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Effects of pollution on our beaches
Impacts of pollution on health and environment essay
Impacts of pollution on health and environment essay
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What’s Behind the Perfect Image? Imagine that it is the end of a long week of finals, and you want to relax and enjoy your much deserved trip to the beach. However, when you get there, you immediately feel disgusted because the pearl-white sand is covered by trash, and your hopes are shattered. Although the United States isn’t an island, it has its share of beaches, and they are all familiar with pollution. Pollution is one of the largest causes of deaths worldwide. Since the United States is one of the top consumers of the world, it needs to give back as much as it’s taking in. Without a doubt, the U.S.A. is one of the top countries to live in, but the amount of consumption and pollution is outrageous and needs to be addressed immediately.
Pollution has always been a big concern for anyone who has seen films or pictures from some of the Southeast Asian countries, where smog sometimes fills the whole sky of cities. Indeed, pollution is a terrible thing, but unfortunately it is a real concern for our modern times. There is always a price to pay for advancing, and in many cases that price is the creation of harmful substances to the environment around us, and sometimes even to us. One shocking example of this happened not so long ago right here in the United States, when one of the five great lakes, Lake Erie, was so full of pollution around Cleveland that almost all of the wildlife died and people could literally walk across the top of the pollution on the lake. Obviously, nobody wants anything like this to ever happen again. Fortunately, the lake was eventually cleaned up, but the damage was done, both to the environment and to the psyche and mindset of the American people. Some people see big box retailers as a cause of much pollution, and for some people that’s all they need to hear in order to be eternally opposed against big box retailers.
The US is the number one producer of garbage all over the world, consuming 30% of the planet’s resources and producing 30% of all its wastes. The number is surprising considering that the US is home to just 4% of the global population. As the world modernizes and the population grows, producing more waste, waste management programs need to improve. Many are pointing to San Francisco because the city achieved an 80% landfill diversion rate, the highest in the nation. Furthermore, the city has set a goal of zero waste by 2020, meaning that no material goes to landfill or high-temperature destruction. Although specific programs many not be suitable or appropriate to imitate in other parts of the world, San Francisco has become the nation’s leader and model city for waste management and recycling in the US due to its unique geographical characteristics, mandatory recycling laws, public participation, and efficient recycling system.
Going to the beach is always a fun way to spend an afternoon, but how would people feel if the next time they tried to catch a wave they were hit with plastic bottles and styrofoam. Charleston is such a beautiful city but, the harbor is overcome with pollution. This Pollution travels to the oceans and to the shores of South Carolina’s beaches. The water is affecting Charleston’s harbor but household water, local businesses, and marine life in the area. Water pollution should not be looked over and needs to be taken care of before it gets worse.
Every time we throw away a plastic bottle, drive our cars, and even burn those millions of fossil fuels to operate all those huge factories, there is a chance it will pollute the ocean and eventually affect the way we live. There should be stricter laws regulating human pollution, in order to protect our ocean ecosystem. The ocean is an abundant source of life. It is home to thousands of different creatures, provides a great source of food, and provides the earth with about one half of the oxygen needed to sustain life. National Geographic: Pollution, especially plastic, is a catastrophic problem.
Most pollution is caused by car exhaust, but burning coal in power plants and creating certain chemicals can also pollute the world. Although we could just drop cars altogether, we don’t because once again, not that many people care. Infact pollution won’t really affect people effective immediately, but if we don’t take care of it now the future will suffer. United States produces 30% of the world’s waste and uses 25 % of the world’s natural resources. Or money could be spent a little better,
... things that to be recycled can be and the things that need to be thrown out can be done to. There are organizations out there that are fighting things like this. They want to make sure that all of the animals that live in the water our safe from people who don’t care about anything but them self’s and throw things into storm drains or even right into the lake. Oceana is one of the organizations that are fighting against this. The government needs to take a step into this and help out. They pay to keep the war going. They also need to start funding money so that originations like Oceana can do whatever they need to clean this problem up. If people don’t take a stand soon this could turn into a bigger problem in what it already is. For young adults that are 18 years old right now. There kids might not be able to see a clean lake or even a clean environment. People in this century are destroying the environment and they think since they seen it all that its fines to do whatever they want, but really they don’t think about the future. There kids are the future and if this kind of pollution to the water and even the environment is going to kill it and there wont be an environment.
Humans are depleting the earth’s natural resources. We are using our resources at an unsustainable rate. One of our greatest resources is now beginning to deplete because of our growing population. This resource provides for us food, climate regulation, economy, transportation, and medicine. This very valuable resource is the ocean. By over fishing, certain fishing practices, marine pollution and habitat destruction we are diminishing our most valuable natural resource. The ocean provides for us many valuable resources we cannot replace, therefore we need to make a change.
To exemplify the ever increasing degree of pollution, I will be focusing on the Santa Monica Restoration Project. This project is an ongoing effort to maintain a clean and healthy environment in and surrounding the Santa Monica Bay so that plant and animal life are able to thrive. Unfortunately this project is continuously challenged by numerous pollutants. Pollution is a simplified way of classifying a multitude of harmful acts and elements. The Santa Monica Bay experiences pollution created by auto and homeowners, oil spills and leaks, gasoline and paint contamination from boats, wastewater from two local sewage treatment plants, litter and construction sediment. The goal of the restoration project is double fold. Number one, to clean up the bay in order to bring back plant and animal life that has either died or fled to other habitats, and two to make the individuals and companies who cause the contamination aware of the harmful acts they are engaging in daily.
