Pollution


 * POLLUTION BY: DARRAH MCCOY & KATIE NAW**



**Statistics about Pollution**

 Americans use approximately 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides every year. Research shows that target pests will eventually develop resistance to these pesticides anyway. Seventy-three different kinds of pesticides have been found in groundwater, which is potential drinking water. More than 100 active pesticide ingredients are suspected of causing cancer, birth defects, and gene mutation. A growing list of pesticides have the potential to disrupt the immune and endocrine systems and of having long term impacts on the offspring of exposed humans and animals. The cost of one nuclear weapons test alone could finance the installation of eighty thousand hand pumps, giving third world villages access to clean water. Estimated costs of cleaning up the 24,000 contaminated federal nuclear facilities range from $100 billion to $400 billion.  (The Environmental Protection Agency) Each year U.S. factories spew 3 million tons of toxic chemicals into the air, land, and water. That compounds the over one-half billion tons of solid hazardous wastes - we're not talking about your garbage here - that get dumped across the nation for our generation to one day clean up.  (The Gale Environmental Scorecard) In 1987, the U.S. released 1.2 million tons of toxic chemicals into our atmosphere, 670,000 tons into ﻿our soil, and 250,000 tons into our water.  (International Wildlife magazine) PCB's haven't been used in the U.S. for more than two decades. But dangerous levels of PCB's remain in the natural environment and pose a threat to human health. --ENN for 5/27/98 "Everyone has some amount of dioxin in his or her body, and the average level is already high enough to endanger health." --Lois Gibbs Nitrogen is essential to crops but too much will leak into groundwater and rivers causing nutrient pollution in rivers and oceans and severe human health problems from nitrate pollution. In the US, 41% of all insecticides are used on corn. Eighty per cent of these are used to treat a pest that could be controlled simply by rotating the corn for one year with any other cro﻿p. 40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life. The Mississippi River – which drains the lands of nearly 40% of the continental United Sates – carries an estimated 1.5 million metric tons of nitrogen pollution into the Gulf of Mexico each year. The resulting dead zone in the Gulf each summer is about the size of New Jersey. 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are discharged into US waters annually. Polluted drinking waters are a problem for about half of the world’s population. Each year there are about 250 million cases of water-based diseases, resulting in roughly 5 to 10 million deaths. Vehicle exhaust contributes roughly 60% of all carbon monoxide emissions nationwide, and up to 95% in cities. Large hog farms emit hydrogen sulfide, a gas that most often causes flu-like symptoms in humans, but at high concentrations can lead to brain damage. Each year, U.S. factories spew 3 million tons of toxic chemicals into the air, land, and water. In the U.S. 41% of all insecticides are used on corn. Of these, 80% are used to treat a pest that could be controlled simply by rotating a different crop for just one year. Every year, one American produces over 3,285 pounds of hazardous waste. Over 80% of items in landfills can be recycled, but they’re not. Americans generate 30 billion foam cups, 220 million tires, and 1.8 billion disposable diapers every year.


 * Pollution Overview **
 * Every year in the U.S. factories release over 3 million tons of toxic chemicals into the land, air and water . This hazardous waste causes us to lose over 15 million acres of land every year, it leads to respiratory complications and other health problems and it makes our rivers and lakes too polluted for us to swim in and drink . But factories are only part of the problem of pollution. Pollution is caused by industrial and commercial waste, agriculture practices, everyday human activities and most notably, modes of transportation . ** **Almost 60% of the earth is polluted and 0.6% of the left 40% is being polluted every 1.5 years. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-indent: 0.5in;">No matter where you go and what you do, there are remnants of pollution. **


 * What is pollution? **
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Pollution is the introduction of a contaminant into the environment. It is created mostly by human actions, but can also be a result of natural disasters. <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Pollution has a detrimental effect on any living organism in an environment, making it virtually impossible to sustain life. **

** Why are the different types of pollution? **
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Pollution harms the Earth many ways; of these the three main types of pollution are: **

