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relationship of environment and human being
global warming effects
effects of climate change on the planet
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Over the last few years I have noticed the environment becoming more and more cluttered. This might be because my intelligence has risen and I have noticed details about my environment. I have noticed little things such as some sort of dirt surface lightly covering the side of my house. At first I thought this texture was soil that had blown up in the wind, but after more observation of the wind and air I noticed I was wrong. So I thought the soil was actually smoke coming from a factory that was just less then a mile from my house.
Since I live in the small community of Dowagiac, Michigan I ruled the cause of air pollution out when first investigating. In my mind I placed the blame of the earth substance on a crop duster and his pesticides. Farmers are always in a confrontation with insects because of their annihilation of crops. Farmers will use chlorinated hydrocarbons to spray their harvests, which are poisons to insects as well as any fish, birds, invertebrates, and mammals (Turk pg. 43). This is something a small town boy shouldn't have to be concerned about. He can't catch fish because there all dead, he can't hunt because his prey is dead, and he is in fear of his health.
In 1954 several eastern Illinois communities were sprayed aerially in attempt to kill Japanese beetles. In this effort, numerous "species of birds were almost completely annihilated, ground squirrels were almost eradicated, most farm cats died, and some sheep were even killed"(Turk pg. 43). Yet the Japanese beetles continued to move west. After this a bird or animal may come and eat a chemical infected insect causing them to become sick and die. This could even corrupt the food chain by transporting the pest chemicals in to a human b...
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...his keeps up, the chemicals could penetrate the siding of my house causing vast expenses. Not everyone gets the privilege to notice these problems, so they often think nothing of it, but I think with time everyone will notice.
Bibliography
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Neuzil, Mark. Mass Media & Environmental Conflict. London: SAGE Publications,
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Turk, Amos. Ecology, Pollution, Environment. Philadelphia: Saunders Co., 1972
Rachel Carson’s seminal 1962 book, Silent Spring, told the real-life story of how bird populations across the country were suffering as a result of the widespread application of the synthetic pesticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), which was being used widely to control mosquitoes and others insects. Carson reported that birds ingesting DDT tended to lay thin-shelled eggs which would in turn break prematurely in the nest, resulting in marked population declines. The problem drove bald eagles, our national symbol, not to mention peregrine falcons and other bird populations, to the brink of extinction, with populations plummeting more than 80 percent (Mildred, 2012).
Imagine living in a smog, pollution free environment where the air was clean and skies were clear. Unfortunately, we do not have this luxury of that reality in the Central Valley. As many are aware, the Central Valley has a reputation of being one of the most polluted areas in California. With the air so polluted, it makes living in the Central Valley a little more difficult for everyone, whether it is realized or not. Although there are many reasons that cause the air to be polluted, the air in the Central Valley is polluted mainly because of the large manufacture infrastructures, semi/diesel trucks, fireplaces, and farming. Indeed, there are many reasons for air pollution, but let’s move on to the first reason.
When we think of air pollution we think of the refineries in our cities and the exhaust coming from our cars mostly. In reality there are many more pollutants that we don't think about every day. The six most common air pollutants are; “Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxides, Sulphur oxides, Particulate matter, Volatile organic compounds, and Ground-level ozone (nitrogen oxide and Volatile organic compounds reaction)”(David Suzuki Foundation). The fact is people are dying from air pollution and we are doing nothing to make it better, in fact air pollution is getting worse.
People who work or exercise outside for a lengthy period are also vulnerable. Exposure to air pollution increases sensitivity to allergens, impairs lungs, causes asthma attacks and death (Climate change, 2007). Air pollution can cause short-term respiratory symptoms such as coughing, throat irritation, and shortness of breath (California’s drought, 2015). The most harmful pollutants in the air are ozone, fine particles, and air toxics. Since the drought causes warmer weather, levels of ozone or smog increase in the air. Ozone is the principal component of smog and it is dangerous on ground level, which affects human health, crops, and buildings. Ozone smog is formed when vehicle and factory pollution react with sunlight and heat (Climate change, 2007). The lack of storms due to the drought eliminates the natural cleansing effect of precipitation. The low levels of precipitation trap fine particles on ground level. Fine particles in the air are harmful when inhaled and can heighten respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis. Air toxics are the chemicals in the air that can cause cancer or serious health problems. Mercury, asbestos, and benzene are dangerous air toxics and diesel exhaust particulate is the number one airborne carcinogen in California (California’s drought, 2015). Allergens in the air also affect pollution as
In 1996, the Asian Longhorn Beetle made its way into the New York and New Jersey creating the decimation of the forests. The Asian Longhorn Beetle has so far caused the cutting of over 10,000 trees in New Jersey, and quarantine of 109 miles in New York today . The spread of this foreign beetle has created great impacts on the environment. The Asian Longhorn Beetle is an invasive specie, a harmful specie from another locations, mainly other countries, that has ended up in a foreign habitat. As time has progressed, invasive species have continued to come into our environment more frequently creating many unforeseen consequences. The relationship of invasive species within the United States’ environment and ecosystem has been changing ever since the arrival of the Europeans in the 1700s to present day. Due to these encounters with other species whether harmful or neutral, the majority, if not all, of the United States has been affected with the threatening encroachment of native species due to the industrialization of waterways and transportation.
