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Sustainability
Simple living
High thinking
- Srila Prabhupada
Sustainability - Elocution Competition
Our World is facing the biggest challenge of Sustainability. Sustainability is the practice of using natural resources with great responsibility so that we present a great treasure to future generations. Our resources are limited but due to pollution and Consumerism these resources are getting exhausted. Its an emergency situation and to create strong awareness on Sustainability and preserving the environment, we are conducting an Elocution Competition in Intermediate Collages of Telangana. We are thankful to Telangana Board of Intermediate Education for their support in this regard.
The detailed rules and regulations of the Competition are mentioned in the below annexes:
Air Pollution
One of the formal definitions of air pollution is as follows: “The presence in the atmosphere of one or more contaminants in such quality and for such duration as is injurious, or tends to be injurious, to human health or welfare, animal or plant life.”
It occurs when harmful substances, including chemicals, particulates, and biological materials, are introduced into the atmosphere.
Causing an estimated one in every nine deaths worldwide, air pollution is the greatest environmental threat to human health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for an estimated seven million premature deaths worldwide every year.
PM2.5 data is reported in units of micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3 ) and incorporates the latest World Health Organization (WHO) annual PM2.5 guideline.
Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution leads to and exacerbates numerous health conditions, including but not limited to asthma, cancer, stroke, and lung disease. Additionally, exposure to elevated levels of fine particles can impair cognitive development in children, lead to mental health issues, and complicate existing illnesses including diabetes.
Threat to Human Health and Environment
PM 2.5
Children are the lowest contributors to climate change, but are the greatest population affected - UNICEF
The drivers of air pollution are the same as those of climate change. Approximately two billion children live in areas where air pollution levels exceed standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) ─ causing them to breathe toxic air and putting their health and brain development at risk. Every year, over half a million children under the age of 5 die from air-pollution-related causes. Even more will suffer lasting damage to their developing brains and lungs.
Fossil fuel emissions account for 65% of global CO2 emissions and are also the primary cause of the majority of PM2.5-related deaths, highlighting the interconnected relationship between air quality and climate change. Simultaneously addressing air pollution and climate change goals is feasible, offering opportunities for comprehensive environmental improvements.
Air Pollution in INDIA
INDIA is one of the most polluted countries in the World and New Delhi being highly polluted Capital City.It is estimated that 1.36 billion people in India experience PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the WHO recommended annual guideline level of 5 µg/m3 ; furthermore, 1.33 billion, or 96% of the population, experience PM2.5 levels more than seven times the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline. This trend is reflected in city level data with more than 66% of the country’s cities reporting annual averages greater than 35 µg/m3
Causes of Air Pollution
Vehicle Emissions
Cars, trucks, and buses emit pollutants like carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM), which contribute to smog and respiratory problems.
As vehicles burn fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel, they emit a variety of pollutants that significantly impact air quality.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), motor vehicles produced about 22% of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020, making them the most significant contributor to the country’s emissions. Even worse, GHG emissions in the transportation sector increased more than any other sector between 1990 and 2019.
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 40% of PM2.5 emissions in the nation’s capital Delhi. In response, older vehicles were banned in Delhi. The number of cars on the road has dropped by 35% since the ban took effect in late 2018.
Human Civilization can adopt Philosophy of "Simple living and High thinking" without turning the world into a chaos of artificial greed and power only for the purpose of artificial luxuries and sense gratification.
Efforts to Reduce Vehicle Emissions
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles:
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The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles significantly reduces emissions, as EVs produce no exhaust emissions, and hybrids combine lower emissions from their engines with battery-powered electric driving.
Public Transportation and Ride-Sharing:
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Expanding and improving public transportation reduces the number of private vehicles on the road, thereby cutting down on emissions. Ride-sharing and carpooling are also encouraged to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT).
In summary, vehicle emissions remain a major contributor to air pollution, affecting human health and the environment. Reducing these emissions requires a combination of regulatory action, and shifts in consumer behavior, including the adoption of cleaner vehicles and more efficient transportation systems.
Industrial Activities
Industrial activities are a significant source of air pollution, contributing to the release of harmful pollutants that affect both human health and the environment. Factories, power plants, refineries, and manufacturing processes emit a range of pollutants, often due to the burning of fossil fuels, chemical reactions, and the release of byproducts. This pollution is particularly severe in regions with high concentrations of industrial activity and inadequate pollution controls
Major Sources of Industrial Air Pollution
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Power Plants:
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Especially coal-fired power plants, which emit large amounts of SO₂, NOx, PM, and CO₂.
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Impact: These emissions contribute to smog, acid rain, and climate change.
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Cement Production:
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A major source of CO₂, particulate matter, and NOx emissions. The chemical processes involved in cement production release large amounts of CO₂.
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Impact: Cement manufacturing is responsible for roughly 7% of global CO₂ emissions.
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Steel and Metal Production:
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Steel plants and smelting facilities release SO₂, NOx, heavy metals (lead, cadmium), and particulate matter.