<span style="color: #5a7f2e; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 200%;">Land Pollution **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Some of the main contributors to land pollution are: ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Chemical and nuclear plants ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Industrial factories/Oil refineries ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Human sewage ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Mining ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Littering ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Overcrowded landfills ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Deforestation ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">• Construction debris **
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Land pollution is pollution of the Earth’s natural land surface by industrial, commercial, domestic and agricultural activities. **
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">What are the sources of land pollution? **

**<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Every year one American produces over 3,285 pounds of hazardous waste ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">• Land pollution causes us to lose 24 billion tons of top soil every year ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">• Americans generate 30 billion foam cups, 220 million tires and 1.8 billion diapers every year ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">• We throw away enough trash every day to fill 63,000 garbage trucks ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">• Every day Americans throw away 1 million bushels of litter out their car window ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 27px;">• Over 80% of items in landfills can be recycled, but they’re not **
 * Facts about Land Pollution **

** How to Prevent Land Pollution ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">The best way to prevent land pollution is to recycle. Here are a few other ways you can reduce land pollution: ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Reuse any items that you can ** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Buy biodegradable products** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Store all liquid chemicals and waste in spill-proof containers** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Buy products that have little packaging**
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Eat organic foods that are grown without pesticides **
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Don’t use pesticides **
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Use a drip tray to collect engine oil **
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Don’t dump motor oil on the ground **

** Air Pollution ** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Air pollution is the accumulation of hazardous substances into the atmosphere that danger human life and other living matter.** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**What are the sources of air pollution?** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Some of the main contributors to air pollution are:** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Automobile emissions** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Tobacco smoke** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Combustion of coal** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Acid rain** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Noise pollution from cars and construction** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Power plants** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Manufacturing buildings** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Large ships** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Paint fumes** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Aerosol sprays** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Wildfires** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Nuclear weapons**

**<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Almost 232 million different types of vehicles are driven by U.S. citizens every day, adding greenhouse gases into the air ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• U.S. vehicle emissions contribute 45% to global warming ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• The average adult consumes 3,000 gallons of polluted air every day ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Vehicle exhaust contributes to 60% of carbon monoxide emissions in the U.S. and up to 95% in large cities ** **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Every year 335,000 Americans die of lung cancer, which is a direct result of air pollution **
 * Facts about Air Pollution **
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Here are a few facts about air pollution: **

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**The number one way to prevent air pollution is to walk or bike more and drive less. This will prevent fossil fuels from polluting the air. Here are some other ways to prevent air pollution:** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Carpool or join a with friends and coworkers** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Don’t smoke** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Keep your car maintenance up-to-date** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• If you have to drive, do your errands at one time** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Don’t buy products that come in aerosol spray cans** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Avoid using lighter fluid when barbecuing outside** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• When you drive accelerate slowly and use cruise control** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Always replace your car’s air filter** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Use a push or electric lawnmower rather than a gas-powered one** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Don’t use harsh chemical cleaners that can emit fumes** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Inspect your gas appliances and heaters regularly**
 * How to Prevent Air Pollution **

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Water pollution is the introduction of chemical, biological and physical matter into large bodies of water that degrade the quality of life that lives in it and consumes it.**
 * Water Pollution **

<span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Some of the main contributors to water pollution are:** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Factories** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Refineries** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Waste treatment facilities** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Mining** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Human sewage** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Oil spills** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Failing septic systems** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Soap from washing your car** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Household chemicals** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Animal waste**
 * What are the sources of water pollution? **

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Here are a few facts about water pollution:** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Over two-thirds of U.S. estuaries and bays are severely degraded because of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Every year almost 25% of U.S. beaches are closed at least once because of water pollution** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Over 73 different kinds of pesticides have been found in the groundwater that we eventually use to drink** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• 1.2 trillion gallons of sewage, stormwater and industrial waste are discharged into U.S. waters every year** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• 40% of U.S. rivers are too polluted for aquatic life to survive** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Americans use over 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides every year, which eventually washes into our rivers and lakes**
 * Facts about Water Pollution **

