even better if everyone puts in an effort to help.
It all begins with the greed of money. Blessed with plentiful of resources-specifically nickel, cobalt, copper for example, Monchegorsk makes full uses of them. Mining activities have since then expanded, prices of nickels have been doubled and the population is now dependant on the development of metal industry. Following, smelting operations then expanded as well. Miners are found to suffer from ill health, ranging from throat irritation to cardio-respiratory disease and cancer. Even thought it has not been proven true, but it is rather obvious that inhalation of dusts and particles in workplace are the main causes. Miners should be provided with safety gears, with a mask that is able to protect them from the dusts and particles and any other harmful substances present while mining. Just by smelting those metals, it has actually killed a forest, leaving nothing but scorched earth behind. The level of sulphur dioxide also remains high, not forgetting the fact that the levels of iron and chemicals in drinking water are too high as well. Since they are aware of such problems, actions to prevent further damage to the environment should be taken. Perhaps they could actually extract metals by using machines instead, teaching the miners how to operate them. Also, smelting of metals could be carried out provided the sulphur dioxide that is emitted into the air has to be purified before it is allowed to be emitted into the atmosphere.
Responsibility should be taken by guilty parties who have been dumping waste water, but only if there are evidence. There should be no accused party. Furthermore, the country's economy is dependant on the already depleting fish stocks. Lack of oxygen has already promoted the growth of algae and plankton, and the fishes are levels below the critical biological level. St Petersburg should take actions to ensure that their sewage is treated before releasing into the Baltic. Their project of waiting for a new municipal waste water plant to be completed should not be delayed anymore; economy should not be prioritizing over environment. Financial issues definitely can be solved, but if this untreated sewage continues to flow into Baltic's sea, it would take more than 30 years to get back the clean water, or it may never be clean again. The authorities could also step in to ensure those illegal spillages are prevented. Someone should just step in and offer to loan them the money so that construction of sewage collector, waste water plant, and any other related construction can be completed. Fund could also be raised, but it would take a longer period of time. For the sake of environment, this problem should be solved before we face a very big problem: eutrophication of Baltic Sea. The livelihood of the fishermen have been affected as well, the future holds no promises for their current source of income, and it would not be easy to change occupation. Furthermore, what would the country's economy depend on then?
Pollutions on Baltic Sea.
Dead fishes along the shore.
Mercury is indeed not something that we should play around with. Four years have passed since the mercury section of a caustic soda factory closed, yet traces of mercury could still be found. Although clean-up efforts are currently proceeding, but it was estimated that it would be completed only in 1000 years later. Mercury would also evaporate into the air when summer arrives in about 30 Celsius, and it would then fall as rainwater. Besides, the metallic mercury has already seeped into the soil and groundwater. Fishes that are being consumed by humans are found to have absorbed large amount of toxic mercury. The fish factory that was initially closed is now operating again, which is worrying as they are located just downstream from the plant. Especially pregnant ladies and newborn babies, the pollution would actually damage the nervous system. It would then causes personality changes, hallucinations, sleep difficulties, irritability, headaches and even memory loss. Tremors in hands and eyelids and even ability of walking straight are causes of exposure to mercury. Either ways of exposure to mercury: inhalation or consumption of poisoned food is believed to be present, residents have also mercury found in their bodies, along with complains of some symptoms of exposure to mercury. Siberia should actually learn their lesson from Japan, in 1952: one of the world's worst cases of mercury poisoning happened at Minimata Bay. Clean up processes should be taken up as soon as possible before the condition actually worsen during summer, and there should be strict guidelines to be followed (like in UK), to prevent such incidents from happening again.
Cadmium is a naturally occurring mineral which can cause kidney damage if large amounts are eaten. It is found in a wide range of foods including green leafy vegetables, root vegetables, meat, kidneys, seafood and peanuts. A maximum level of cadmium present in our food and fertilizers are set so as to ensure that we would not ingest so much cadmium and cause harm to our body. Pleased to have read that this time round, the authorities are actually doing the right things. Maximum level of cadmium in peanuts is currently set to 0.1mg/kg, and initial limit of 60mg of cadmium per kilogram of phosphorus pentoxide would take effect after five years would then be reduced to 40mg/kg after a further five years and finally to 20mg/kg in a total of fifteen years time. This proposal of 20mg/kg of cadmium in peanuts actually balances out both human and environmental needs. The gradual accumulation in soils of cadmium from fertilizer applications prevent agricultural land becoming fit for food production, so by reducing the amount but not completely wiping out the use of cadmium, it helps to save the environment and to allow a supply of phosphate fertilizer to EU farmers. Even though trade implications would be involved and that the cost of these fertilizers would actually increase, I would still stand on the commission's side. I believe that the environment should be protected at all cost, by all means. If the Earth does not deserve better treatment than us, then who else deserves it?
