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Copyrighted. Temasek Academy 2A/06 Hitchhikers.
Hitchhiker's Guide to Globalisation
Navigations at the right.
Pollution: Nature & Humans@
Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 10:37:00 PM
Image from: http://www.resurgence.org/resurgence/issues/roberts000.htm
In the above picture, it shows the Earth being ill. One may ask: why is the Earth ill? I think globalisation is the cause of it. I have two views to this picture: the first being that nature itself is depleting and the other, humans are being endangered.
Nature depleting
As mentioned in previous posts, due to our advanced technology, nature is depleting. The technology that man has invented, expanded and used is causing much pollution to Earth. These pollutions destroy nature.
Pollution here refers to contaminating nature. To briefly mention the types of pollution: Factories produce many toxics such as poisonous gas and thus contribute to air pollution. Our daily products always make use of plastic, a non-biodegradable substance, contributing to land pollution. Big cargo ships or even small ships may have accidents and have oil leaks which in turn contribute to water pollution. Not to mention common activities like drilling holes, can contribute to sound pollution.
I have to say, with the marked increase in human population and the industrialization of much of the globe, in other words globalisation, has come a whole new set of pollutants.
Scientific advances based upon understanding the chemical and physical forces underlying nature have led to new processes and new products that have transformed society and have had a major positive impact on human health. But these industrial activities also result in air and water emissions and contamination of the soil and of food as by-products of the processes involved in manufacture. The products themselves may be the means by which pollutants are distributed to the general population, such as lead poisoning through the use of lead in house paints.
There are basically three types of energy sources: the burning of fossil fuels and biomass; nuclear power; and energy derived from natural processes (sun, wind, water). Energy from fossil fuels results from the conversion of carbon to carbon dioxide, with the least efficient and most polluting fossil fuels reflecting the extent of components other than carbon and hydrogen in the fuel source. The most plentiful fossil fuel is coal, which is also among the most polluting. Coal contains mineral ashes, nitrogen, and sulphur, which produce particulates, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides, when coal is burned.
Did you know? The use of high-sulphur coal for electric power generation and for home heating was a dominant cause of major air pollution episodes in London in 1952, Donora, Pennsylvania, in 1948, and the Meuse Valley in Belgium in 1930. The combustion of all fossil fuels produces nitrogen oxides, which are a major precursor of ozone and particulates. One form of nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide, is itself a pollutant of concern. Carbon dioxide, the end product of efficient fossil fuel energy production, is a major contributor to global climate change. Basically, the burning of fossil fuels contributes to global warming.
In addition, the usage of fossil fuels means that humans are taking from nature. Nature needs a lot of time to replenish itself. Humans’ constant taking from nature do not allow nature to replenish. This, in time, will end up with us humans with no more fossil fuels. When that time comes, humans will not be able to survive with these needed fuel sources. And thus lead to human extinction. This brings about my next point: Endangered Humans.
Endangered Humans
As I have said above, humans will face extinction sooner or later if we keep on using nature without letting nature replenish itself. However, a more important issue is pollution. I have already explained how pollution comes about above. Besides polluting nature, man’s activities pollute us too.
I believe the type of pollution we should take note of the most is air pollution. Air pollution is made up of many kinds of gases, droplets and particles that reduce the quality of the air. We breathe through this air, so it is important for us that the air is pure and clean.
However, cars, buses and airplanes, as well as industry and construction in major cities may cause air pollution. Also in the country, dust from tractors plowing fields, trucks and cars driving on dirt or gravel roads, rock quarries and smoke from wood and crop fires may cause air pollution. Air pollution is everywhere. There is no way we will be able to achieve the ideal pure and clean air.
This is why humans’ health gets into the picture. Air pollution can irritate the eyes, throat and lungs. Burning eyes, cough and chest tightness are common with exposure to high levels of air pollution. Different people can react very differently to air pollution. Some people may notice chest tightness or cough, while others may not notice any effects. Because exercise requires faster, deeper breathing, it may increase the symptoms. People with heart disease, such as angina (chest pain), or with lung disease, such as asthma or emphysema, may be very sensitive to air pollution exposure, and may notice symptoms when others do not.
California Case Study
Air pollution continues to be an important public health concern. A number of air pollutants, coming out of a variety of industrial processes, impact the health of California residents. Air-monitoring shows that over 90% of Californians breathe unhealthy levels of one or more air pollutants during some part of the year. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) establishes health-based ambient air quality standards to identify outdoor pollutant levels that are considered safe for the public – including those individuals most sensitive to the effects of air pollution, such as children and the elderly.
The ARB has set standards for eight "traditional" pollutants, such as ozone and particulate matter. In addition to setting standards, the ARB identifies other air pollutants as toxic air contaminants (TACs) – pollutants that may cause serious, long-term effects, such as cancer, even at low levels. Most air toxics have no known safe levels, and some may accumulate in the body from repeated exposures. The Board has identified about 200 pollutants as air toxics, and measures continue to be adopted to reduce emissions of air toxics. Both traditional pollutants and toxic air contaminants are measured statewide to assess programs for cleaning the air. The ARB works with local air pollution control districts to reduce air pollution from all sources.
So we can see, due to globalisation in technology, nature and human health have been adversely affected.
Resources:
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/asthma/triggers/085.html
http://www.answers.com/pollution
http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/health/health.htm
Environmental & Health Expert,
Elysia Ong.Labels: Globalisation and Environment
Hitchhikers*
US;
THE GLOBALISERS FIVE
of Temasek Academy.
Political Expert
Chuang Ying Xuan
Economic Expert
Lin Xiaowei
Technological Expert
Michelle Ng
Environmental & Health Expert
Ong Wei Xi Elysia
Cultural Expert
Tan Eelyn
2A/06, Group 5.
AWARDS;
7th April 2007:
Globalisation & the Environment
Image from: http://www.resurgence.org/resurgence/issues/roberts000.htm