A Growing Problem of Pollution

Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an ecosystem. The contaminants are usually, if not always, created by humans. People should makes a better effort to help combat pollution because it harms not only animals by destroying their habitats, but it also can cause a deterioration in the life of humans as well.

Pollution can come from many things, such as cars, fossil fuels, litter, and even deforestation. All of these things stem from man made developments. In turn, pollution can cause species of animals to die off due to the loss of their habitats from deforestation and from consuming litter that they mistake for food. The emissions from cars, burning of fossil fuels and rising levels of carbon dioxide from deforestation can also have a negative effect on the health of humans, as seen with the rising amount of respiratory illnesses in heavily polluted areas of the world.

Taking more action to help against pollution will restore the population of animals that are killed by litter and habitat loss. Statistical data on the extinction of species shows that 100 to 1,000 species are lost per million per year due to the loss of their habitats and climate change caused by emissions. If humans refuse to protect animals and plants in a better way, scientists predict that it could lead to the sixth mass extinction in Earth history. By causing less deforestation, animals will not have to relocate their habitats and have a greater chance of survival in the wild. Leaving animal habitats alone will in turn make it less necessary for people to have to create wildlife reserves for them to specifically live on.

The use of cleaner and more renewable energy over fossil fuels will improve air quality and overall human health. The burning of fossil fuels is known to give off pollutant emissions, which renewable energy, such as wind, hydroelectric, and solar energy, do not. Studies have shown that emissions from burning coal and natural gas cause breathing problems, neurological damage, heart attacks, cancer, premature death, and a host of other serious problems. Using a form of energy with little to no emissions will help prevent these health problems in the future. Using cleaner energy will also be beneficial to the health of animals in surrounding habitats.

A new source of energy will create more jobs for workers who previously worked in the coal or natural gas industry. The workers will be exposed to less harmful pollutants than if they were still working with coal and gas. It is a misconception that more jobs will be lost due to environmental protections but actually eco-friendly standards often generate a net gain in employment. So not only will there be less pollutants in the environment that would harm both humans and animals, but also the economy would be benefiting from a transition to more renewable energy.

One main reason that people are opposed to taking action against pollution is that it will cost them too much money from taxes. It will actually cost communities less money to just stop deforestation because then they would not have to establish wildlife reservations to preserve that habitats for animals in the affected areas. It is also a common misconception that the transition to cleaner energy is costly, when in reality the average price to install a solar panel dropped more than 70 percent between 2010 and 2017, making the transition more affordable than it ever was before. People also believe that workers in the coal and gas industry will be laid off and left without any jobs. This is untrue because more jobs will be created for the production of renewable energy.

Pollution has become a growing problem in recent years and it is everyone's responsibility to do what they can to help. Even a task as simple as recycling can make an impact in the effort to protect the environment. It is probable that in the future there will be more opportunities available that will make it easier to combat pollution.

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