Environmental pollution 

refers to the introduction of harmful pollutants into the

environment. The major types of environmental pollution are air pollution, water
pollution, noise pollution, thermal pollution, soil pollution and light pollution.

Deforestation and hazardous gaseous emissions also leads to environmental

pollution. During the last 10 years, the world has witnessed severe rise in environmental
pollution.

We all live on planet earth, which is the only planet known to have an environment,
where air and water are two basic things that sustain life. Without air and water the
earth would be like the other planets – no man, no animals, no plants. The biosphere in
which living beings have their sustenance has oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon
and water vapor. All these are well balanced to ensure and help a healthy growth of life
in the animal world. This balance does not only help the life-cycles of animals and
plants, but it also creates the perennial sources of minerals and energies without which
the human civilization of to-day could not be built. It is for this balance that the human
life and other forms of existence have flourished on earth for so many thousands of
years.

But man, as the most intelligent animal, never stopped being inquisitive, nor was he
content with the bounties of nature. His quest for knowledge and search for security
succeeded in exploring newer and wider avenues of mysteries that remained baffling so
long. Man’s excursions into the darkest regions of mysteries laid foundations for the
stupendous civilization, for the conquests of men had ensured their domination in their
world and gave them a key to control all the forces in nature.

With the dawn of the age of science and technology, there has been huge growth
and development of human potentials. And, it is here that man first began losing control
and became prisoner of his own creations.

Sources and Causes

The sources and causes of environmental pollution includes the following:

 Industrial activities: The industries all over the world that brought prosperity and
affluence, made inroads in the biosphere and disturbed the ecological
balances. The pall of smoke, the swirling gases, industrial effluents and the fall-out
of scientific experiments became constant health hazards, polluting and
contaminating both air and water. The improper disposal of industrial wastes are
the sources of soil and water pollution.
 Vehicles: The smoke emitted by vehicles using petrol and diesel and the cooking
coal also pollutes the environment. The multiplication of vehicles, emitting black
smoke that, being free and unfettered, spreads out and mixes with the air we
 breathe. The harmful smoke of these vehicles causes air pollution. Further, the
sounds produced by these vehicles produces causes noise-pollution.
 Rapid urbanization and industrialization: The urbanization and the rapid growth
of industrialization are causing through environmental pollution the greatest harm
to the plant life, which in turn causing harm to the animal kingdom and the human
lives.
 Population overgrowth: Due to the increase in population, particularly in
developing countries, there has been surge in demand for basic food, occupation
and shelter. The world has witnessed massive deforestation to expand absorb the
growing population and their demands.

Effect
Environmental pollution has negatively affected the life of both human-beings and
animals. Almost all of our gains in the fields of industrial progress, science and
technology had so far been realized at the cost of our health. Even our flora and fauna
were found to be threatened with extinction.

All this really leaves us wondering if all our achievements and industrial civilization really
help us climb the peaks of prosperity or simply take us down the blind alleys of
adversity. It is not only in India, but all over the world – even in Europe and U.S.A. – that
the question is being raised whether all is well with our industrial growth and progress in
the field of science and technology. Many crusaders against environmental pollution are
vehemently protesting against the indiscriminate violations committed daily in the name
of development.

The environmental pollution is not caused by the fall-out from nuclear tests or industries
alone. The smoke left behind the automobiles and other vehicular traffic, the increasing
use of synthetic detergents, nitrogen fertilizers and insecticides contaminate both air
and water.

 The water we drink the vegetables are all contaminated to-day. As a result of this
contamination our world is afflicted with a quite a number of incurable diseases.
 Nothing in this world is immune, no life is safe and the future of this world is bleak.
 The factories are mostly built in populated areas and the smoke-emitting vehicles
ply through the congested areas. Besides causing immense disturbances, there
are increasing case of pulmonary tuberculosis and thrombosis and various sorts of
brain and heart complications.
 Air-pollution may cause severe lungs-diseases, asthma, brain-disorder diseases,
etc.
 Soil-pollution may have negative effect on farm output ratio. It can also
contaminate the ground water.
 Noise-pollution have negative effects on hearing or auditory sense organs. It can
also cause deafness, tiredness, and mental losses.
  The heat generated by industries and vehicles causes thermal pollution by raising
the environmental temperature of the nearby areas.

The birth of mills and factories is the result of the growth of industry in this machine-
predominated age. As long as they will be there, they must emit smoke, pollute the air
and hasten our end by slow-poisoning.

