AIR POLLUTION COMES FROM MANY SOURCES

Smog hanging over cities is the most familiar and obvious form of air pollution. But there are different kinds of pollution—some visible, some invisible—that contribute to global warming. Generally any substance that people introduce into the atmosphere that has damaging effects on living things and the environment is considered air pollution. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is the main pollutant that is warming Earth. Though living things emit carbon dioxide when they breathe, carbon dioxide is widely considered to be a pollutant when associated with cars, planes, power plants, and other human activities that involve the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and natural gas. In the past 150 years, such activities have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to raise its levels higher than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years. Other greenhouse gases include methane—which comes from such sources as swamps and gas emitted by livestock—and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants until they were banned because of their deteriorating effect on Earth's ozone layer. Another pollutant associated with climate change is sulfur dioxide, a component of smog. Sulfur dioxide and closely related chemicals are known primarily as a cause of acid rain. But they also reflect light when released in the atmosphere, which keeps sunlight out and causes Earth to cool. Volcanic eruptions can spew massive amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, sometimes causing cooling that lasts for years. In fact, volcanoes used to be the main source of atmospheric sulfur dioxide; today people are. Industrialized countries have worked to reduce levels of sulfur dioxide, smog, and smoke in order to improve people's health. But a result, not predicted until recently, is that the lower sulfur dioxide levels may actually make global warming worse. Just as sulfur dioxide from volcanoes can cool the planet by blocking sunlight, cutting the amount of the compound in the atmosphere lets more sunlight through, warming the Earth. This effect is exaggerated when elevated levels of other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap the additional heat. Most people agree that to curb global warming, a variety of measures need to be taken. On a personal level, driving and flying less, recycling, and conservation reduces a person’s "carbon footprint"—the amount of carbon dioxide a person is responsible for putting into the atmosphere. On a larger scale, governments are taking measures to limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. One way is through the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement between countries that they will cut back on carbon dioxide emissions. Another method is to put taxes on carbon emissions or higher taxes on gasoline, so that people and companies will have greater incentives to conserve energy and pollute less.

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Make a Difference Day 

This article is a rehash from Nicodemus Wilderness Project

The concept of Make a Difference Day is simple: Gather together lots and lots of volunteers from numerous companies, organizations, and groups and let them work together for a day with local nonprofit organizations to make a collective difference in their communities. The Nicodemus Wilderness Project has been involved with Make a Difference Day since 2000 and we have been fortunate in receiving the help of thousands of volunteers on our trail cleanup and restoration activities. What makes this event so special is that it appeals to a wide variety of people of all races and ages. We all work together for a day to do something that really needs to get done.

As an active leader of Make a Difference Day, the Nicodemus Wilderness Project has actively engaged the community in an experiment of volunteer participation. The importance of our event isn't so much where it is conducted but that it makes a real difference in one place. All the volunteers that take part in the event can not only relate to the project as being their own but can also take pride in returning to the area and telling someone "I helped to do this!" This community outreach and support is the cornerstone philosophy of the Nicodemus Wilderness Project and we would like YOU to join us for our next event!! Events like Make a Difference Day are great fun not only for the work that gets done but also for the sense of community pride and belonging that they foster.

The focus of the Nicodemus Wilderness Project during Make a Difference Day has been to educate the community about the importance of being good stewards of the land by working together on conservation projects. Some of the many projects that we have completed include litter removal, trail restoration, graffiti removal, soil erosion prevention, shortcut trail closure, and drainage control.

The Effect of Pollution to the Environment

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What is pollution?

When something is added to the environment which is very harmful, poisonous or fatal to the animal, people surrounding it and other living things is called as pollution. In simple term pollution is a contamination by a chemical or other pollutant that renders part of the environment unfit for intended or desired use. It is triggered by industrial and commercial waste, agriculture practices, day to day human activities and most notably, modes of transportation and many the other sources. Pollution has many forms; it may be chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light.
Some most common types of pollution:Pollution is a very voluminous term; here we present some of the common pollution’s.

1) Air Pollution:

Air pollution comes into picture due to the accumulation of hazardous substances into the atmosphere that danger human life and other living matter. The most dominant player responsible for pollution is automobiles; apart from that the other causes are Combustion of coal, Acid rain, Manufacturing buildings, Tobacco smoke, Paint fumes, Aerosol sprays, Nuclear weapons and wild fires. As far as effect of air pollution is concerned, respiratory diseases tops the chart of health problems. The second one is heart diseases, it caused due to increased level of carbon monoxide in the air. In addition to that you can avoid a risk of Asthma, Eye Irritation and a range of bronchial disease due to air pollution. If statistics is to be believed, this year air population segment will count for 80% of premature deaths.

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