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Impact: These pollutants contribute to air quality degradation and health issues in nearby communities.
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Chemical Manufacturing:
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Produces a wide range of air pollutants, including VOCs, NOx, ammonia, and other hazardous air pollutants.
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Impact: The release of VOCs and toxic chemicals can lead to ozone formation, smog, and environmental contamination.
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Petroleum Refineries:
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Emit VOCs, sulfur compounds (SO₂), NOx, and particulate matter during the refining of crude oil.
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Impact: Refineries are significant contributors to urban air pollution and can cause severe environmental degradation.
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Mining Operations:
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Mining activities generate particulate matter (dust) and release sulfur compounds, heavy metals, and VOCs into the atmosphere.
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Impact: The air pollution from mining leads to severe health effects for workers and surrounding communities, and mining activities can cause long-term environmental damage.
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One man has got this car, and next year another car, another car. And the car manufacturer also giving fashion. ‘This is 1974 edition, this is 1975 edition.’ And they are earning money with hard labor. ‘All right, get a motorcar.’ And again, next year change. What is this ? No satisfaction. They do not know where is the point of satisfaction. Now, you have created so many horseless carriages, now the problem is where to get petrol. In your country it has become a problem.
Instead of producing food grains, we are producing tires. So how we can eat? Now when there is scarcity of foodstuff you cannot eat the tires. But people’s attention has been diverted in the industrial activities. They are given allurement, ‘Come here. I shall give you Salary. You give up your agricultural activities. You come in the factory. Produce tire tube, iron and so on so on.
But we are producing unnecessary things. And therefore suffering.
Simple Living High Thinking -Srila Prabhupada
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Scientists such as Vandana Shiva, an environmental activist and scholar, criticize consumerism for displacing sustainable lifestyles, particularly in indigenous and rural communities. She emphasizes the importance of traditional, eco-friendly ways of living and the dangers of a globalized, consumption-oriented economy that prioritizes profit over ecological balance.
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Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything and No Logo, is a leading voice against consumerism’s role in environmental degradation.
Consumerism, the social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts, drives industrial activities. As consumer desires evolve, industries continuously develop new products to meet demand. Consumerism, driven by unnecessary manufacturing and consumption, is a major force contributing to environmental degradation, resource depletion, and pollution. It encourages a cycle of excessive production and consumption of goods, often with little regard for the environmental and social costs.
Also, the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and quarantines have led to significant industrial slowdowns among the world’s major emitters of air pollutants, with resulting decreases to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in nations such as China, India and US, deemed to be major sources of global CO2 emissions, as well.
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting limitations on travel and other economic sectors by countries around the globe drastically decreased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions within just a few weeks. That sudden change gave scientists an unprecedented view of results that would take regulations years to achieve.
Anyhow mitigation of Air Pollution from Industrial Activities can be possible by strategies like Transition to Cleaner Fuels by replacing Coal and Oil with Renewable Sources, Regulations and Standards, Monitoring and Reporting, Proper treatment of Industrial Waste, Sustainable Practices like recycling and reduce resource consumption etc
Burning of Fossil Fuels:
The burning of fossil fuels refers to the burning of oil, natural gas, and coal to generate energy. We use this energy to generate electricity, and to power transportation (for example, cars and planes) and industrial processes. Ever since the invention of the first coal-fired steam engines of the 1700s, our burning of fossil fuels has steadily increased. Across the globe each year we now burn over 4,000 times the amount of fossils fuels burnt during 1776. The combustion of coal, oil, and natural gas releases carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change.
Fossil fuels form over millions of years from the burial of photosynthetic organisms, including plants on land (which primarily form coal) and plankton in the oceans (which primarily form oil and natural gas). To grow these organisms remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the ocean, and their burial inhibited the movement of that carbon through the carbon cycle. The burning of this fossil material returns this carbon back into atmosphere as carbon dioxide, at a rate that is hundreds to thousands of times faster than it took to bury, and much faster than can be removed by the carbon cycle. Thus, the carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels accumulates in the atmosphere, some of which then dissolves in the ocean causing ocean acidification.
According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, 81 percent of the total energy used in the United States comes from coal, oil, and natural gas. This is the energy that is used to heat and provide electricity to homes and businesses and to run cars and factories. Unfortunately, fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource and waiting millions of years for new coal, oil, and natural gas deposits to form is not a realistic solution. Fossil fuels are also responsible for almost three-fourths of the emissions from human activities in the last 20 years.
There are several alternatives to fossil fuels i.e Renewable Sources of Energy, each with its own set of advantages and challenges. Solar Power and combination with other Renewable sources of Energy can be helpful in transition away from fossil fuels.
