The Effect Pollution Has On the Planet - Essay Example

? The Effect Pollution Has On the Planet Polluting the air and water of Mother Earth is hazardous for the life that depends on her health and stability. The most urgent needs for human survival are first, to breathe and second, to drink and eat. Fresh water supplies, both above and below ground are being poisoned at a rate and by methods that remain largely unrecognized relative to the degree of harm this poses. The waters of polluted lakes, rivers and streams drinking are causing water supplies to the threatened. In addition, many of these waters ultimately find their way to ocean waters which has cause large areas of the seas to be barren of life. Air pollution causes respiratory problems and, more importantly, is causing the Earth’s climate to change, the consequences of which are far-ranging and potentially catastrophic. Lawmakers have focused their efforts to address the pollution of America’s waterways by passing legislation intended to reduce the amount of contaminants discharged from factories but the American fresh water systems remain polluted. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, roughly 40 percent of the country’s lakes, rivers and streams still are unsafe for fishing or swimming because they are overburdened with silt and chemicals from thousands of small sources, a circumstance known as “non-point” pollution. This phrase refers to polluting the waterways other than by dumping chemicals directly into the water such as improperly discarded motor oil, pesticides, lawn chemicals, fertilizers or animal waste from commercial farms. Fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural sources, point of contact, cause more of the pollutants affecting the fragile water systems than commercial pollutants. These systems run across the “Breadbasket” areas of America then are deposited in ocean waters of the East Coast and oxygen-depleted Gulf of Mexico. Large areas of these seas have been designated as ‘dead zones.’ Vast areas of East Coast waters and the Gulf of Mexico can no longer support life such as crabs and shrimp. These dead zones are constantly expanding. “The dead zone fluctuates in size each year, extending a record 8,500 square miles during the summer of 2002 and stretching over 7,700 square miles during the summer of 2010.” (“Facts,” 2010) Ammonia, a lethal gaseous form of nitrogen released during waste removal, can travel hundreds of miles through the air before falling back to Earth either on the ground or in the water, where it produces algal blooms which kills fish. “Fertilizers and animal waste from factory livestock farms have helped trigger an unprecedented number of algal blooms, destructive growth spurts that clog waterways and suffocate fish.” (Warrick, 2001). Most infamous were outbreaks of deadly algae, including Pfiesteria piscicida, an organism blamed for the deaths of a billion fish along the coast of North Carolina. The quantity of fresh water for drinking continues to be significantly reduced because of chemical pollutants. This regretful circumstance is especially difficult for drought-stricken areas. This critical situation is reversible but must involve educating small and large-scale farmers to more environment friendly means of growing crops and requiring its implementation. A water restoration program initiated by the federal Clean Water Act of 1972 determines the maximum quantity of a pollutant that a body of water can have and still meet federal quality standards by using a calculation named The Total Maximum Daily Load. This is the primary legal remedy for government intervention concerning non-point water pollution. Federal regulations require state administrative bodies to take into consideration all sources of pollution across the watershed (drainage basin) of a river. “Watershed is the term used to describe the geographic area of land that drains water to a shared destination” (“Report,” 2011). Water, in the form of melting snow or rain, drains toward the lowest point in a region of land then moves throughout a structure of drainage conduits, both on the surface and underground, ultimately gathering into rivers and streams on their journey to the seas. A small stream’s watershed could be a few hundred acres or less while large rivers such as the Mississippi, might comprise many thousands of square miles and reach across numerous states. The pollutants from all along the chain of waterways end up in the Watersheds which then replenishes rivers with those contaminants. Using just one of several examples, the deteriorating conditions at Lake Tahoe demonstrate watershed pollution. Lake Tahoe is the eighth-deepest freshwater body of water on Earth and North America’s largest mountainous lake. A century ago its waters were clear enough that objects could be seen at depths of 100 feet but the negligent use of poisonous wastes due to human expansion in the areas surrounding the lake have polluted it. Visibility has declined at a rate of about one foot per year falling to less than 70 feet today. Environmental scientists warn that the clearness of the lake could be ‘irreversibly doomed” with much of its fish and surrounding wildlife destroyed unless extraordinary environmental efforts are made and soon. According to National Wildlife Refuge staff scientist and environmental chemist Michael Murray, “The magnitude of the problem just hasn’t been recognized and as a result we’re seeing non-point pollution getting even worse in a lot of areas of the country. The situation is compounded in many areas by air pollution, which contaminates waterways with dioxins and other chemicals emanating from distant sources” (Warrick, 2001). The use of fossil fuels, oil and coal, have been contributing to air pollution for a century and the harmful effects are causing the Earth’s climate to change. