Pollution Problems and Solutions
Problems and Solutions
1. Cross-Border Pollution
Cross-border pollution is when pollution from one country contaminates another. This leaves local communities with few options, because governments have to spend time working with the other country to stop pollution. This can cause border tensions and diplomacy problems between the countries. Also, people and companies in the affected countries are affected because their air and water is polluted and they have no real say in the matter.
China is polluting South Korea and Japan because China is exanding its economy at great cost for the environment. China's pollution leaks across its borders and seas to contaminate neighboring countries.
To solve this problem, China is investing money in environmental protection programs. Hopefully, this will decrease the pollution levels and cross-border pollutions. Another way to solve corss-border pollution is to have international talks to make treaties with neighboring countries concerning this type of pollution.
Link to Cross-Border Pollution
2. Litter
Litter is the pollution of trash in the environment. Litter that looks like nothing on the sides of streets and highways then blows into parks and waterways. About 18% of all litter ends up in rivers, streams, and oceans. A major cause of litter is cigarettes, which leach toxic chemicals into the Earth while breaking down.
To solve the problem of litter, stores can sell less cigarettes, since that is a major cause of litter. There are also organizations that make TV ads and organize litter cleanups across the United States. Also, the best way to stop litter would be for people just to STOP LITTERING. If there were more trash cans around, perhaps people would be more tempted to throw their trash in the trash can.
Link to Litter
3. Light Pollution
Light pollution is excess light at night, usually from bright city lights. This light is a problem because it causes a decrease in the human body's production of melatonin, which is the hormone that regulates our sleep/wake cycles. This decrease in melatonin causes higher rates in breast cancer for women. Also, the excess light at night can confuse birds and animals because of the fake lighting, and can disrupt their migration patterns and breeding cycles.
To solve this problem, don't have unimportant lights on in big cities, or at least not as brightly - like in town halls, for example. To decrease risk of breast cancer, experts suggest for women to sleep for nine hours in a dark room devoid of any light.
Link to Light Pollution
4. Water Pollution
In Austin, small businesses must be studied and checked to prevent small pollution discharges, and there is a phone line you can call be alert people to emergency spills and complaints.
Water restrictions in Austin include mandatory watering schedules. Single family homes have 2 watering days a week, wednesdays and saturdays for odd numbered houses and thursdays and sundays for even numbered houses. Hand watering (water bucket and you walking around watering) is allowed at any time, but there is no outdoor irrigation between 10am and 7pm.
5. Land Pollution
Americans generate 4.6 lbs of trash per day, per person, which is 251 million tons of trash per year. Our trash production has tripled since 1960, and 55% of all our trash is buried in landfills. The chemicals form these landfills can seep into the ground, ruining it for farmland and polluting things around it, also.
Indoor Air Pollution
Pesticides, household products and mold can drastically reduce your indoor air quality. Many people think of the outside air as being the only type that can get polluted, but an equally astonishing problem is indoor air pollution. Even showers and dishwashers can contribute to indoor air pollution. If you have a well-ventilated building, then you should be fine. However, otherwise, if you take a hot shower in a closed room the steam can build up and diffuse into the house, growing mildew and mold.
6. Greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, for example) trap energy from the sun. Without these gases, heat would escape back into space and Earth’s average temperature would be about 60ºF colder. Because of how they warm our world, these gases are referred to as greenhouse gases.
7. Acid rain
Precipitation that is very acidic and can can cause harm to plants and animals. It also spreads Land pollution, distributing the chemicals across the land the rain falls on. Although this will be a long lasting problem, once we reduce our pollution and the water it comes from is no longer polluted, the acid rain will stop.
8. Land fill
55% the US' garbage resides in landfills, where 17% is incinerated and 28% is recycled. These numbers are from 1960, so they have likely risen.Methane Gas, leachate, and loose waste are the three main challenges for landfills today, because they all contribute to environmental pollution. Leachate is a thick liquid that forms when garbage decomposes. Landfills now put down a plastic liner to catch this, but at its best, it is similar to very strong sewage water; at its worst, it carries hazardous materials with it that were dissolved from the waste. Loose waste is another problem. It attracts disease carrying vermin of all types, and it can fly away in the breeze.
9. Chemical pollution
When factories release non bio-friendly chemicals into the environment that harm the environment, that is Chemical pollution