Agricultural Practices:
Livestock farming produces methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas, and the use of fertilizers can release nitrous oxide (N2O), another greenhouse gas.
a) Livestock Farming
Livestock farming is simply the management and breeding of domestic, livestock or farm animals for the purpose of obtaining their meat and products (milk, eggs, leather, etc.). It can also be described as the economic activity that involves raising domestic animals for human consumption and obtaining meat, milk, wool, fur etc
The cow is the most important animal for developing the human body to perfection. The body can be maintained by any kind of foodstuff, but cow’s milk is particularly essential for developing the finer tissues of the human brain so that one can understand the intricacies of knowledge. A civilized man is expected to live on foodstuffs comprising fruits, vegetables, grains, sugar and milk. The bull helps in the agricultural process of producing grain, etc., and thus in one sense the bull is the father of humankind, whereas the cow is the mother, for she supplies milk to human society. A civilized man is therefore expected to give all protection to the bulls and cows. In Kali-yuga, instead of drinking milk, people prefer to slaughter an animal and eat its flesh.
Livestock Farming i.e Bulls for Agriculture, Cows for Milk can be maintained but the maintenance of slaughterhouses for the satisfaction of the tongue and the killing of any animal unnecessarily should never be sanctioned.
Based on this chart, it's evident that the meat industry is a major contributor to air pollution, particularly under the label protein-rich foods. The data highlights the substantial environmental impact of meat production, including significant greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, which contribute to air quality concerns."
From the above Chart shifting to Vegetarian Diet and abstinence from killing animals will have positive effect on Environment
As human society is presently structured, there is sufficient production of grains all over the world. Therefore the opening of slaughterhouses cannot be supported. In some nations there is so much surplus grain that sometimes extra grain is thrown into the sea, and sometimes the government forbids further production of grain. The conclusion is that the earth produces sufficient grain to feed the entire population, but the distribution of this grain is restricted due to trade regulations and a desire for profit. Consequently in some places there is scarcity of grain and in others profuse production.
In 2022, The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has revealed that more than 25,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) of food grains were wasted in the last five years due to lack of storage facilities and unscientific methods of storing food grains.
From above it is clear that shifting to Plant based Diet can result in feeding more people and it also return more land for Afforestation which means more oxygen production and more Carbon absorption by Trees & Plants resulting in reduction of Air Pollution.
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b) Usage of fertilizers:
Heavy use of fertilizers is a major contributor to fine-particulate air pollution in much of the United States, Europe, Russia and China
Nitrogen and phosphorus are the two main fertilizers that farmers add to their fields. Research presented here shows that nearly two-thirds of the nitrogen we use on our crops becomes a pollutant; more than half of applied phosphorus does.
On April 19, 2000, a terrorist explosion destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, taking the lives of 168 people, injuring hundreds more. Many people were surprised to learn that the deadly blast was caused not by some high- security military explosive but by ordinary agricultural fertilizer mixed with fuel oil. How could a peaceful substance like crop fertilizer be used for such an insane and deadly purpose?
An Agricultural Testament, written in 1940 by Sir Albert Howard, the Grandfather of modern Organic farming:
The feature of the manuring of the West is the use of artificial manures. The factories engaged during the Great War in the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen for the manufacture of explosives had to find other markets. The use of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture increased, until today the majority of farmers and market gardeners base their manurial programme on the cheapest forms of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) on the market. What may be conveniently described as the NPK mentality dominates farming alike in the experimental stations and the countryside. Vested interests, entrenched in time of national emergency, have gained a stranglehold. (p. 18)
In other words, artificial nitrogen-based fertilizer is simply a by-product of the military technology of World War I. When the war ended, manufacturers had to find another market for nitrates, so they began to promote artificial fertilizer—with phenomenal success. Therefore when the federal office building was blown up a few months ago, the tragic fact is that the chemicals were only doing what they were originally designed to do—destroy things, and people.
It occurred that the devastation of the Alfred Murrah Building was only the most dramatic example of destruction by chemical fertilizer in the last fifty years. Conservationists like Sir Albert Howard have for decades lamented for soil destroyed when structure-building animal manure is replaced with powdery nitrates. Others have lamented the thousands or millions of small-farm families around the world who have been driven off the land by agribusinesses using tractors and chemical fertilizers.
At the beginning of the 19th century, there were almost no man-made nitrogen compounds in the environment. But in the years after the Haber-Bosch breakthrough, their levels began to skyrocket, driven by the massive uptake of synthetic fertilizers and other human activities like the manufacturing of munitions and the burning of fossil fuels, both of which create chemically reactive forms of nitrogen.
Nutrient run-off from farms laced with synthetic fertilizer has adversely affected land ecosystems, according to the United Nations-backed Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). But freshwater and marine habitats have been hit hardest, with recurrent algal blooms such as in Lake Erie, and “dead zones” bereft of aquatic life as in the Gulf of Mexico, it says.
When chemical fertilizer blows up a building it’s front-page news, but though newspapers take little notice, war-grown aggrotech kills people and cripples societies around the world, every year.
Switching to organic fertilizers or using compost can help reduce the risk of air and water pollution compared to synthetic fertilizers.