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the extremely poisonous by-product of fossil fuels after they are burned by factories, vehicles and electricity-producing power plants to list a few sources. Pumping CO2 into the atmosphere over the many decades has contributed greatly to the greenhouse effect and therefore global warming. Though deforestation has contributed greatly to the greenhouse effect, a larger portion of the problem is caused by the overuse of fossil fuels. Other greenhouse gases such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) also contribute to pollution but only minimally as compared to fossil fuels. Although the release of CO2 occurs naturally, the excess amount released by pollution is upsetting the critical balance maintained by nature. “It is estimated that man-made causes represents half of the CO2 production.” (Socha, 2007). The increasing quantity of CO2 being constantly released into the atmosphere has been of great concern within the scientific community for forty years or more. Most of this excessive fuel consumption and its toxic byproduct originate from Europe, Russia and most of all, the U.S. Eighty percent of the world’s people live in regions that, collectively, produce just one-third of the total CO2 whereas the populations of the U.S., Europe and Russia alone combine to create nearly two-thirds. Burning fuels to heat homes, power industry and motor vehicles contribute differing types of air pollution but all are harmful for people and the planet on which they reside. “Vehicles produce high levels of carbon monoxides (CO) and a major source of hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), whereas, fuel combustion in stationary sources is the dominant source of sulfur dioxide (SO2)” (Socha, 2007). If the delicate balance between the ocean waters and levels of CO2 in the atmosphere is overwhelmed by injecting ever-increasing quantities of fossil fuel emissions, the oceans will continue to absorb increasing concentrations of CO2 than it would naturally. The consequences of ocean waters becoming warmer are dire. Because oceans will not be able to absorb CO2 as efficiently, an increasing quantity of CO2 stays in the atmosphere. Increasing the quantity of CO2 in the atmosphere causes the Earth’s surface to warm thus increases the greenhouse effect. “Currently, carbon dioxide is responsible for 57 percent of the global warming trend.” (Socha, 2007). The consequences of air pollution for the planet are extensive and cannot be evaded by staying inside the house because indoor air pollution is detrimental to health too. It is caused by factors such as microbes and dust particles within air conditioning ducts, poor ventilation and mold. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “toxic chemicals found in the air of almost every American home are three times more likely to cause some type of cancer than outdoor air pollutants” (Socha, 2007). Smog, the contraction of the terms fog and smoke, is an air pollutant which is a significant contributor to global climate change and is also a major health risk especially for people in large cities of the U.S. because these cities have many vehicles. The risks to health from smog are worse in dry, warm regions areas. While the people of the Earth wait for the inescapable and far-reaching effects linked with air pollution, their lungs are being poisoned and the plants they consume are being damaged. Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide cause instantaneous and permanent harm to the leaf pores of plants and trees. When leaves are continuously exposed to air pollutants breaks down their waxy coating which prevent excessive water loss and protects the leaves from disease, droughts, frost and pests. “In the Midwestern United States, crop losses of wheat, corn, soybeans, and peanuts from damage by ozone and acid deposition amount to about $5 billion a year” (Socha, 2007). Nearly 100 percent of the scientific community and all peer-reviewed scientific literature are in agreement that the Earth’s temperatures are increasing due to human involvement and that it’s not simply a natural warming cycle. The CO2 produced by the burning of fossil fuels and other pollutants are damaging Earth’s protective layer in the atmospheric known as the Ozone layer by changing its composition. Human produced air pollution is altering the climate, a very concerning circumstance. The ill effects are being felt in all parts of the world, not only in the U.S. where the bulk of CO2 emissions are produced. “Scientists forecast that in 50 years, annual temperatures could be more than three degrees (Fahrenheit) warmer, on average, than they currently are.” (Climate Crisis 2000). Research performed by NASA, the National Aeronautics & Space Administration has revealed that the most recent 15 year period has been the warmest on record. Some have said, especially during the cold months of winter, some global warming would be welcome. Several kinds of produce which are today grown only in tropical regions and must be shipped to northern regions could be produced locally. Banana farms in Boston for example. A warmer climate would attract greater numbers of fish and game to the previously colder regions too. Tourists and their money would be attracted to the warm beaches of Oregon