ANTI - POLLUTION CAMPAIGN
What is Pollution?
According to National Geographic, Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. This occurs when a contaminant is introduced into a natural environment causing harm to living resources and ecosystems including loss of biodiversity, hazards to human health and etc. It implies that the contaminants have an anthropogenic source, it means pollution originated mainly due to human activities.
Pollution is a widespread word. It is everywhere, you may not notice it, but it surrounds us like a person covered with mist. Pollution can make us ill. It breaks nature, destroys it, and eventually, it kills everything slowly. The most common types of pollution are water pollution, land pollution, and air pollution, every kind of pollution has its way and style on how to affect all living things.
It is said that one of the greatest threats that humankind is facing today is pollution. Pollution is said to be linked to 16% of all deaths back in 2015. To be specific, nine million premature deaths worldwide were related to pollution (mainly air pollution). If we evaluate it to those who have died from smoking, hunger, and natural disasters, it is higher than these three (Alexandra Sifferlin, 2017).
How pollution affects living things
On humans:
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In 2017, Pollution is responsible for 15% of all deaths globally.
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Air pollution alone kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.
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According to the United Nations (UN), 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water services.
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A person may ingest microplastics via drinking water or through eating contaminated seafood.
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According to the UN, every year, approximately 297,000 children under five die from diseases linked to poor sanitation, poor hygiene, or unsafe drinking water due to water pollution.
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Heart-related risks increased in the elderly including having a heart attack, heart surgery, and/or dying due to coronary heart disease.
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Soil contamination caused by land pollution leads to breathing disorders, birth defects, skin diseases, and cancer.
On Wildlife:
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Animals are forced to shift habitats and adapt to new conditions. As a result, some species are at risk of extinction.
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Water pollution such as oil spills affects wildlife, according to MarineBio.org, more than 100,000 sea birds along with more than 1,000 sea otters died after the Exxon Valdez oil spill
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Air pollution has been linked to changes in both physiology and behavior in toads and other amphibians.
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