The worst industrial environment tragedy occurred at Bhopal on December 3, 1984 as a

result of toxic and poisonous leakage of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from a multi-
national Union Carbide pesticides manufacturing plant. Over 2000 people including
woman and children were killed, and hundreds were severely hurt.

Solution
What then is the remedy? There surely cannot be any radical solution, for the existing
factories cannot be bodily lifted to a place far from the populated zone. However, the
following attempts can be made to solve the problem of environmental pollution.

 The Government can at least see that future factories are set up at a distant place,
an industrial complex far away from the township.
 Researcher may find out how to avoid harmful smoke from running vehicles.
 Deforestation should be stopped and Forestry should be developed.
 Discharge of Factory wastes in rivers should be banned so as to make the river-
water free from pollution.

Initiatives
1. The UN Conference on Human Environment was convened to study the profound
changes in the relationship between man and his environment in the wake of
modern scientific and technological developments.
2. The World Health Organization also set up an international network for the
monitoring and study of air pollution on a global scale and for devising possible
remedies.

Conclusion
We can very well notice the abnormal behaviour of the seasons – the cycle developing
clogs in its wheels; and the worried experts fear that the disturbed balance in the
biosphere has assumed such serious proportion that very soon our world would be
uninhabitable like Hiroshima of 1945. But it is heartening to find the entire world aware
of the menace. Some of the advanced countries have already taken some measures to
meet it. If we fail to restore the ecological balance right now, it would be too late
tomorrow.
The effects of pollution and how students can help to reduce
pollution ?
 
Pollution means contamination and there are many different types of pollution such as
environmental pollution and noise pollution. Environmental pollution is the biggest challenge
facing humanity as pollution of the air and sea directly affects our lives. The human existence
can come under threat if pollution level increases to hazardous level. In fact, some country
frequently faces the haze-related pollution yearly due to wild fires in their neighboring country
aggravated by the practice of open burning in our country. Factories too are culprits as they emit
pollutants and hazardous waste substances either into the air or into the sea. The increasing
number of vehicles which emit the dangerous carbon monoxide and green house gases add to the
danger we face from pollution.

The earth's atmosphere is constantly being exposed to hazardous materials due to rapid
development and human activity to advance their lives. The industrial west like America and
Europe is the biggest culprit as they are the world's biggest polluters.

Students can play a ole in helping to reduce pollution and create a healthy atmosphere for us to
engage in activities without fear for our health. They can contribute to reducing the emission of
harmful gas into the air by either walking or cycling to school. Most students go to school either
by car or school bus and the carbon monoxide released by these vehicles is very harmful when
breathed in large quantities. it can even cause deaths. Those who stay at a distance from their
school should either car pool or use the services of a school bus. This can drastically cut down
emissions from vehicles especially during peak hours.

Open burning is another major source of air pollution. Burning rubbish openly releases many
harmful chemicals and gases and thus, should be avoided altogether. many adults themselves are
unaware of this. It is the duty of students to spread this awareness and even set an example by
tying up garbage or garden refuse in garbage bags to be collected by council workers.

Smoking too pollutes the atmosphere. The number of smokers in the country has not declined
despite nation wide campaigns against smoking. Smoking among students has become a trend
and thus, it is vital that these students top smoking to ensure an environment free from cigarette
smoke. The later causes cancer and heart diseases among others.

In addition, students can play their role as responsible citizen by reporting to authorities if they
come across vehicles spewing out smoke on the roads or factories emitting smoke and hazardous
chemicals into the atmosphere. Immediate action would stem this problem as there are many
factories use the river as an outlet to channel their dangerous waste materials.

Hence, each student has a role to play in reducing pollution. The latter is already contributing to
global warming which threatens our existence in the not-too-distant future. The understanding of
the dangers of pollution has to start at a young age and students especially are well poised to live
a life that is pollution free as well as spread awareness on the importance of a safe future.
Pollution is probably the most serious issue facing the world today.Yet we keep on turning a

blind eye to it,believing that it won't affect us.Pollution of various element sof out ecosystem

like air,water, soil and sound has caused serious damage already.In Man's quest for  a better life

and his mad rush for material possessions has forgot , or rather chose to ignore the impact of his

deeds on the environment.Quite naturally, it is the cities, which are the symbols of man's

greed ,which are the centers of most polluting activities.The fumes emanating from vehicles as

well as factories have made the air in cities unfit for breathing. Sewage and other garbage from

households and factories are regularly dumped into our beautiful rivers and oceans.Most of the

garbage and other solid wastes are dumped on the land itself causing land pollution. And as if

all these were not enough, excessive honking, blaring of music at loud volume,crackers etc have

created a relatively new menace of sound pollution.

