It seems like these two words are on the lips of every person these days. It has become a great subject for discussion and has become the worst possible problem Earth has to suffer. It affects the health and life of people, and it has even attracted the attention of the World Health Organisation.
When we talk about the environment, it refers to our surroundings. Your environment includes plant life, animal life, air and water, but a lot of factors have had a negative impact on our environment, factors such as the development of big industries, the increase in the number of vehicles on the roads and deforestation. The health and happiness of all mankind depends to a great extent upon the environment.
The situation now is grim and is especially serious in the big cities of the world. It is a universal fact that much of the Earth is polluted. Today many of the rivers around the world are polluted and the water in them is unfit for drinking.
Air pollution is even more dangerous than water pollution. Our air is polluted due to industrialisation and the invention of thousands of industrial machines. The poisonous smoke of these factories, industries and vehicles pollute our vital environments. Another great problem is CFC. This chemical is usually present in things made of rubber. CFC destroys the ozone layer, the layer of the atmosphere that protects us from ultra violet radiation which is very harmful to the eyes.
Another big problem is deforestation. When we use products made of paper, the demand for paper increases so more trees have to be cut down to meet the demand. When the trees are cut down, a lot of animals lose their homes.
It is not so easy to solve the problem of pollution. If we want to stop pollution, we should first stop using things made of plastic, reduce the amount of water and electricity we use and stop using items made of rubber. We should also try to use less paper and use more items made from recycled paper. If we all do our part, we can help the Earth to become a better place to live.
Sanjay Johnson, age 13