Wildfires
Fires can release large amounts of particulate matter and gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
In recent years, stories of widespread wildfires are impossible to miss in climate change-related news. Unprecedented fires have destroyed millions of hectares of land, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and eliminated entire habitats across the world.
Even if you don’t closely follow the news, you would have heard of the unprecedented and record-breaking fires that have hit several regions across the globe in recent years. Between 2019 and 2021, immense wildfires burned down more than 1 million hectares of land in Siberia, killed nearly 3 billion animals in southeastern Australia, and took hundreds of buildings down across the US state of California.
We take a look at what causes wildfires and what we can do to prevent them
Natural Causes of Wildfires - Lightning is the most common ignition source that causes the vast majority of wildfires
Human-Induced Wildfires -
Human-related events that can ignite fires range from open burning such as campfires, equipment failure, and the malfunction of engines to debris burning, negligent discarding of cigarettes on dry grounds as well as other intentional acts of arson.
According to government sources, 40% of wildfires that affect British Columbia in an average year are human-induced. In the US, the amount is more than double, with nearly 85% of the nearly 100,000 wildland fires that affect North America every year caused by human activities, according to data from the National Park Service. Here, man-made fires have tripled the length of North America’s fire seasons between 1992 and 2012, from 46 to 154 days. Over the 21-year study period, the major causes were debris burning and arson, while campfires and fireworks were responsible for ‘only’ 5% of fires. Furthermore, an analysis of more recent California fires found that human-sparked wildfires are more extreme and destructive than nature-induced ones as they move more than twice as fast, spreading about 1.83 kilometres per day.
Addressing climate change through mitigation efforts can help reduce the frequency and intensity of wildfires, as changing climate conditions are contributing to more extreme fire behavior.
Waste Management:
Landfills and air pollution are closely related, as waste disposal in landfills can contribute to various types of air pollution, affecting both local environments and the global atmosphere
Solutions and Mitigation Strategies
To reduce the impact of landfills on air pollution, several strategies can be implemented:
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Landfill Gas Capture Systems: Many modern landfills are equipped with systems to capture methane and other landfill gases. This gas can be used to generate energy, reducing the release of GHGs into the atmosphere.
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Waste Diversion: Diverting organic waste away from landfills through composting or anaerobic digestion can reduce the amount of methane produced. Recycling and reusing materials can also significantly cut down on the waste sent to landfills.
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Waste-to-Energy (WTE): In some cases, landfill gas can be used to produce electricity through waste-to-energy technologies. Although not without environmental challenges, these systems can reduce reliance on fossil fuels and decrease methane emissions.
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Banning Open Burning: Stricter regulations and enforcement on the burning of waste in landfills can reduce the release of toxic chemicals like dioxins and particulate matter.
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Improved Waste Management Policies: Governments and municipalities can promote better waste management practices, such as promoting zero-waste initiatives, enforcing recycling programs, and encouraging businesses to adopt circular economy practices.
Moving Toward a Circular Economy
A sustainable solution to the problem of landfills and air pollution is the shift towards a circular economy, which emphasizes reducing waste through reuse, recycling, and redesigning products for longevity. Key elements include:
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Waste Reduction: By encouraging less consumption and promoting product longevity, we can reduce the amount of waste entering landfills.
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Recycling and Composting: Efficient recycling systems and widespread composting can prevent organic waste from decomposing in landfills and reduce the release of methane and other harmful gases.
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Producer Responsibility: Holding manufacturers accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products can reduce waste and encourage more sustainable production practices.
Conclusion
Landfills are a significant source of air pollution, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, smog formation, particulate matter, and hazardous pollutants. The environmental and health impacts of these emissions are serious, especially for communities living near landfills. Solutions such as landfill gas capture, waste diversion, composting, and moving towards a circular economy can help mitigate these effects and promote a more sustainable waste management system. Reducing reliance on landfills is crucial for improving air quality and reducing the environmental footprint of human activity.
Natural Sources: Volcanic eruptions and dust storms can also contribute to air pollution.
Effects of Air Pollution
Air pollution has significant effects on human health, the environment, and the economy. These effects can be both immediate and long-term, and they vary depending on the type of pollutant and the exposure level. Below are some of the key impacts:
Health Effects
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Respiratory Diseases: Air pollution can cause or exacerbate conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory infections. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can penetrate deep into the lungs, leading to lung damage.
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Cardiovascular Issues: Long-term exposure to air pollution is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases. Pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) contribute to these risks.
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Cancer: Prolonged exposure to pollutants such as benzene and formaldehyde increases the risk of lung cancer and other cancers.
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Premature Death: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that millions of people die prematurely each year due to air pollution-related causes.
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Developmental and Neurological Issues: In children, air pollution can interfere with lung development, and some pollutants have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, like reduced IQ and attention problems.
Environmental Effects
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Acid Rain: Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) can lead to the formation of acid rain, which harms forests, lakes, and aquatic ecosystems. Acid rain damages vegetation, depletes nutrients in soil, and affects water quality.