Now is the time to take into consideration previous knowledge, combine it with new technology, and share the information to every country, state, city, and home. I truly believe that if each individual were able to contribute to the environmental problems, our world would be a safer place. For example, if each diesel truck was removed from the streets and was replaced with a hybrid vehicle, the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere will decrease. It is important to worry about what is right as opposed to what is “cool.” The habits established in our homes need to be seriously reconsidered. Using compact fluorescent light bulbs and purchasing solar panels may also contribute to the improvements our nation needs. Constructing smaller homes and buying more energy- efficient appliances such as dishwashers and televisions will provide similar results with fewer consequences. Little changes can makes a huge difference. Public transportation is rarely used to do the lack of access many families have to it, but in states such as New York and Chicago, a majority of individuals rarely own a vehicle. This action decreases the rise of carbon
You know when you’re walking down the street, drinking your bottled soft drink or water; as you go to throw the bottle away in the trash, have you notice how many of the items in the trash are recyclable. Current reports show that about 80% of the trash that is thrown away is recyclable. Recycling is the third “R” of the three “R’s”: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Recycling is defined as taking a product or material at the end of its useful life, and turning it into a usable raw material to create another product. According to Ivanhoe Broadcast News, each year the average American family throws out 2,460 pounds of paper, 540 pounds of metals, 480 pounds of glass and 480 pounds of food scraps. In conclusion the average American throws away more than 1,200 pounds of trash per year, far more than people in most other countries. I personally think that it is ridiculous how unaware and careless people are that they can’t throw an item into a different container, so it can be recycled. To a certain extent it is not just the publics’ fault; I personally believe that the government should set up and take control of the situation. Instead of sitting around as the world becomes more polluted. I believe there are many ways that we can improve this system.
Keeping trash of the beach and most importantly of the water is not a new concept by any means we’ve all been taught to clean up after ourselves and throw everything away that we did not use. However, many decide to just leave it there even if it means it will end up in the water. Other work that is currently happening to address this issue is most other organization who focuses on keeping the beaches clean. The city also makes an effort to tell people to keep the beaches clean. It is supposed to be a safe and clean place for people to relax and enjoy the sun. How are people supposed to relax and enjoy the water if there is trash all other the
The people of America throw away more trash than any other society in the world! America consumes 80 percent of our planet's resources, even though we make up only 20 percent of the world's population (Cooper 267). The average person throws away 4.3 pounds of trash each day. That's about 30 pounds per week and 120 pounds per month! (“Reduce and Reuse” 1). Americans throw away too much - that's the bottom line (Cooper 265). There is a garbage crisis in America and “the only part of the anti-waste message that has taken hold to any noticeable degree is the call to recycle” (Cooper 267). Our country's issues on trash and recycling go hand in hand. America produces too much trash, and the environment is suffering. There is some effort being put into countering these issues through recycling and trash management, but is it enough? (Cooper 267).
The oceans need to be protected because it is where life began and if not taken care of, life as we know it will end. When dangerous substances go into the ocean, ecosystems are suffer and become endangered along with lives of people and of marine life. Surfrider Foundation recognizes the importance of protecting and preserving the quality and biodiversity of the world's coasts because they are truly irreplaceable. There is also historical evidence of ocean pollution being present in the past, but the problem still lingers today. Heal the Bay discovered that,“Did you know there is a DDT and PCB hot spot off the coast of Palos Verdes? This superfund site (which indicates it's one of the most polluted places in the United States), is left over from a 1930's era chemical plant. Because DDT takes so long to break down in the marine environment, it persists to this day, contaminating certain species of fish. There are also highly polluted sediments in the Long Beach area, a sign of the heavy shipping in the port. Heal the Bay works on developing effective capping and removal plans to keep those toxins from spreading” (Heal the Bay). DDT is still highly concentrated in the South Bay area and still contaminating different species of fish. Even after more than 80 years DDT, a toxic insecticide, is still very concentrated and during upwellings, DDT particles come back up and continue to harm marine life. If humans are careless about what is thrown on the floor or sprayed on lawns, it can lead to disastrous affects when it comes to the condition of the ocean's ecosystems, and can endanger life itself leading to a problem that only we can mend.
The problem with contaminated beaches will soon take effect on everyone. The main causes that pollution creates in the beaches are from heavy rainfall, natural disasters, and plant malfunctions. Government agencies cannot control the weather, but they can control what goes into the water. In the United States, the number one reason why beaches are closed down are due to contamination in the water that may be harmful and are left untreated. The arising problem with the beach is that the industries are producing toxic chemicals and tossing the unwanted waste into the ocean. Also, the public are recklessly throwing their trash out into the streets. A prime example to demonstrate this is, if someone was trying to throw a bottle into a street trashcan but missed, he/she is unlikely to pick up after himself/herself if no one was around to see it. This scenario causes pollution to the sidewalks. When mother nature disasters occur, these waste products will end up in the storm drains and into the sewage system. The overflow of debri from the cities can flow into the rivers and if not preserved, it can flow into the ocean. The rivers will then carry these human caused waste into t...
If a person living in a city living in the city goes out for a walk, they will see that everything is perfect. The air is fresh and the beaches are clean and the sea waters look crystal clear. Even though everything looks right, problem still persists in other parts of the world. A lot of people’s thinking about the environment is confined to their surroundings and where they live, so they do not realize that the environment is in danger because of their actions. What should come into their concern first is that even though everything looks perfect, their community and surroundings are also polluted. In cities, the streets and the parks may be sparkling clean, there is no guarantee that the air is clean. In large cities, megapolises and metropolises, a major mode of transportation are cars. Car usage produces a lot of carbon dioxid...