How Pollution Contributes to Extinction Pressure
The spread of pollution affects both humans and wildlife worldwide. However, unlike human beings who are capable of surviving just about anywhere, most species are reliant upon specific environments for their survival.
Climate change, for instance, has already been responsible for changing the distribution of species worldwide. Many of these organisms, whether [...]
Social Impacts of Pollution and the Unfair Consequences of Waste
It is well known that the majority of pollution is caused and emitted by the most developed nations. North America, in particular, is responsible for a large portion of both chemical and greenhouse gas emissions. This is partly due to the relatively high standard of living that is enjoyed here which includes transportation, [...]
How Chemical Pollutants Persist in the Environment
Just because the production of a given pollutant is halted due to environmental or health concerns doesn’t mean that it’s going anywhere, any time soon. Consider DDT. The production of this pesticide and highly reactive toxin is still being found in soils and groundwater, decades after it was applied. In fact, the [...]
What is Smog and Where Does it Come From?
Nearly every large city on Earth suffers from some degree of smog. This word itself is a combination of smoke and fog, though the actual substance that hangs in the atmosphere like a dirty brown blanket is usually far more complicated.
During the initial century of the industrial revolution, smog was almost always caused by [...]
Rising Sea Levels and Carbon Dioxide Pollution
Perhaps one of the most concerning things about the predicted course of climate change over the next century is the likelihood of rising sea levels. It is thought that by 2100, the melting glaciers and ice caps could rise the level of oceans all over the world by as much as 3.4m/11 feet. [...]