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Ozone Depletion: Certain pollutants, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), break down ozone in the upper atmosphere, leading to increased UV radiation reaching Earth. This can cause skin cancer, cataracts, and harm wildlife.
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Climate Change: Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄), which are released by human activities, trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. This accelerates climate change, leading to more extreme weather patterns, rising sea levels, and the loss of biodiversity.
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Ecosystem Damage: Air pollution can cause direct harm to plants by damaging leaves and reducing photosynthesis. It also alters ecosystems by affecting soil and water quality, leading to a decline in biodiversity.
Effects on Wildlife
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Habitat Disruption: Air pollution can alter natural habitats, making them less suitable for wildlife. Acid rain, for instance, can lower the pH of water bodies, affecting aquatic life.
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Health Impacts on Animals: Just like humans, animals suffer from respiratory and cardiovascular issues due to polluted air. Toxic chemicals can accumulate in their bodies, leading to reproductive and developmental problems.
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Species Extinction: Sensitive species are at higher risk of extinction when exposed to high levels of pollution, particularly in aquatic ecosystems affected by acidification.
Air pollution has profound and far-reaching impacts across various aspects of life. Mitigating these effects requires coordinated efforts to reduce emissions, improve air quality, and transition to cleaner energy sources.
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (like rivers, lakes, oceans, and groundwater) by harmful substances, which affect ecosystems, human health, and the economy. It results from various human activities, and its effects can be wide-ranging and long-lasting.
1. Types of Water Pollution
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Chemical Pollution: This occurs when toxic substances, such as pesticides, heavy metals (lead, mercury), industrial chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, are released into water bodies. These chemicals can be lethal to aquatic life and harmful to humans.
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Nutrient Pollution: Excessive nutrients (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) from agricultural runoff, fertilizers, and sewage can lead to eutrophication, which causes algae blooms. This depletes oxygen in water, leading to "dead zones" where aquatic life cannot survive.
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Microbial Pollution: Caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites from untreated sewage or animal waste, microbial pollution poses serious health risks, especially in drinking water sources.
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Plastic Pollution: Plastics, particularly microplastics, contaminate oceans, rivers, and lakes. They pose risks to marine life, which can ingest them. Plastics in water can persist for hundreds of years, breaking down into smaller pieces but never fully degrading.
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Thermal Pollution: When industries discharge hot water into rivers or lakes, it raises the water temperature, disrupting aquatic ecosystems and leading to reduced oxygen levels in the water.
2. Sources of Water Pollution
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Agricultural Runoff: Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and animal waste from farms can wash into nearby water bodies, leading to nutrient pollution, chemical contamination, and pathogen spread.
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Industrial Waste: Factories often discharge pollutants like heavy metals, chemicals, and untreated wastewater into rivers and oceans, leading to severe contamination.
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Fast Fashion:
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Sewage and Wastewater: Untreated or inadequately treated sewage carries harmful microorganisms, chemicals, and waste into water bodies. In many developing regions, wastewater is directly dumped into rivers and oceans.
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Oil Spills: Leaks and spills from ships or offshore oil rigs release large amounts of oil into the ocean, severely affecting marine ecosystems and wildlife.
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Plastic Waste: Discarded plastics, which break down into microplastics, are carried by rivers into oceans, contributing to vast patches of ocean plastic waste.
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Urban Runoff: Rain water runoff from urban areas picks up pollutants like oil, grease, heavy metals, and other contaminants from roads and buildings, which eventually flow into waterways.
3. Effects of Water Pollution
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Health Effects
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Waterborne Diseases: Contaminated water can spread diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. Millions of people globally suffer from waterborne illnesses, particularly in areas lacking access to clean drinking water and sanitation.
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Toxicity: Pollutants such as heavy metals (lead, mercury) and industrial chemicals can cause poisoning in humans and animals. Long-term exposure may lead to cancers, organ damage, and reproductive health issues.
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Unsafe Drinking Water: Pollution contaminates drinking water sources, making it hazardous for consumption. This is a pressing issue in many developing countries where water treatment infrastructure is limited.
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Environmental Effects
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Aquatic Life and Ecosystems: Pollution harms fish, amphibians, and other aquatic organisms. Eutrophication from nutrient pollution depletes oxygen, creating dead zones where no life can survive. Toxic chemicals can accumulate in the food chain, harming larger animals, including humans.
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Habitat Destruction: Coral reefs, wetlands, and other critical habitats are affected by pollution, particularly from chemicals, plastics, and oil spills. These areas support biodiversity and serve as nurseries for marine species.
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Disruption of Food Chains: Pollutants like mercury and pesticides can accumulate in the tissues of organisms at the bottom of the food chain, causing bioaccumulation. This has a cascading effect, as larger predators consume contaminated prey, leading to widespread ecological disruption.
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Economic Effects
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Tourism: Pollution in beaches, lakes, and rivers deters tourism. Coral reefs, which attract millions of tourists annually, are particularly vulnerable to pollution, leading to revenue losses in the tourism sector.