The necessity to find environmentally safe insecticides as well as materials to combat species res...
Darwin would be delighted to find the insect population proves his theory of survival of the fittest. Chemical spraying kills off the weaker insects and allows the stronger ones to survive who are more and more resistant to sprays. It was DDT, Carson says, that ushered in “The Age of Resistance” (p. 233) as the genetics of insects even far from spraying sites registered the information that insecticides were not lethal to them. Resistance is developing so fast it has become a health crisis, in terms of mosquitoes, ticks, lice, cockroaches, and other vectors of disease. One method of dealing with the problem is to keep switching insecticides, but that has a limited success. Chemical companies keep inventing
...ortation of plants, fruits, vegetables, and animals. Indiscriminate pesticide use kills the good with the bad. Long term and wide spread pesticide use poisons underground water sources, which, in turn, poison plants, animals, and humans. And, finally, by our uninformed actions, new super races of pests continue to evolve and create even greater dangers than the original.
Central California has a unique geography that helps contribute to the poor air quality. I will present information from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution District and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to provide details on the high levels of pollutants in the Central Valley and possible causes. After which, I will discuss ways I, and others, can improve the air around us and protect our health.
There are billions of pounds of pesticides that are produced annually, despite the research showing how dangerous this overuse is. In fact, “recent research has documented the fact that certain pesticides use may actually increase pest problems” (Pojman, 2017, p. 800). This further demonstrates how pesticides are generally harmful rather than helpful. There are multiple organisms which pesticides affect, including poisoning humans, domestic animals, bees, while also causing a loss in crops, reducing populations of natural enemies, and growing pesticide resistance. Specifically, in the case of bee poisonings, the overall death of these bees results in the loss of 135 million dollars each year. There is also evidence that recently there have been more bee poisonings since 1962, since highly toxic insecticides are being used, while greater amounts of insecticides are being dispensed. Pesticides are also deployed through aircraft, allowing drifting problems. Additionally, insecticides are used by many populations other than farmers, including “golf-course managers, gardeners, and other landowners” to simply deal with their daily unwanted pests that will damage their flowers and crops (Williams, 2014, p. 33). If these insecticides are sprayed near a bee’s habitat or nest site, they will be harmed either immediately or subtly in regards to their behavior. Even worse, there are certain pesticides which treat seeds and thus allow it to be present in the plant’s tissue. This means that bees are being exposed to pesticides through pollen and nectar. In a study by Guseman, the goal was to discover which combinations of compounds were causing bees the most harm, so that a solution could be found. According to the study, bees are exposed to potentially dangerous pesticides in two distinct ways, through “in-hive miticides to control parasites and through the foraging activity of adult bees who collect pollen
Frost got a lot of his ideas from, as it sounds like the kind of thing
Before the 1940s, poisons in the form of metal were extremely popular. However, new substances that cause internal bleeding in pests have replaced those poisons within a decade because of their efficiency, and they are still used today (“Rodenticides: Background & Hazards”). As reported by an article from the Safe Rodent Control Resource Center, “primary poisoning can result from wild birds, pets, or even children eating baited rodenticides, while secondary poisoning of birds and mammals, including dogs and cats, can accompany the ingestion of poisoned rodents” (“Rodenticides: Background & Hazards”). It is stated under the section called “Threats and Conservation” by author Marianne Taylor that in several areas throughout the world, “the use of pesticides impact owls, leaving them with less prey to hunt, while some pesticides persist in the food chain and cause direct poisoning among predator species” (Taylor 79). This shows that pesticides are killing predators by reducing the number of poison-free prey available to consume. In addition, these organisms cannot identify intoxicated prey, and it is more than likely that a poisoned creature will be caught, as it is easier to target an ill rodent than one in good health (“History”). If a poisoned rodent is digested, its toxins are passed down the food chain. Rodenticides and other such chemicals are harming not only the organisms intended to control, but also the predators of those organisms. Alternatives to pesticides are needed to preserve and maintain numerous food
Pesticides are frequently used in this community. Almost all farmers use pesticides every day to help keep malicious, hungry animals away from their crops, most of which have been linked to illnesses further down the road by consumers, or even pregnant mothers in some cases, involving those responsible for applying the chemicals. All in all, it is no secret that these chemicals are nothing to toy with. As a matter of fact, they themselves have the potential to severely affect the health or kill unsuspecting, or perhaps impair workers.
parts of the forest to grow crops on since the trees grew so well they
Pesticides are contaminating the Earth’s water supplies. There are seventeen pesticides found in twenty-three state’s water supplies right now. Scientists at Cornell University conclude that 99% of pesticides miss the intended source and find their way into the water, air and soil. Most of the pollution isn’t strong enough to create an immediate impact on humans so the wildlife is the primary target to these contaminates. Animals such as the European Starling birds are constantly being tested and found that they are greatly affected both behaviorally and psychologically.