or Ireland. Unfortunately this is wishful and very short-sighted thinking. There are only negative aspects to global warming and all scientific models point to consequences of horrific proportions. “Studies have found that (global) warming could increase rainfall by more than 20 percent during the winter by the 2080’s and decrease it by the same amount during summer months.” (Climate Crisis 2000). This scenario will cause severe droughts in many regions and places such as East Anglia, an extremely low-lying land mass on the east coast of England, the Gulf Coast in the U.S. and the coastal areas of India could be totally under water. Nations of the world and their citizens are becoming increasingly concerned regarding the massive problems global warming outcomes will bring not only to individuals and their property but also for the wellbeing of the world’s economy. Millions of people inhabiting large areas of many nations will be forced to abandon their dwellings and businesses. The mass displacements will be a prolonged and horrifying one. Scientists are also raising the alarm regarding the irreversible effects a warming climate will have on the Atlantic Gulf Stream, an immense ocean current, which, among other things, supplies to warmer temperatures to the entire European continent. “Ocean currents transport large amounts of heat around the world: climatologists call it thermohaline circulation (THC)” (Climate Crisis 2000). If the Gulf Stream shifts further south or slows because too much Greenland’s ice melts, as it has at a tremendous pace the past 30 years, Europe’s climate would be very much like that of present-day Greenland. A television program produced by the BBC clearly illustrated that Greenland’s ice is melting at a fantastic rate by showing photographic evidence comparing 1970’s era aerial photographs to ones taken in the 80’s, 90’s and recently. Detectable effects of global climate change on a day-to-day or even year-to-year basis are fairly inconsequential to any non-scientists, but its consequences are unquestionably growing by leaps and bounds. If all people and industries of the Earth were to suddenly and immediately stop polluting the air with CO2 emissions, global warming and its effects would still continue long into the foreseeable future. There are numerous situations that should be studied from several perspectives when considering the approaches for managing global climate changes. One facet of global warming is that although plants and trees could benefit somewhat from an increase of CO2, the way photosynthesis is processed; the long-standing effect to plants and trees remains unclear. In the short term, an assortment of farmed crops and forests will probably benefit from the effects of water efficiency due to higher concentrations of CO2. “In the long term, the distribution of agriculture will be altered requiring considerable regional adaptations.” (“Agriculture,” 2003) Many studies have been performed; though, all demonstrating that adequate information is yet unknown regarding specifically how changes in the atmosphere might affect the countless workings which play a role both separately and in concert to provide a healthy eco-system. The detriments of the melting glaciers and Polar snow caps along with the resulting sea rise have been extensively documented. Other challenging effects of global warming are known but not as widely. A reduction of snow cover in addition higher lake and sea levels will have bleak consequences for places at higher latitudes and lower elevations, mainly in the winter and spring months. “At higher global temperatures, water vapor in the atmosphere and resulting precipitation will be proportionately greater.” (O’Gorman, Tapio, 2011). Cloud compositions will change which will amplify the greenhouse effect. Greater amounts of rain will occur in selected parts of the world due to added warming at the Polar Regions. This will drastically alter vegetation patterns, the scale to which is subject to speculation, which will cause millions of people to massively migrate to other areas. The resulting heightened rate of evaporation will speed up the drying of soil which will cause scorched, infertile agricultural conditions in many areas. Regions that presently experience periodic conditions of drought during warm months will be affected more than others. “Temperatures are expected to increase more rapidly over land compared to oceans because of the ocean’s higher heat capacity and because it can transfer more of the trapped heat to the atmosphere by evaporation. Over land, the warming has been and is expected to continue to be larger during nighttime than during daytime” (O’Gorman, Tapio, 2011). The increasingly rapid rate of water recycling will cause larger amounts of rainfall in addition to the number of rain events. Increased rainfall rates in concert with higher air temperatures will result in more intense and greater numbers of tropical storms. As horrendous as these near-future predictions are, it’s the land masses that will experience the most changes as a result of climate change. From millions of years before recorded history, coastal areas have been continuously exposed to erosion by the motions of waves and with each tidal cycle the sediment that had been eroded is re-deposited on shore. Though both are susceptible to the effects of erosion, coastal shorelines change shape over the years and millennia’s but do not vanish altogether the way inland areas do. The coastal sediment is deposited elsewhere else but does not disappear. A continuing sea level rise over the past