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Clean-up Costs: Governments and industries spend significant resources on cleaning up polluted water bodies, oil spills, and contaminated beaches. This represents a heavy financial burden, particularly in industrialized regions.
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Social Effects
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Water Scarcity: Water pollution reduces the availability of clean, usable water, worsening water scarcity issues in regions already facing limited freshwater resources.
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Impact on Vulnerable Communities: Poor and marginalized communities often suffer the most from water pollution. In many cases, they live near industrial areas or depend on polluted water sources for daily needs, exacerbating health inequalities.
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4. Solutions to Water Pollution
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Improved Waste Management: Better waste treatment facilities and Sewage treatment facilities, stricter regulations on waste disposal, and minimizing plastic use are critical to reducing pollution levels.
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Sustainable Agriculture: Using biological fertilizers and pest control acquired from animal or plant waste instead of Chemical Pesticides and Synthetic Fertilizers , as well as adopting soil conservation practices, can reduce agricultural runoff. Implementing better irrigation systems and practices like planting trees or any plants near bodies of water to limit nutrient runoff is also essential.
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Regulation and Enforcement: Governments can implement and enforce laws that limit the discharge of pollutants from industries and municipalities into water bodies. Stricter standards on emissions and pollutants can help prevent contamination.
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Public Awareness and Education: Raising awareness about the effects of water pollution and encouraging sustainable practices in households and businesses is crucial. Public participation in cleanup efforts can also help reduce pollution at the community level.
Conclusion
Water pollution is a pressing global issue that has far-reaching consequences for human health, ecosystems, and economies. Addressing it requires concerted efforts from governments, industries, and individuals to reduce pollutants, adopt sustainable practices, and protect the vital water resources upon which life depends.
WATER POLLUTION
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97% water of Yamuna river is sucked in by canals just before Hathani Kund barrage. Rest evaporates after running few kilometers. Around 150 kilometers of Yamuna bed is completely empty.
What flows in Delhi and after that is nothing BUT untreated filthy dirty drain water from various drains dumped into Yamuna bed.
ISKCON DEVOTEES - SAVE YAMUNA CAMPAIGN
The River Yamuna is also described as the "River of grief " and "dirty river" in Delhi, Agra, and Mathura. This is mainly because of the seepage of untreated wastewater from the majority of Delhi's factories into the river, resulting in water that resembles an industrial sewer . Most industrial complexes near riverbanks either do not treat or only partially treat effluents before discharging them into waterways River water is extensively utilized for industrial production, thermal power, and hydroelectricity generation The discharge of industrial wastes leads to elevated concentrations of HM contamination in the area. In cities such as Faridabad, Mathura, Delhi, and Agra, numerous industrial facilities emit substantial quantities of untreated water into the Yamuna . According to a report 359 industrial facilities dispose of their effluents indirectly or straight into the river. It has been reported that 42 industrial units in Delhi directly contribute to Yamuna contamination .
And, just as Srila Prabhupada had promised in his talks and books, the morning bath in the Yamuna was like swimming in nectar. I remember submerging myself so that her flow came up to just below my eyes.
When there was no so-called advancement of civilization, people used to eat on utensils made of silver, gold, at least metal. Now they're using plastic. And still, they are proud of advancement of civilization. Actually it is anartha, anartha, unwanted things. At least, in, two hundred years ago in India, there was no industry. I think I am correct. Yes. But people were so happy.
Ninety per cent of the city's residential wastewater enters the Yamuna. It contains chemicals, phosphate compounds, laundry waste water, detergent, and other materials that cause harmful foam in the river
In a study ‘Polluted River Stretches for Restoration of Water Quality - 2022’, conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the water quality of 12 rivers in Telangana was monitored at 49 different locations.
At 37 locations on nine rivers, the quality of water did not conform to the prescribed Water Quality Criteria with respect to Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). Godavari, Karakavagu, Kinnersani, Krishna, Manair, Manjeera, Munneru, Musi, Nakkavagu figure in the list of nine polluted rivers in the State among which Musi is the highly polluted river with BOD at 66.0 (mg/L)
The environmental impact of fast fashion comprises the depletion of non-renewable sources, emission of greenhouse gases and the use of massive amounts of water and energy. About 700 gallons of water is required to produce one cotton shirt and 2 000 gallons of water is required to produce a pair of jeans.
In China, the factory of the world, it is estimated that 70 percent of the rivers and lakes are contaminated by the 2.5 billion gallons of wastewater produced by the textile industry.
“Low cost clothing has a high cost attached to it, one to the environment and public health,”
In the United States, we generate enough textile waste to fill the Mall of America-- the largest shopping mall in the country-- every six days. As a result, millions of garments produced every year are never worn before heading to a landfill or incinerator. When fashion brands are hyper-focused on endlessly pumping out the next trend, massive amounts of waste are inevitable.
