Pollution is becoming one of the most pressing issues of our time, poisoning the air we breathe, water we drink, and land we walk on. Every year, billions of tons of waste and plastics enter our ecosystem and never leave. This is caused by a weak government, poor waste management, and lack of care from the population. Few people are dedicated to confronting this issue, pointing it out, and taking a stand. Because of the lack of action, our planet continues to endure the consequences we have created, which will eventually lead to major irreversible damage. The damage to our oceans, air, and forests is endangering the planet’s environment and even putting human life at risk.
Each person thinks something different affects the climate, but in reality, it’s cumulative. Even a little piece of trash you throw on the ground once affects the environment entirely. Imagine 8.1 billion people throwing just one piece of trash on the ground each day; in the end, it all adds up and progressively deteriorates our health and planet. Every person, community, and government has a role to play in reversing the damage that years of neglect have caused. Each source gives a different perspective on climate change and conservation, but each deeply affects the environment and even the population by causing early deaths and breathing problems. An article by Bemgba Nyakuma, “Urban Air Pollution and Its Effects on Health, Safety and the Environment in Nigeria: A Concise Review” shows the facts on how air pollution is contributing to major problems that humans face, while an article by Marco Franco called, “How Climate Change and Deforestation Interact in the Transformation of the Amazon Rainforest” talks about the long term effects that these devastating changes have on the Earth. All three authors share a common idea that poor government and weak law enforcement are major causes of the pollution. If the government was better funded, then these problems would slowly start to disappear. Each country has their own restrictions and goals but should be making a contribution to the efforts of our dying planet.
As concern for the planet grows, so do the people who are dedicated to protecting the environment. More and more countries are trying to engage in safe and plastic free practices. Van Troung who published, “Sources, Impacts and Management of Plastic Marine Debris,” wrote in his article, “both China and the U.S. share best practices for combating marine debris through stronger integrated waste management, public awareness, and innovative best practices.” He explains that some are making contributions, but all need to be helping in order to see a significant difference. Many countries share a common goal: promote sustainability and adopt waste management practices to benefit future generations, but most don’t have the proper funding or resources to do so (Troung). The authors of these sources demonstrate that even small measures can create a big impact, so every country doing a small amount will help majorly. The future of our planet depends on the actions we take today to preserve and protect it; if society continues to ignore this responsibility, we could face irreversible damage.
Marco Franco, the author of “How Climate Change and Deforestation Interact in the Transformation of the Amazon Rainforest” introduces the idea that because of the Amazon’s deforestation, we are suffering major consequences. The Amazon Rainforest is the largest carbon sink in the world, absorbing about 2.2 billion tons of carbon each year and producing oxygen for us to breathe (Franco). The Amazon is referred to as the “lungs of the Earth” because of its global stability and ability to produce mass amounts of oxygen (Franco). Franco uses data from 1985 to 2020 across 29 Amazon regions. This study shows the local land-use effects from global climate trends, and how deforestation not only raises the temperature, but also weakens the Amazon’s role as a carbon sink (Franco). Franco also explains how reduced forest cover weakens the Amazon’s ability to regulate weather systems, resulting in longer dry seasons, frequent droughts, and intense wildfires (Franco). The Amazon has a dry season that runs from July to December and deforestation has contributed to more than 74.5% of the reduction of dry-season rainfall (Franco). The reduction of rainfall also increases the number of forest fires that are caused naturally. Deforestation can also make already dry areas more prone to a forest fire. The Amazon is starting to reach a tipping point where it will turn from a dense rain forest to a savanna-like environment (Franco). If deforestation continues to occur in the Amazon, our Earth will face irreversible damage.
Bemgba Nyakuma, the author of “Urban Air Pollution and Its Effects on Health, Safety and the Environment in Nigeria: A Concise Review” shows the tragic views on how air pollution in small countries, like Nigeria, is affecting the world. The main causes are human activities like burning fossil fuels, car exhaust, open waste burning, and industrial work (Nyakuma). Without proper funding towards conservation or pollution control laws, small countries like Nigeria continue to suffer. Some of the major pollutants include nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter (Nyakuma). The pollutants can result from factories and power plants, or cars, trains, and other forms of transportation. Nitrogen oxides are very dangerous and can be deadly as they can make the air harder to breathe, cause coughing, asthma, and contribute to acidic rain; they also damage plants, buildings, and water sources (Nyakuma). Industrial areas like Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Onitsha have the highest pollution levels (Nyakuma). For example, in Lagos over 11,000 people died early from fine particle pollution in 2018 alone (Nyakuma). In cities where the industry business dominates, communities face life-threatening conditions every day just by stepping outside. With these numbers continuing to grow, it will start causing even greater harm to humans and the environment.
Marine debris has been the most impactful on the environment because of how long it stays in the ecosystem. An article, “Sources, Impacts and Management of Plastic Marine Debris” by Van Truong and Beiping exposes the reality and also blames small countries for being a top contributor to pollution. Approximately 0.28 to 0.73 million metric tons of plastic enter Vietnam’s coast every year (Van Truong and Beiping). The United States is ranked 20th on the list, but still contributes an average of .08 million metric tons into the oceans (Van Truong and Beiping). 80% of debris ending up in oceans results from poor waste management and runoff while 20% comes from maritime activities which include shipping and fishing (Van Truong and Beiping). Many marine animals are affected by plastic debris including, but not limited to sea turtles, birds, dolphins, and whales (Van Truong and Beiping). They either ingest or get tangled up which leads to injury, starvation, or even death. Not only do the plastics dumped into the oceans affect marine life, but also enters the food supply. Vietnam is one of the top five seafood exporters in the world (Van Truong and Beiping). This causes major issues because not only are they consuming waste, but the rest of the world is. However, we can not solely blame Vietnam for these problems. Larger countries with better economic stability like the United States and China play a massive role in producing and exporting plastic waste around the world (Van Truong and Beiping). These countries ship their garbage overseas to smaller countries and put the burden on them (Van Truong and Beiping). This practice is not only unethical but also worsens the environment and health in areas that lack the funding and technology to manage waste properly. If countries do not start taking immediate action to contribute to the solution to the problem they created, then the effects could be irreversible and cause major damage.
Some people may argue that industrialization is necessary for progress and economic stability. Arthur C. Nelson, the author of “Exurban Industrialization: Implications for Economic Development Policy” shows the positive effects of urbanization. Modern expansion is growing because of affordable land, quicker, improved transportation, and relaxed policies on companies (Nelson). Industrialization has transformed low-income economies into modern, developed nations (Nelson). Countries have been able to produce goods more efficiently, develop more jobs, and improve living conditions (Nelson). However, these benefits come at a cost. With more urbanization happening every day, our planet suffers from the pollution that results from industrialization. These pollutants that inhabit the air degrade the health of our ecosystem and ourselves. As Bemgba Nyakuma’s study on Nigeria shows, weak government enforcement leads to deadly levels of air pollution that threaten human life (Nyakuma). For industrialization to benefit society, it has to be managed properly through environmental policies and sustainability.
Pollution is one of the most pressing issues of our time, taking a toll on the environment and our own health. The research from Bemgba Nyakuma, Marco Franco, and Van Truong explains that weak government, poor waste management, and unsustainability continues to damage our air, water, and forests. Industrialization must evolve in order to keep our Earth clean and promote economic growth. If society continues to ignore this issue and keep postponing it for later years, it will accumulate and potentially cause major environmental damage. The future of our planet depends on the responsibility we take now to care for and preserve the health of the environment for generations to come.
