Pollution Reading
Water, Air and Soil Contamination
Pollution is an environmental concern for people throughout the world. One university study
suggests that pollutants in the water, air, and soil cause up to 40 percent of the premature
deaths in the world's population. The majority of these deaths occur in developing countries.
Infants and young children are the most susceptible to waterborne diseases.
Water in many third world countries is contaminated with toxic chemicals, also known as
toxins. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.1 billion people have little or
no access to clean water. In many of these regions the water that is used for drinking, cooking,
and washing is the same water that is used for dumping sewage and hazardous waste. Most
developing countries cannot afford water treatment facilities. Approximately 80% of
infectious diseases in the world are caused by contaminated water.
Open stoves cause lung cancer in many parts of the world.
Air pollution is a growing problem throughout the world. Indoor air pollution is one of the
leading causes of lung cancer. Families in developing countries use open stoves for cooking
and heating their homes. These homes do not have proper ventilation. The smoke, which is
full of chemicals and carcinogens, gets trapped inside where families eat and sleep. Outdoor
pollution also causes disease and illness, especially in industrial cities such as Beijing, China,
where cancer is the leading cause of death. China relies heavily on coal, which is considered
the dirtiest source of energy. According to the European Union, only 1% of urban dwellers in
China breathe clean air on an average day. Neighbouring countries including Japan and Korea
receive much of China's pollution in the form of acid rain. This pollution results mainly from
the coal powered factories, which produce inexpensive goods for North American and
European consumers. Outdoor air pollution is also a concern in many wealthy countries.
Those who live and work in urban centres such as Los Angeles or Toronto experience many
warm days beneath a layer of smog.
16 of the world's most polluted cities are in China.
Soil pollution is also a major concern, both in industrial and developing countries. Pollutants
such as metals and pesticides seep into the earth's soil and contaminate the food supply. Soil
pollution causes major health risks to entire ecosystems. This type of pollution reduces the
amount of land suitable for agricultural production and contributes to global food shortages.
Dumping of industrial and domestic waste products produces much of the world's soil
pollution, though natural disasters can also add to the problem. In wealthy countries such as
the US, protection agencies monitor the food supply. The public is generally warned before
major health outbreaks occur. Developing countries do not have this luxury. Farmers in poor
nations grow food in contaminated soil both to earn a living and to avoid starvation.
As more people move to urban centres, premature deaths caused by pollution are expected to
increase worldwide. Today, the developed nations who achieved their wealth at the expense
of the environment will be held accountable for protecting the earth's resources for future
generations.
Word
Meaning
acid rain noun
rain that contains harmful chemicals that collect in the atmosphere
when fossil fuels are burned
carcinogen noun
a substance that has been linked to causing one or more types of
cancer
contaminated adj.
has come in contact with organisms or substances that cause disease
developing country
noun
a nation that is working towards becoming more economically and
socially advanced
domestic waste
noun
garbage that is produced by people in a household
dumping verb
placing waste in an area that is not appropriate ( ex. dumping
chemicals in oceans)
hazardous waste
noun
a form of garbage that is harmful to health of plants, animals, or
humans and requires careful disposal (ex. batteries or paint)
industrial adj.
related to the advancement of the economy
pesticides noun
chemicals that are sprayed on crops to prevent insects from destroying
them
pollutant noun
something that causes damage to the environment
pollution noun
the contamination of the environment
priority noun
of top concern
sewage noun
waste that humans put down drains
smog noun
air pollution caused by a reaction between chemicals in the
atmosphere and sunlight
sustain verb
support
toxic chemicals
(toxins) noun
poisonous materials that can cause disease
ventilation noun
the replacement of unclean air with fresh air
Our effect on the natural world
When we’re the discussing the environment, it’s important not to forget that our actions have
an impact not only on us but on the natural world and other species. So, for example,
certain species are now endangered because of our actions. it’s not just because of hunting,
but because we have destroyed their natural habitats: they do not enough food or anywhere
to live. If we carry on in this way, the biodiversity of the planet is under threat.
Pollution
I would have said that one of the most serious environmental problems today is of course
pollution. It’s a very pressing green issue and if you travel to any of the large cities in China,
for example, you’ll find that there is very bad air pollution and there is a layer of smog
hanging over the cities. It’s just air pollution, there is also water pollution. in many parts of
the world, the quality of the water is not good because rivers have been contaminated by all
sorts of industrial waste, by chemicals and fertilisers. And what we need to do is to recycle
our waste and take care of the planet and try use renewable resources where we possibly
can.
Energy
Another extremely important green issue is of course energy. There are two points to be made
here. The first point is that the way we use energy is causing harm to the environment. Most
of us get energy in the form of electricity. This electricity is produced by power stations.
These power stations emit all sorts of dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide up into the
atmosphere. And these gases cause acid rain which does harm to our ecosystem and
environment. the second point to make about energy is we need to make sure that we are
using energy in a sustainable way. There is a limit to the Earth’s natural resources and
there is a danger that we use so much energy the Earth is no longer going to be able to provide
us with sufficient coal and fossil fuels. What we need to do is look for more renewable
sources of energy such as wind or perhaps solar energy from the sun.
Global warming
What’s the greatest threat to the Earth today? I’d have to say it’s probably a combination of
global warming and the greenhouse effect. I don’t understand all the science behind it, but I
understand it’s to do with the build up of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,
which means that the planet is slowly but steadily getting warmer. and one of the results of
this is that the polar icecap is melting and the levels of the oceans are rising. And it’s caused
I understand by deforestation, particularly of rainforests and particularly in the Amazonian
Basin. And what this means is that we may be doing irreparable harm to the planet and the
future of the planet for our children and our children’s children looks really rather bleak.