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**The best way to prevent water pollution is to not throw trash and other harmful chemicals into our water supplies. Here are a few more ways you can prevent water pollution:** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Wash your car far away from any stormwater drains** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Don’t throw trash, chemicals or solvents into sewer drains** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Inspect your septic system every 3-5 years** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Avoid using pesticides and fertilizers that can run off into water systems** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Sweep your driveway instead of hosing it down** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Always pump your waste-holding tanks on your boat** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Use non-toxic cleaning materials** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Clean up oil and other liquid spills with kitty litter and sweet them up** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**• Don’t wash paint brushes in the sink** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**How can you get involved in pollution prevention?** <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**The best way for you to get involved with pollution prevention is to practice efforts on your own or join a project or program. You can see a complete list of U.S. Pollution Prevention Projects & Programs by checking out the website.**
 * How to Prevent Water Pollution **

<span style="color: #193d4f; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 230%;">INTRODUCTION TO POLLUTION: > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">//Pollution,// > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Emergence with such devastating evolution > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">In the face of the ever expanding globalization > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Filled with development, riches, vision > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">But a price to pay for what nature has become > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Of a barren, dead paradise once full of fulfillment > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">What can we say as to what can we really do > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Or what can we really do to make a move > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">To prevent further devastation of this kind > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">From such expanding deterioration from happening in time > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Is what we can rest assure of this disaster > <span style="background-color: #a6c4c4; color: #193d4f; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">//Never to happen again ever after//

<span style="color: #197071; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 160%;">Everybody knows about pollution, in fact it is a part of our lives today. But, what is the definition of pollution? Here are some: > > >
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"contamination of the earth's environment with materials that interfere with human health, the quality of life, or the natural functioning of ecosystems" (Encarta.com).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> wrong substances in a wrong quantity in the wrong time and at the wrong place;
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> agent which causes imbalances in the earth’s ecological equilibrium.   There are two types of the cause of pollution, natural and man-made. Natural pollution occurs naturally and won't cause excessive harm to our lives due to its regeneration ability. While the man-made pollution is caused by human activities, and hard to get rid of. The backbones of man-made pollution are human population and technology . Naturally human needs contact to the environment, we get resources from nature. This is for the sake of living. By the increase of human population, the contact is getting more intensive, because needs are increasing. And by the findings and development of new technologies, human can apply them to get the resources. And it's common that new technologies would bring their respective side effects besides their advantages.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Now you can see, small population with any level of technology wouldn't have to exploit the nature overwhelmingly. But big population with any level of technology will surely exploit the nature more, and even overwhelmingly, this is all for the needs of the people.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">What we have to say about this problem? If we bring this topic out to people in general, politicians and industrialists alike, there is an immediate agreement that pollution is wrong and it must be prevented. But we have to ask ourselves, what is the degree of pollution globally now and the efforts taken to combat it. Is pollution now overpowering us? But we can be assured as the world goes on, zero pollution can never be achieved. At least, we should give an effort to minimize it, regardless of geographical boundaries.

<span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Pollution is a growing pain. Pollution is not a problem that came suddenly from the sky, it's our fault and has been a part of our life through many years. Can you imagine living in a world where all the things we use are synthetics? Or, losing species that we haven't seen before, that actually can be used to cure cancer or <span style="color: #ffff00; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 710%;">AIDS ? <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">We must be wise in managing our resources, and take positive action towards preventing any forms of pollution to the environment. Make the world a better place to live.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">And remember, the effort starts from you.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 160%;"> NOISE POLLUTION:

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Overview: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"><span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">This particular pollution is ever increasing with due to the rise in the utilization of heavy duty machineries of industrial facilities and vehicles, synonymous to the increase in the standard of living in most countries. <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">We make sounds practically every seconds of our day, but to the extend it has reached an unfavorable high intensity which had cause many disturbances and irritation to others emotionally that has adverse effects on our daily activities. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Noise levels can be measured by decibel method: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Decibel - one tenth of a bel where one bel represents a difference in level between two intensities I1, I0 where one is ten times greater than the other. Thus, the intensity level is the comparison of one intensity to another and may be expressed: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Intensity level = 10 log10 (I1/I0) (dB) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">For instance, the difference between intensities of 10-8watts/m2 and 10-4 watts/m2, an actual difference of 10,000 units, can be expressed as a difference of 4 bels or 40 decibels. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">These are the few examples of threshold decibels of noises made:
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Threshold of hearing || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">0 dB  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Motorcycle (30 feet  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">88 dB  ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Rustling leaves || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">20 dB  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Food blender (3 feet)  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">90 dB  ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Quiet whisper (3 feet) || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">30 dB  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Subway (inside)  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">94 dB  ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Quiet home || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">40 dB  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Diesel truck (30 feet)  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">100 dB  ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Quiet street || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">50 dB  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Power mower (3 feet)  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">107 dB  ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Normal conversation || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">60 dB  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Pneumatic riveter (3 feet)  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">115 dB  ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Inside car || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">70 dB  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Chainsaw (3 feet)  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">117 dB  ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Loud singing (3 feet) || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">75 dB  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Amplified Rock and Roll (6 feet)  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">120 dB  ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Automobile (25 feet) || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">80 dB  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Jet plane (100 feet)  || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">130 dB  ||