A very reactive chemical, methyl isocyanate, was mixed with water that entered its storage tank. An exothermic reaction then took place, bursting the safety valve of tank due to high pressure. The coating of the concrete around the tank broke as well, 20 and 30 tonnes of MIC were released during the hour that the leak took place. Moisture then evaporated as it continued to sink to the ground due to the heavy mass. Unfortunately, there was a weak wind that changed direction frequently, that the diluted of gas would then spread over a considerable distance. This incident started due to a disgruntled plant employee, apparently bent on spoiling a batch of methyl isocyanate, added water to a storage tank. 2000 humans and 1000 animals died, 300 000 humans and 7000 animals were injured. Till today, the survivors were found to suffer from partial or complete blindness, gastrointestinal disorders, or example. There is also an increase of stillbirths, genetic defects in newborn and spontaneous abortions. Experts did felt that this incident could be prevented though, but it was actually the Union Carbide Corporation and its corporate subsidiary Union Carbide of India Ltd.(UCIL)'s fault, as they did not take care of their on-going operation of facility and corporate irresponsibility for pursuing the profits instead of the safety and hazard standards. From 1981-1984, six accidents actually happened and three of them are involved in MIC or phosgene (a highly poisonous gas used in World War ). I agree with Browning, which felt that the approach that UCC took at that point of time was the ‘right’ one. Emergency plans were made, medical teams were prepared and the facility was shut down. However, the UCC in India did not take any necessary measures to deal with the poisonous gas gave out. The medical staffs were clueless about what to do and had no idea what had happened. Thank goodness that the UCC today is very different from years ago. Safety operations carried are twice as much, committing to these operations are their workers and money. Something good came out of this incident though, and that is that Chemical Manufacturing Association created the ‘Responsible Care Program’ that is now being implemented worldwide in at least 22 countries-aiming to improve community awareness, emergency response and employee health and safety. Also, UCC is planning to support the building of a $ 20 million hospital for the victims of the Bhopal tragedy through a London based independent charitable trust, as a form of compensation to the victims.
A child that was aborted.
A very good and one of the most important example of what affects us directly is the greenhouse effect. Responsible for this effect are the water vapour, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous gas, ozone and halocarbons. Much as it serves as a good purpose by keeping the Earth warmer by about 15C (in order to allow living things to survive in this world), increased emissions of these gases have actually cause a unnecessary rise in global temperature as well as sea level. Due to the increase in temperature of about 2.5°C annually, forest fires have broke out, droughts and heat waves are common. Crop yields have also been lessen by half, and also more than 140 people died during the 1998summer in US. Countless of people have also been killed due to storm surges, that causes coastal flooding. The economic status of people may be affected, since crop yields have been halved, income will be drastically reduced. Cost of severe flooding would not be small, when buildings are constructed on floodplains. Also, the rise of sea level also means loss of land would be occurred. Bangladesh would lose 17.5% of its land if the sea level continues to rise by a metre. Greenhouse effect is the biggest threat to the health of the environment.
Actions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases have also been emphasized by promoting economic incentives. One example is incentives to reduce the change in climate, research and development and transfer of cleaner technologies. The Kyoto Protocol treaty has also been set up to reduce global warming, which is one of the greenhouse effect. It standardises powerful and legally binding measures, so as to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, and many nations have since then approved it. One other way is actually to change the way we live. One of which is to use renewable energy instead, like the solar, wind, water power, nuclear energy.
The greenhouse effect actually affects very big areas of our lives. Weather is one obvious effect on our lives, as the temperature continue to soar higher. To prevent greenhouse effect, each and everyone has to put in effort. To begin with, the country itself would have to take part in the Kyoto protocol treaty. By doing so, many goods that contain greenhouse gases would not be allowed to be sold in the country. Companies and customers would then have no choice but to purchase only greenhouse gases free goods. Pollutions are then able to be reduced that way as companies would then have strict regulations to follow. Harmful substances would not be allowed to be used. As for countries that do not take part in the treaty, education and knowledge play a very important role. Consumers would then need that knowledge to be able to choose something that is environmentally friendly. Education would be the best way to allow such knowledge to be taught.