century has pushed the tidal-line further inland, submerging coastal areas while causing steady erosion. The tidal areas and associated wetlands increasingly drift inland as an assortment of plant life rapidly spreads on recently formed beaches creating a smaller shoreline. The scale and rate of coastal transformation is governed by the geography of the land located closest to the shore. If an abrupt change in elevation between the shoreline and inlands happens, as occurred on the Louisiana Gulf coast, wetlands vanish. “The tide comes and goes like clockwork, but if we continue to watch and wait, our coastal regions will face more erosion damage than we can repair, and the sea’s gentle image might be changed in the eyes of those affected.” (“Coastal,” 2011). With Hurricane Katrina’s destructive effects on the Gulf Coast in 2005 still somewhat fresh in our collective minds, we’ve witnessed the problems caused and suffered by 200,000 displayed refugees. Visualize what would happen if hundred millions were displaced. Scientists jointly predict that climate change will result in massive glaciers and ice caps melting causing a rise in sea level which will hasten coastal erosion resulting in a great loss of inhabited land. This change will generate higher storm surges therefore affecting greater areas of land from flooding in addition to being subject to heavier rains which will cause even more coastal areas to erode and allow undrinkable salty ocean water to flow into freshwater rivers upstream of cities and towns these rivers once served. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, by the year 2100 the ocean waters surrounding the U.S. will rise by about 20 inches and by 38 inches in other regions of the world. Today, the seas along Atlantic coast are rising by a tenth of an inch every year. Scientists warn that the result will be catastrophic if the present trend continues and have calculated that a one-foot rise in sea level would eliminate 200 feet of the Atlantic shoreline. The Pacific coastline is projected to lose 400 feet by 2100 and many miles of Louisiana will be submerged underwater. “A 20-inch rise in sea-level could eliminate about 40 percent of U.S. coastal wetlands. A rise of three feet would inundate an area the size of Massachusetts.” (IPCC, 2007) The rise of global sea levels would undoubtedly displace massive numbers of people in all regions of the world, along every coast in the world. The extensive shortages of shelter and food in addition to ethnic and political conflicts would make millions migrate elsewhere causing devastating effects to the new areas they inhabit. “A five inch sea level rise would force millions in India alone to travel northward to regions that are not able to adequately take in an inundation of humanity of this enormity. Recent history has shown that the spread of disease is always a consequence of mass migrations.” (Goffman, 2006). Polluting the planet has long and short-term effects, all of which are undesirable. This is the most important issue of our or any other time yet pollution is seldom a political topic. Politicians are very concerned about the economy and national security but what could possibly affect both issues more than global climate change? In the short term, the food we eat and the air we breathe are being poisoned, by us. It’s a type of slow, mass suicide. Smoking cigarettes provides a good analogy. A person who smokes injects poison into their lungs every day but the effects are imperceptible on a day to day basis. The smoker understands the many risks and associated consequences of polluting their body but other issues in their life take precedent. All too soon the smoker develops a fatal disease then dies a horrible death as in the case of emphysema. To a person, the smoker wishes at the end of their self shortened life they had never polluted their one and only body. Even now, as the effects of pollution are becoming evident and the end of the planet as we know it is imminent we, like the smoker, are concerned about other less important issues. Works Cited “Agriculture” US National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change Educational Resources Regional Paper October 12, 2003 Web. November 18, 2011 “Climate Crisis: All Change in the UK?” BBC News. November 12, 2000. Web. November 18, 2011 “Coastal Zones and Sea Level Rise” Environmental Protection Agency April 14, 2011. Web. November 18, 2011 “Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms” Natural Resources Defense Council 2010. Web November 18, 2011. < http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/ffarms.asp> “Final Report to the International Joint Commission on Bi?national Management of Lake of the Woods and Rainy River Watershed” International Lake of the Woods and Rainy River Watershed Task Force July 15, 2011 Web. November 18, 2011 Goffman, Ethan “Environmental Refugees: How Many, How Bad?” CSA Discovery Guide 2006 Web. November 18, 2011 < http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/refugee/review.pdf> IPCC: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2007 Web. November 18, 2011< http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-spm.pdf> O’Gorman, Paul A., and Tapio Schneider. “Scaling of Precipitation Extremes over a Wide Range of Climates Simulated with an Idealized GCM.” American Meteorological Society. 2011. Web. November 18, 2011. Socha, Tom. “Air Pollution Causes and Effects” Recycle Life.net September 11, 2007 Web. November 18, 2011 Warrick, Joby. “Grasping for Solutions.” National Wildlife Federation. April 2001. Read More