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Other noise measurement systems are: > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> community noise equivalent level
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> composite noise rating
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> equivalent energy level
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> noise and number index
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> noise exposure forecast
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> noise criterion
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> noise level
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> noise pollution level
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> noise rating
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> perceived noise level
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> traffic noise index
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> sound level
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> sound level meter
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> sound pressure level
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> world soundscape project

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> SOURCES & METHODS: <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">We can classify major sources that lead to noise pollution to the following categories: > > > > > <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 160%;">RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION:
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> road traffic noise
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> air traffic
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> rail traffic
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> neighborhood and domestic noise
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> incompatible land use
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> industrial noises

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Overview: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">The 40's was the era where the first nuclear bomb is being developed, and that's why it's called the nuclear era. However, nuclear energy has already researched back since 1900. <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Nuclear era reached its greatest peak in the world war, by showing its massive ability of destroying things. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Nuclear energy is a form of energy that’s released by the splitting of atoms. Since scientists have found a way to make use of the energy, it has also been used to generate electricity.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Nuclear energy has been recognized as a clean energy because it doesn’t release pollutants such as CO2 to the atmosphere after its reaction that could damage our environment. It's also known that nuclear energy has reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emission, reducing emissions of CO2 for about 500 million metric tons of carbon. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"><span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Despite the advantage of nuclear as a clean energy, the big concern is the waste resulted from nuclear reaction, which is a form of pollution, called radioactivity. Radioactivity is a form of radiation (a form of energy that travels through space). Some elements in this world are naturally radioactive while some others are made to be. Radioactivity is emitted when a radioactive element become unstable and begin to decay in the attempt to regain their molecular stability. When an element decays, it emits energy and small particles. If it’s still radioactive, it will repeat the process, until it finally regains its molecular stability and stop decaying. The time that it takes for half way of decaying process is called half-life, and this differs for each radioactive element. It possibly takes up to 4.5 billion years (Uranium 238) and as short as 8 days (Iodine 131). This process constantly remains, not considering external factors such as pressure or temperature. This process is expressed in units called becquerels. One becquerel is equal to one disintegration of nuclei per second. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">There are commonly three types of radiation, namely:
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Alpha particles, can be blocked by a piece of paper and human skin.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Beta particles can penetrate through skin, while can be blocked by some pieces of glass and metal.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Gamma rays can penetrate easily to human skin and damage cells on its way through, reaching far, and can only be blocked by a very thick, strong, massive piece of concrete.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> SOURCES & METHODS:

<span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">We can classify major sources that lead to radioactive pollution to the following categories: > > > > > <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 160%;">THERMAL POLLUTION:
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> nuclear power plants
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> nuclear weapon
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> transportation
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> disposal of nuclear waste
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> uranium mining

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Overview: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">This has become an <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">increasing and the most current pollution, owing to the increasing call of globalization everywhere. Heat produced from industries is a major contribution to the pollution, much to the operation of the heavy industries which produces high amount of heat energy. As we will show a summary to the event of this pollution happening: > > > > > <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">In view of the pollution, global temperature had increased significantly. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Measurements of atmospheric temperature are done by meteorological center of the weather forecast annually, and the graph to detect the temperature trend from a period of 10 years will be compared with the previous batch of period. Thus we may be able to know the rate of temperature increase overall and make reference to the standard level of heat that should be maintain in the atmosphere to avoid large deviation of heat in the system.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> Raw materials for productivity (organic and inorganic products)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> Undergo different chemical reactions with several process
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> Excess heat energy is produced as a waste product
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> Heat is released through into atmosphere (vapor) and riverine system (liquid).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> Increase of temperature of environmental system

