FYI: Mother Earth is Dying Because of These Environmental Pollution Concerns
According to Newton’s third law of motion, forces always occur in pairs which means that every action comes with an opposite reaction. Newton’s study indicates that the pollution we inflicted on the environment will bring adverse consequences to humanity per se.
Pollution is the result of environmental damage from destructive elements or substances brought by human activity or natural occurrences. Some of the most harmful man-made chemicals are carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, radioactive substance, and many more.
Environmental pollution is classified into different categories- air, land, and water.
Environmental Pollution Action Plan
It is believed that pollution has begun during the Anthropocene epoch when humans started testing atomic bombs wherein the radioactive and vaporized debris of nuclear explosion causes extensive environmental damage. It also marked the advent of the Industrial Revolution when people started using carbon and methane.
Probably, everybody is familiar with humanity’s ongoing battle against environmental pollution, which seems impossible to overcome, but experts are hoping that it can be prevented.
As pollution continues to worsen, the morbidity and mortality rate will continue to increase as well. Regardless of a country’s economic status, industrialized or developing, both will suffer from the negative impact of pollution.
One way to mitigate such impact is by building awareness and strict enforcement of laws and policies in protecting the environment.
Causes of Environmental Pollution
If not taken seriously, the Earth would be a harmful place to live in for the next generation including the plants and animals. To further understand the leading causes of global environmental pollution, we’ll talk about exploration, industrialization, mining, and urbanization.
Here are the causes of environmental pollution:
1. Industrialization
When industrialization dominated the socioeconomic industry, higher consumption of fossil fuels tremendously undermines the natural landscape. The machines used in the process are intended to make work faster, replacing the workforce.
In addition to that, factories and power plants continue to contaminate the air, land, and water through chemical vapors, smokestacks, and other burned wastes they releases.
Other hazardous industries are coal mines, thermal power plants, steel and ferroalloys, and petroleum.
2. Exploration
Oil and gas exploration mainly disrupts marine wildlife and biodiversity. During its seismic operations, the vessels and marine equipment may cause intolerable noise pollution within the aquatic environment. This could lead to temporary or permanent auditory trauma to sea creatures.
3. Mining
One of the causes of environmental pollution is mining which pollutes the drinking water and the air we breathe. Its most evident impact is the permanent damage to natural landscapes, as acid mine drainage and heavy metals contaminate various bodies of water specifically streams and watersheds.
This activity also affected some residential areas, forcing people to leave their homes due to polluted drinking water wells specifically in Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, and other rural communities. Other implications of mining activities include massive killings of fishes and poisoning of migratory birds.
4. Urbanization
Urbanization may bring promising future development, however, it imposes more threats to every one of us. First of all, it jeopardizes our normal lifestyle in urban areas. Significant urban growth can result in greater poverty as the local government won’t be able to provide essential services for the public.
Urbanization also exacerbates air pollution through concentrated energy of automobiles and larger volumes of dumped waste. While animal habitats may also suffer from toxic substances from vehicles and manufacturing factories.
Don't miss out on the latest lifestyle beats across Asia. Subscribe to The Beat's newsletter to receive compelling, curated content straight to your inbox!
Most Popular in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Government Set to Test E-Ferries from Early 2024: Reports
Hong Kong's Food Waste Problem and What We're Doing About It
What is Upcycling and How it Benefits the Community and Environment?
Sustainable Green Buildings in Hong Kong Setting Architecture Trends
GreenPrice's CEO Terence Hon is Leading Hong Kong's Food Revolution