The Earth is definitely worth saving. She is everybody’s home, provided us with everything we need to survive on. The air that we breathe in, the water that we drink, they are all provided by Mother Nature: free of charge. Yet we took all these natural resources for granted, never did we appreciate or did anything to help protect the environment. By saving the Earth, we are actually doing it for the environment, for ourselves, for everything else alive on Earth. Besides being able to enjoy the environment, the beauty of nature, we ourselves are also able to enjoy breathing in fresh air, drink water without worrying about pollution. Out of 10, I would actually rank the Earth’s health as only 3. Pollutions are almost everywhere on Earth, it is hard to find a place that is pollution-free, the ozone is depleting, greenhouse effect is affecting every living organism on Earth in one way or another. Many animals are dying or have already extinct, mainly due to the change in temperature, and continuous hunting by man. There has been an increase of temperature annually. Many of the forests we initially had have now become either man-made desert or desert that is formed naturally. In either case we humans are still responsible for this happening. In my opinion, the biggest threats to the environment are: 1)greenhouse effect, caused by global warming. The increase in temperature affects not only us, but it contributes to water pollution, by the promotion of growth of algae. Trapping of heat causes discomfort and different kind of problems to our human health. Ozone depletion allows harmful UV rays to enter Earth, which then would affect out health again. Many of our activities are also affected by global warming, for example: agriculture. 2) Pollution in the Baltic- It is a very serious problem that would take a very long time to clean up. 3) Mercury poisoing in Siberia- the condition would worsen during summer, as the mercury would evaporate into the air, by then, it would be very hard to prevent the residents from breathing in the mercury. 4) Harbin leak in China- the condition was so serious that it actually had to stop the water supple, and the affected people had to queue for water daily. Besides, it affected some of Russian’s residents as well. 5) Pig farming in Poland- the pig slurry has actually not been purified before it is released, thus causing harm to human health if drank. 6) Mining activities- the poisonous materials can actually seep into the soil or by breathing it could actually damage our lungs. 7) Mothballs- these could equally harm as the same way as through mining activities, just that they have lower chance in doing so! 8) how healthy are barbequed foods- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are able to damage us through air and water as well, provided barbequed food don’t get over-cooked! 9) Pesticides-the transmission through air is very powerful. 10)e-waste recycling in India- Water resources could be polluted by the poisonous metal present. 11) cadmium in fertilizers- they would do damage to our liver if consumed in large amount. 12) Bhopal gas- it may had been one of the worst threats to the environment, but it has been a long ago incident. 13) Moses’ story- these are not yet scientifically proven.
The Earth can be saved.
Problems of pollution are existing everywhere on earth, though. It would not solve just by one person shouting, I AM DETERMINED TO SAVE MOTHER NATURE! No, to save this Earth and prevent further damage to Her, each and every of us have to play a part. It will be as simple as 'ABC' if all of us have the right mindset and that is that the Earth does not owe them a living, in fact he should be grateful for Earth that has provided them with a place to live in. Gratitude can be shown by learning and putting what we have learnt about environment (what harms would be done, how to save the Earth) into action. Reuse, Recycle and Reduce. Simple yet it explains everything. The government must learn not to prioritize economy wealth over environment status. He must be someone that is not only capable, but he must be able to lead his people well as well. Emphasizing on the fact that health is much more important than the status of wealth, he must also set a good example. Investments should go towards research on environment, necessary infrastructures for poor country ( example- water filtration system for the Baltic Sea). One of the ways to enable that everyone knows the importance of these would be by education. It would be good enough if each student learn with the right mindset of not being self-centered, and realize the need of the environment now. They should also be taught the causes and effects of environment issues. Industry would need to set up a set of rules and regulations, ensure that whatever the authorities have said is carried out, for example, to ensure that sulphur dioxide has been purified before allowing it to be released into the air. They would also need to educate their workers on recycling as much as possible, so that many resources would not be wasted, and e-cycling would be carried out so that poisonous substances would not seep into the soil or groundwater and affect our drinking water. Farmers (agriculture) must follow the maximum amount of cadmium that has been set, pesticides should be avoided as much as possible. Pig slurry should also be disposed of carefully, especially when the farm is near any water resources. Wealthy people can also contribute by donating money to projects that need funding, to sponsor environment projects.
Credits:
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts69.html
http://www.epizym.com/images/chart_farrowing_house.gif
http://www.blueprintforwater.org.uk/images/polluting.jpg
http://www.newint.org/issue153/Images/redp2.jpg
http://www.nbii.gov/images/uploaded/153507_1153350433598_m_Baltic_sea_pollution.jpghttp://www.bhopal.org/pictures/foetuswithbirthdefects.jpg
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