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">SOURCES & METHODS: <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">We can classify major sources that lead to thermal pollution to the following categories:
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium;">power plants creating electricity from fossil fuel
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium;">water as a cooling agent in industrial facilities
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium;">deforestation of the shoreline
 * <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium;">soil erosion

<span class="inside-head" style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal;">**Green technology isn't always very green** <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; padding-top: 8px;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">If I see one more article about how wonderful alternative energy is compared to oil, I'm gonna flip. Alternative energy sources can be good — very good in fact. And it's pretty obvious that we're going to need them, and that our dependence on oil (foreign or otherwise) is a Bad Thing. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">But accepting that does not mean accepting that any kind of alternative energy is by default a good thing. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">To //be// a good thing, it has to have three properties: <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">1) It has to help reduce our dependence on oil  <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;"> 2) It has to be no worse for the environment  <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">3) It has to be economically practical. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">Many of the things touted meet one or even two of those criteria. Solar panels, for example. They can reduce our need for oil, at least in certain regions, and they're certainly not bad for the environment. But they're prohibitively expensive. If you spend the money to make your home solar-powered, you probably won't recoup your costs for at least 15 years, which approaches the lifespan of the panels. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">I realize that these days, taking a moderate position on anything makes you the enemy of everyone who has an extreme view. But green isn't always good, and oil isn't always bad. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">Certainly we need to clean up our act big time and find viable sources of alternative energy. Depending on the Saudis — and oil — for our energy needs is stupid. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">But we also have to keep in mind that every one of these alternative-energy sources comes at a cost, which is something people seem to forget. They hear the phrase "alternative energy" and automatically assume it's got to be good. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">And this makes them no better than the people who hear it and think it's a waste of time. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">**It's not easy being green** <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">Two seemingly "green" technologies that pop up again and again are ethanol and electric cars. Both are touted by well-meaning people as good for the environment and a way to reduce our oil dependence, especially as oil prices continue to rise. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">I've written in detail about ethanol before, but it deserves a rehash. The Senate, you see, is considering a bill that would require a doubling of the amount of ethanol mixed with gasoline at the pump. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">They //say// it's about oil dependence and the environment, but it's not. It's about buying votes from farmers by artificially creating demand for crops — ethanol coming, in large part, from corn. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">But there are a bunch of problems with ethanol. <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">First, it doesn't have as much energy as gasoline, which means it takes about 1.5 gallons of ethanol to get you as far as one gallon of gas. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">Ethanol also requires a lot to produce it — 26 pounds of corn to get a gallon, in fact. And growing corn requires lots of water and fertilizer and pesticide, not to mention the energy required to distill it into ethanol. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">And by-products of that distillation include (according to the EPA) acetic acid, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and methanol, all of which are pumped into the air. Yum. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">It boils down to this: <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">Ethanol sounds good, but the energy required to produce it, and the pollutants it generates, mean it's arguably worse for the environment than gasoline, especially considering the cleanliness of today's engines. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">On the other hand, even with the acreage, water, fertilizer, and pesticide, ethanol has one big thing going for it: It's not produced by the Saudis. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">**It's electric** <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">Hearing the un-researched praises heaped on ethanol sets my teeth on edge, but hearing the supposed ecological wonders of electric cars makes me want to bang my head against the desk. (I'm talking about true electric vehicles, not hybrids.) <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">Electric cars are dirty. In fact, not only are they dirty, they might even be //more// dirty than their gasoline-powered cousins. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">People in California love to talk about "zero-emissions vehicles," but people in California seem to be clueless about where electricity comes from. How else can you explain a state that uses more and more of it while not allowing new power plants to be built? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">Quoth <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">Schoolhouse Rock: "Power plants most all use fire to make it: electricity, electricity/Burnin' fuel and usin' steam, they generate electricity — electricity." <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">Aside from the few folks who have their roofs covered with solar cells, we get our electricity from generators. <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">Generators are fueled by something — usually a hydrocarbon (coal, oil, diesel) but also by heat generated in nuclear power plants. (There are a few wind farms and geothermal plants as well, but by far we get electricity by burning something.) <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">In other words, those "zero-emissions" cars are likely coal-burning cars. It's just the coal is burned somewhere else so it //looks// clean. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">It isn't. It's as if the California Greens are covering their eyes — "If I can't see it, it's not happening." <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">But it's worse than that. <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">Gasoline is an incredibly efficient way to power a vehicle; a gallon of gas has a lot of energy in it. But when you take that gas (or another fuel) and first use it to make electricity, you waste a nice chunk of that energy, mostly in the form of wasted heat — at the generator, through the transmission lines, etc. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: 138px;">In other words, a gallon of gas may propel your car 25 miles. But the electricity you get from that gallon of gas won't get you nearly as far — so electric cars burn more fuel than gas-powered ones. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">If our electricity came mostly from nukes, or geothermal, or hydro, or solar, or wind, then an electric car truly would be clean. But for political, technical, and economic reasons, we don't use much of those energy sources. We should, but we don't — that means those electric cars have a dirty past. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">Furthermore, today's cars are very, very clean. I'd be willing to bet they're a lot cleaner than coal-burning power plants. And that's not even getting into whatever toxic niceties are in those electric cars' batteries — stuff that will eventually end up in a landfill. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">And finally, when cars are the polluters, the pollution is spread across all the roads. When it's a power plant, though, all the junk is in one place. Nature is very good at cleaning up when things are not too concentrated, but it takes a lot longer when all the garbage is in one spot. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">Being green is good. We've squandered our space program on things like the International Space Money Pit, so we won't be leaving the planet very soon. It's what we've got and we should do better at taking care of it. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;">But that doesn't mean we should jump on any technology labeled "green" anymore than investors should have jumped on any stock labeled "tech" in the 1990s. We know what happened there. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #4e3446; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;">**INTRODUCTION** <span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"> Pollution is one of the primary ways in which humans have caused drastic modifications of wildlife habitat. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4e3446; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span style="background-color: #c9c9c9; color: #4e3446; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;">As a result, wildlife populations are confronted with a bewildering array of pollutants that we release into the environment either by intent or accident.