The phrase “fast fashion” has gained prominence in discussions about sustainability, environmental conscience, and fashion. The term refers to cheaply produced and priced garments that copy the latest styles and get manufactured quickly through stores in order to maximize on current trends.
The fast fashion model gets its name from the speed at which clothes are designed, produced, distributed, and marketed. This allows retailers to draw big amounts of a wider range of products, giving customers more fashion and product distinction at a lower cost. Fast-fashion items are typically thrown away sooner rather than later due to their low quality, which contributes significantly to environmental issues.
According to a study done by The Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, “The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry, contributing 8% of all carbon emissions and 20% of all global wastewater, with an anticipated 50% increase in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.”
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A whale found dead at Wakatobi National Park in Sulawesi province, Indonesia. The animal's stomach contains 6kg of plastic litter.
An inspiring balance between tradition, environmental and social responsibility - Indian Wear embraced by Western World - ISKCON
An excellent illustration of the procedure was the creation of an intricate pink saree made for Sri Simantini Devi in Rajapur, where the entire Deity dress department worked hard to design and bring their vision to life. From beginning to end, this saree was hand-made by a family in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. This dress and multiple other elaborate dresses reflect the department’s perseverance, devotion and dedication to taking steps towards making the most mesmerizing and sustainable outfits for the God and contributing to make festivals even more special for the whole community - Ethical Fashion
Say no to straws, plastic cups, and plastic utensils when you dine and get out in the beach. Around the world, one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, while up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once — and then thrown away ! Here a 4 simple ways to reduce your plastic consumption :
REFUSE disposable plastic whenever and wherever possible. Choose items that are not packaged in plastic, and carry your own bags, containers and utensils. Say ‘no straw, please.’
REDUCE your plastic footprint. Cut down on your consumption of goods that contain excessive plastic packaging and parts. If it will leave behind plastic trash, don’t buy it.
REUSE durable, non-toxic straws, utensils, to-go containers, bottles, bags, and other everyday items. Choose glass, paper, Stainless steel Straws, wood, ceramic and bamboo over plastic.
RECYCLE what you can’t refuse, reduce or reuse. Pay attention to the entire life cycle of items you bring into your life, from source to manufacturing to distribution to disposal.
Soil pollution refers to the contamination of the soil with harmful substances that can negatively affect plant growth, animal life, and human health.
Soil pollution can cause an imbalance of the ecosystem of the soil. The soil is an important habitat and is the house of different type of microorganisms, animals, reptiles, mammals, birds, and insects. This pollution is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals, improper waste disposal, and mining.
Causes of Soil Pollution
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Industrial Waste: Chemicals and toxic substances from factories, including heavy metals (like lead, mercury, and cadmium), get absorbed into the soil.
2. Agricultural Practices: The excessive use of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides can lead to chemical buildup in the soil.
3.Mining Activities: Mining releases heavy metals and other harmful substances that seep into the soil.
The creation of landscape blots like open pits and piles of waste rocks due to mining operations can lead to the physical destruction of the land at the mining site. Such disruptions can contribute to the deterioration of the area's flora and fauna. There is also a huge possibility that many of the surface features that were present before mining activities cannot be replaced after the process has ended. The removal of soil layers and deep underground digging can destabilize the ground which threatens the future of roads and buildings in the area. For example, lead ore mining in Galena, Kansas between 1980 and 1985 triggered about 500 subsidence collapse features that led to the abandonment of the mines in the area. The entire mining site was later restored between 1994 and1995.
A landscape affected by mining can take a long time to heal. Sometimes it never recovers. Remediation efforts do not always ensure that the biodiversity of the area is restored. Species might be lost permanently.
4.Waste Disposal: Improper disposal of household waste, including plastics, electronics, and batteries, contributes to soil contamination.
5.Oil Spills: Leaks from oil pipelines or accidents in oil transportation can significantly degrade soil quality.
Effects of Soil Pollution
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Health Risks: Exposure to contaminated soil can lead to health problems like cancer, respiratory issues, and developmental problems in children.
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Loss of Soil Fertility: Pollution decreases the natural fertility of the soil, affecting crop productivity.
3.Ecosystem Disruption: Harmful chemicals in the soil can damage plant roots, disrupt microbial activity, and harm animals that depend on healthy soil for food.
4.Water Pollution: Contaminated soil can lead to the leaching of pollutants into groundwater, affecting drinking water supplies.
Solutions and Prevention
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Sustainable Farming Practices: Reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in favor of organic alternatives.
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Waste Management: Proper disposal and recycling of waste materials can help minimize soil contamination.
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Soil Remediation: Techniques like phytoremediation (using plants to absorb toxins) and soil washing can help clean contaminated soils.
4.Environmental Regulations: Governments can enforce stricter regulations on industries and waste management to prevent further pollution.
Addressing soil pollution is critical for maintaining healthy ecosystems, ensuring food security, and protecting human health.
