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Photo by Tom Fisk |
Air pollution is the result of releasing harmful substances to the air. Those substances pollute the atmosphere around us and cause many effects. Air pollution is not a recent crisis. According to some records, it is dated back to centuries even before the industrial revolution. Air pollution causes various harm to people, animals and the environment. It is another crisis mostly caused by human activities on earth.
Some of the main causes of air pollution are fossil fuel combustion such as burning gasoline in cars, oil for home heating and fracked gas in power plants. All of them release pollutants. Another cause is the industrial processes like manufacturing, chemical production and coal-fired power plants that contribute to this crisis. Besides, some agricultural activities also pollute the air. For example, farming activities include methane emissions from livestock, but not as much as the causes mentioned above.
Likewise the other environmental crises, air pollution too, has devastating impacts on humans, animals and the environment. Air pollution is linked to the death of nearly 7 million people every single year. It is harmful for respiratory diseases, heart conditions and cancer. It also affects climate change. Greenhouse gasses trap the heat which exacerbates global warming. Causing more damages. Another negative effect is on the ecosystem. It influences the soil quality, water and wildlife. Many creatures who play no role in causing this crisis are destined to suffer such as wild animals.
Let’s remember that we only have one planet.
By M. Nargis