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #4e3446; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;">In some cases wildlife populations have suffered severe losses or even faced extinction due to pollution. For example, the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and brown pelican all nearly became extinct. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4e3446; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #4e3446; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;">Toxic metals can kill adult members of wildlife populations and cause the production of deformed offspring, as seen at Kesterson Reservoir in the San Joaquin Valley. Acid rain has caused hundreds of fish populations to disappear from lakes in the northeastern U.S. and Scandinavia

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #4e3446; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"> populations of fish living in lakes in the northeasternU.S. have proven to be extremely intolerant of the increased acidity caused by acid rain. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 138px; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #4e3446; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"> **CONCLUSIONS** <span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #4e3446; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"> It is clear that pollution has had severe impacts on wildlife populations. The extent of contamination is global, with synthetic organic chemicals, toxic metals, and acid deposition present at even the most remote portions of the earth. Furthermore, it is probable that numerous effects of pollution on wildlife have not yet been detected due to the relative youth of this field of study. <span style="color: #76923c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 80%;">**http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=worlds-top-10-worst-pollution-problems** <span style="color: #76923c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 80%;">**http://www.greenstudentu.com/encyclopedia/pollution** <span style="color: #76923c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 80%; line-height: 27px;">**http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111040/Types/types.php** <span style="color: #76923c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 80%; line-height: 27px;">**http://www.shelbycountytn.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1017** <span style="color: #76923c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 80%;">**http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2005-06-24-green-tech_x.htm** <span style="color: #76923c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 80%;">**http://earthpreserve.webs.com/facts.htm** <span style="color: #76923c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 80%;">**http://marinebio.org/Oceans/Conservation/Moyle/ch11.asp** <span style="color: #76923c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 15px;">**http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090817065305AAc55SR**
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<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;"> <-- dat be belongin to da nana and da darrah guize lawl itz our skript! c: **