SOIL POLLUTION
Large quantity of solid wastes like unused and rejected chemicals (like calcium carbonate, magnesium sulphate, ferrous chloride, ferrous oxide, radioactive wastes, fly ashes, sludge, press mud, saw dust, bottles, plastic materials) unwanted industrial wastes generated during manufacturing processes (rejection, broken items of metal, plastic, wooden or chemical solids, powders) are dumped over on the surface of soil by almost all industries with difference in the degree. Larger the production base, larger is the generation of wastes. Traditionally, these materials have been dumped around the factory site or around the entire city. Rarely, they are put to recycling or safe conversion. All these solid materials dumped on surface of soils are bound to change the chemical and physical nature of soil besides contributing large quantity of pollutants to underground water – whenever rain water passes through them. In most situations, solid wastes have caused problems such as foul smell (sugar and paper industry), disturbed air composition (fly ash from thermal power plants and cement industries) changed the physical nature of soil (coal and steel industrial wastes), as well as radioactive dangers (atomic power plants).
Inorganic residues in industrial waste cause serious problems as regards their disposal. They contain metals which have high potential for toxicity. Industrial activity also emits large amounts of arsenic fluorides and sulphur dioxide (SO2). Fluorides are found in the atmosphere from superphosphate, phosphoric acid, aluminium, steel and ceramic industries. Sulphur dioxide emitted by factories and thermal plants may make soils very acidic. These metals cause leaf injury and destroy vegetation. Through industrial waste some elements can accumulate in soil like Copper, mercury, cadmium, lead, nickel, arsenic etc.
Organic waste from industrial dispose seriously affects human health, plants and animals. Organic wastes contain borates, phosphates, detergents in large amounts. These elements affect the growth of plants. The main organic contaminants are phenol and coal. Asbestos, combustible materials, gases like methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, petrol are also contaminants. The radioactive materials like uranium, thorium, strontium etc. also cause soil pollution. Microbial decomposition of organic wastes generates large quantities of methane that pollute the soil and water flowing on its surface.
Heavy metals like cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, nickel, lead, mercury, manganese etc. can cause soil pollution. Underground soil can be polluted by the deposition of cadmium, chromium, lead, arsenic, selenium etc.
In pre-industrial agriculture, people used oxen to plow the land, and their manure was used to fertilize crops. Industrial agriculture encourages use of machinery to till the land (sending cattle to slaughterhouses) and of chemical fertilizers to replace natural organic manure. In traditional agriculture, people grew diverse crops together (referred to as polyculture or biodiversity). This ensures food security in case some crops fail. Further, diverse crops cooperate with one another. For example, in Native American polyculture gardens, corn, climbing beans, and winter squash (the “three sisters”) were grown together. The corn provides a structure for the beans to climb; the beans provide the nitrogen to the soil that the other plants use; and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight, retaining moisture, and helping prevent the establishment of weeds.
Industrial agriculture, however, selects a few commercially beneficial crops and encourages monocultures in cultivation. From 1960 to 2000, the industrialized “Green Revolution” in the Indian state of Punjab saw increased wheat acreage from 29.58% to 44.5% and increased rice acreage from 4.79% to 25%. Meanwhile, the area under pulses dropped from 19% to 0.21%, oilseeds from 3.9% to 0.71%, and millets from 11.26% to 0.21%.
Today India imports its pulses. Where a basketful of variety could have been obtained, now there is scarcity of important dietary supplements, severely affecting nutrition. Monocultures also result in eventual disappearance of indigenous crop varieties due to lack of cultivation. Across the world the industrial farming model perpetrated by giant multinational corporations encourages cultivation of a handful of crops, like corn, soya, canola, and wheat. Much more of it goes to feed animals in slaughterhouses than to feed people. Vested commercial interests limit the variety of food crops.
“We shall never use this artificial fertilizer on our farms. It is forbidden in the sastras. If you plant easily grown crops once in the year, then the earth will not become exhausted. Don’t overuse the land.” – Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 11, 1976
“One must have his food locally. That is good civilization.” – Srila Prabhupada, Lecture at World Health Organization, Geneva, June 6, 1974.
Soil is the earth’s fragile skin that anchors all life on Earth. It is comprised of countless species that create a dynamic and complex ecosystem and is among the most precious resources to humans. Increased demand for agriculture commodities generates incentives to convert forests and grasslands to farm fields and pastures. The transition to agriculture from natural vegetation often cannot hold onto the soil and many of these plants, such as coffee, cotton, palm oil, soybean and wheat, can actually increase soil erosion beyond the soil’s ability to maintain itself.
Half of the topsoil on the planet has been lost in the last 150 years. In addition to erosion, soil quality is affected by other aspects of agriculture. These impacts include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation, and soil salinity. These are very real and at times severe issues.
The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land. It has led to increased pollution and sedimentation in streams and rivers, clogging these waterways and causing declines in fish and other species. And degraded lands are also often less able to hold onto water, which can worsen flooding. Sustainable land use can help to reduce the impacts of agriculture and livestock, preventing soil degradation and erosion and the loss of valuable land to desertification.
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