The biggest irony of all this is that though it is the earth that gets polluted,ultimately it is man

himself who's digging his own grave because pollution not only spoils his own health but

also worsens his quality of life. People in cities who are exposed to various kinds of pollution

suffer from several ailments like high blood pressure, asthma and skin diseases. Garbage strewn

around leads to break out of epidemics like cholera, malaria, chikungunya etc. Poisonous

chemicals from the air as well as our water bodies have recently caused an exponential rise in

cancer cases.

Now there is an even bigger danger called climate change.Pollution has lead to global warming

which has disturbed the global climatic pattern.winters have become warmer,frequency of

droughts and floods has increased,and rainfalls have become unpredictable.Things have got to

such a level that life on earth itself is under threat.

Scientists say that it is still not late to act, and governments all over the world have started

acting. Countries are trying their best to control pollution by adopting measures like control of

CO2 emissions,using clean fuels, proper waste management practices, and planting trees on a

large scale.

however no efforts would be complete unless each one us does our bit to protect our

environment. We all can contribute in our small way by saving fuel,water and

electricity,disposing garbage responsibly and living simple lives.It is the responsibility of each

one of us to safeguard the environment so that future generations can enjoy the beauty and

bounty of Mother nature.

ollution is the contamination of the environment by introduction of

contaminants that can cause damage to environment and harm or
discomfort to humans or other living species. It is the addition of another
form of any substance or form of energy to the environment at a rate faster
than the environment can accommodate it by dispersion, breakdown,
recycling, or storage in some harmless form.

Environmental pollution is one the greatest challenges that the world is

facing today. It began since industrial revolution, increasing day by day and
causing irreparable damage to Mother Earth. Environmental pollution has its
own causes, effects and solutions. Looking into these will help you identify
the causes and what steps you can take to mitigate those effects. Broadly,
environmental pollution consists of six basic types of pollution, i.e. air, water,
land, soil, noise, and light.

When people think of environmental pollution, most focus on fossil fuel and
carbon emissions, but there are different contributing factors. Chemical
pollution in bodies of water contributes to illnesses. Electromagnetic
pollution has effects on human health but is uncommonly considered in
present times despite the fact we essentially expose ourselves to it on a daily
basis. Taking a look at causes and effects of environmental pollution will pull
any mind on a rapid downward spiral. Solutions are in the works and, if we
work together across the world, there is hope remaining, at least for the time
being.

The environment will continue to deteriorate until

pollution practices are abandoned.
~ B. F. Skinner

Causes of Environmental Pollution

 Pollution from cars, trucks, and other vehicles is and has been
our major environmental pollution issue for almost a century now.
The problem is we did not realize this until the problem had
manifested to monumental proportions.

 Fossil fuel emissions from power plants which burn coal as fuel

contributed heavily, along with vehicles burning fossil fuels, to the
production of smog. Smog is the result of fossil fuel combustion
combined with sunlight and heat. The result is a toxic gas which now
surrounds our once pristine planet. This is known as “ozone smog”
and means we have more problems down here than we do in the
sky.

 Carbon dioxide is another product from all of the vehicles on the

planet as well as unreformed power plants and other industrial
facilities. A continually growing population of humans and clear
cutting of forests has exacerbated this problem so natural
 defenses are no longer present and carbon dioxide levels are on the
rise.

 Water pollution is a major issue. Many industries dump wastes

into rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams in an attempt to hide wastes
from EPA inspectors. These water sources feed major crops and
food becomes contaminated with a variety of chemicals and
bacteria, causing rampant health problems.

 Radiation comes into play as well. This is an exceedingly nasty

pollution issue and requires extensive description. Primarily, there is
radiation from the sun. As the natural ozone layer around the
Earth has become depleted. The sun is wonderful, but the only
reason we are able to survive on this planet so close to the sun is
due to the fact of natural shielding against solar radiation. As the
protective ozone layer around the planet has become thinner,
ultraviolet radiation has risen significantly, causing increases in skin
cancers and other types of cancer in all countries, killing millions of
people every year.

 More radiation is a problem. The sun shining brightly on a naked

planet is not the only source of radiation we are exposed
to. Electromagnetic radiation is another insidious culprit. Once
upon a time, the major concern around this type of radiation was
due to high tension wires which carry huge amounts of electricity to
cities. Now, we even carry sources of this radiation with us as cell
phones, laptops, tablets and other wireless devices.

Effects of Environmental Pollution

 The polluting gases mentioned above have an interesting effect on
climate. Essentially, these gases form a veil around the planet which
holds heat in, increasing the overall temperature of the planet. The
 rise in planetary temperature, or global warming, is not immediately
noticeable. However, even a rise of a few degrees Centigrade causes
catastrophic changes in weather. This is happening now.

 Pollen has increased. It is ironic, but even with fewer trees in the
world; the increase of carbon dioxide emissions induces plants such
as ragweed and many trees to produce more pollen than ever
before. This has resulted in rampant allergies across the world,
affecting the health of billions of people.

 One of the solutions to tamp out carbon monoxide emissions from

coal burning power plants was and still is to use radioactive power
plants. While this does cut down on gas emissions significantly, there
is radioactive waste which causes various cancers to bloom in
major cities and small towns all around while destroying ecosystems
entirely.

 Global temperature has risen significantly over the years. The

protective atmosphere is further being polluted by methane gas
released from melting icecaps. This is causing rampant weather
issues around the planet.

This all seems like a fairly bleak outlook for the planet and all the creatures
on it. It is, in fact, a load of dark and very real truth. For much of it, there is
little turning back. Being realistic, though solutions are in the works to
combat global warming, the hope is dim. Radiation does not go away quickly
either, especially in a technological age requiring more power, more gas, and
intensified depletion of protective gases around the planet. We are on a
significant downhill snowball ride to hell. There are things we can do. Let us
take a look at some of the solutions which are currently being implemented
to reduce pollution.
Solutions to Environmental Pollution
 Gas emission pollution is being mitigated in a variety of ways with
car emission control, electric and hybrid vehicles and public
transportation systems. Not all major cities have successful
implementation and decent public transportation in place, but the
world is working on this issue constantly and we have managed to
reduce emissions profoundly over the last decade. There is much
catching up to do.

 The cost of radioactive power plants is becoming apparent and the

days of coal power plants are nearly dead. The radiation is a serious
issue. Radioactive leakage from power plants and nuclear testing
have already contaminated oceanic life to such a degree that it will
take hundreds of years to return to normal. More radiation solutions
are in the works with various ecologically friendly power
technologiesbeing built every day.

 Solar power is a fantastic solution. Now that solar radiation is at a

climactic peak, we can reap power from the sun using solar panel
systems. These range from home systems to larger scale systems
powering entire communities and cities.

 Wind power is coming into play. This may not seem like much at
first, but when you get about 100 feet off the ground, there is a great
deal of wind up there. By building wind turbines to harvest natural
wind energy, electricity is produced. Wind turbine power and solar
power are both powerful forces against fossil fuel power and
radioactive power. The one problem here is power companies. They
want to stay with radioactive power plants because they actually
can’t be removed. It has become the crusades of many individuals
and small corporations to make the switch and there are plenty of
people following this as populations cry out for help.
  Electromagnetic radiation (ER) reduction. Once major
manufacturers of computers and electronic devices realized the
blatant potential for huge ER emissions directly into the eyes and
brains of users, they started to implement hardware protocols to
minimize risks and reduce ER production significantly. Newer
devices are in the lead to knock this problem out and, fortunately,
this is working.

Also, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is well aware of all leaks and
tricks industries are using to dump wastes. This agency now has extremely
strict protocols and testing procedures implemented against such facilities so
populations are not affected. Additionally, the EPA is measuring air pollution
and implementing regulatory procedures for vehicle emissions. They also
monitor pollen issues and, with the help of the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC), they implement solutions to reduce pollen in the air.

Dropping pollen counts is a major focus for EPA and CDC activities. Asthma
and other allergic conditions are flooding medical care facilities and
pharmaceutical companies with serious public health problems. The
response has been swift and various methods to control emissions and
reduce pollen counts are in the works. Children and elderly people are at the
highest risk for environmental pollution related health problems. The good
news is we are directly on the horizon to cut down the causes and risks while
providing practical health solutions for the general public throughout the
world.