Another key way that humans are destroying (polluting) the environment is through their uncontrolled disposal of water bottles. When a bottle of water is purchased, the cost is primarily for the plastic. However, people tend to overlook the environmental cost. The production process of water bottle from manufacturing to disposing is costly. Most plastic bottles are manufactured from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, fashioned from crude oil (Schriever, 2013). Oil extraction discharges harm habitats and greenhouse gases, in addition to casting toxins into the atmosphere.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics photodegrade (do not biodegrade), which infers that they over time disintegrate to smaller fragments. The fragments absorb contaminants that pollute the waterways, soil, and sicken animals (that we ultimately consume). Also, plastic trash absorbs organic pollutants such as PCBs and BPA. They take too long to decompose whereas sitting in landfills (Schriever, 2013), resulting in infinite billions of small environmentally toxic time bombs.
There are various processes involved from production until the point where it reaches the final consumer (as indicated in the template) (Schriever, 2013). In all these processes, some amount of energy, mostly in the form of fossil fuel, is consumed and its byproducts discharged to the environment, causing pollution.
Functioning of the four biogeochemical cycles
The Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle comprises a number of inter-related cycles. Generally, the effect is constant recycling of carbon in the continuous dynamic processes in the atmosphere, in the earth’s crust, and at the surface. Wood combustion, for instance, deposits carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is absorbed by plants and turned to nutrients for sustenance and growth (Soundry, 2008). Animals consume the plants for food and nutrients, and exhale Carbon dioxide to the atmosphere when breathing.
The atmospheric CO2 dissolves in the huge water bodies (ocean) where eventually, it falls in sediments as carbonate. The sediments are sub-ducted by the tectonic plates’ activities, liquefied, and later brought to surface through volcanicity. Carbon dioxide is, during volcanic eruptions, deposited in the
It starts in the atmosphere, then moves, gets used, and placed into multiple different reservoirs. Nature causes the carbon to move through animals and plants. The fast carbon cycle is measured within a lifespan. It runs through the atmosphere, plants, animals, and soil. The slow carbon takes eons for carbon to move from the reservoirs, consisting of the surface ocean, deep ocean, and fossil fuels.“...takes between 100-200 million years to move” (Riebeeck p.2). Carbon that is stored into abiotic and biotic organisms, creates matter. Without carbon, fossil fuels wouldn’t be created (or anything alive, for that matter.) “Carbon is the backbone of life” (Riebeeck p.1). The carbon cycle somewhat regulates the concentration of carbon in one area by having multiple
There are various types of air pollution contributors in California such as fire generated pollutants and vehicle traffic, which add particulate matter and carbon monoxide into the air we breathe. According to an article by Union of Concerned Scientists (Cars, trucks, and air pollution, 2014) particulate matter is made up of fine particles soot and metal that can pose serious threats to human health when deep in the lungs. Other pollutants emitted from vehicles are: nitrogen oxide which lowers the body’s defense system against respiratory infections such as pneumonia, carbon monoxide which blocks oxygen from reaching vital organs, sulfur dioxide which is emitted by both power plants and vehicles affect children and asthmatics, and hazardous air pollutants (toxics) which are chemicals that are linked to cancer, birth defects and other illnesses (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014).
Air Pollution today has lead CDC's fight against environmental -related respiratory illness, including asthma.An estimated number of 6.5 million deaths are attributed each year to poor air quality, making this the world's largest threat to human health.According to the World Energy Outlook and the IEA estimate that death due to household air pollution in Africa may decrease by 110,00 to 2040.However, due to economic growth, urbanization and automobile emissions, outdoor air pollution may rise from 300,00 to 450,000 over the same period. Am going to be looking at the causes of air pollution. the problems emerging with air pollution and also how we as a community can help decrease the amount of death rate associated with air pollution.I remember growing up in Africa Air pollution was always a talk about a subject that always comes out because it is really contagious due to the fact that we are breathing bad air that is caused by our human contribution to the environment.Air pollution is considered to be a public health problem, it is responsible for most of our health problems after some research has been conducted in many different parts of the world and regions. According to the Geochemistry and Health paleopathological research suggests that air pollution is a form of smoke, plagued our oldest ancestors.Air pollution has emerged as one of the leading risk factors for stroke worldwide.
Every time we burn fossil fuels such as gas, coal or oil, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Naturally, carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by plants and trees and exceeded as oxygen. However, humans are burning fuels quicker than the plants and trees are able to soak them up.
In the carbon cycle, the key events are the complementary reactions of respiration and photosynthesis. Respiration takes carbohydrates and oxygen and combines them to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy. Photosynthesis (6CO + 12H O + Light Energy C H O + 6O +6H O) takes carbon dioxide and water and produces carbohydrates and oxygen. The outputs of respiration are the inputs of photosynthesis, and the outputs of photosynthesis are the inputs of respiration. The reactions are also complementary in the way they deal with energy. Photosynthesis takes energy from the sun and stores it in the carbon-carbon bonds of carbohydrates; respiration releases that energy. Both plants and animals carry on respiration, but only plants and other producers can carry on photosynthesis. The chief reservoirs for carbon dioxide are in the oceans and in rock. Carbon dioxide dissolves readily in water. Once there, it may precipitate as a solid rock known as calcium carbonate. Corals and algae encourage this reaction and build up limestone reefs in the process. On land and in the water, plants take up carbon dioxide and convert it into carbohydrates through photosynthesis. This carbon in the plants now has 3 possible endings. It can be returned to the atmosphere by the plant through respiration; it can be eaten by an animal, or it can be present in the plant when the plant dies. Animals obtain all their carbon in their food, and, thus, all carbon
43% of the plastic is wasted on a global scale by being disposed of in landfills where all it does it
As the carbon dioxide (CO2) level in the atmosphere rises, as a result of ongoing burning of fossil fuels and emissions from land-use changes, an increasing amount of the gas is absorbed by the
Carbon Dioxide is generated primarily through the burning of fossil fuels, solid waste, trees and wood products. Deforestation and solid degradation also add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. It negative effects can be reduced by forest growth, which takes it out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis.
Some of the most prevalent causes of CO2 levels in Earth’s atmosphere are the burning of fossils fuels, deforestation, and volcanic degassing. Fossil fuels are naturally formed fuels such as coal or natural gas that are formed by organic material such as plants. When fossil fuels are burned, the carbon that is locked in them is released into the atmosphere to bond to oxygen to form carbon dioxide. This CO2 has nowhere to go except into the air. There are some natural “sinks” that act as nets for greenhouse gasses. Forests and oceans are the largest sinks on the planet. CO2 is absorbed by plants to use for photosynthesis and when forests are cut down, the area available to take in CO2 excess decreases. The ocean can only hold so much CO2 and is currently holding approximately 1/3 of its’ limit. (Pickrell) Volcanic
Carbon dioxide is one of the major greenhouse gases, and is one of the most common gases found in the earth’s atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere in mass amounts by human activities and then absorbed by our oceans. The main way that carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere is by the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. Increased energy composition and with the industrialization age, beginning in the 18th century, has led to a drastic spike in the burning of fossil fuels and therefore the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The main emitters of carbon dioxide are cars, airplanes, and factories
Now going back to what the carbon cycle actually is. It is a way nature reuses carbon atoms in
By cutting down trees that use carbon dioxide, or takes it out of the air, makes the carbon
Carbon Dioxide plays a key role in the atmosphere. This gas has properties that allow it to sustain and hold in heat, which in turn warms the planet (EIA, 2004). Carbon, the primary component of carbon dioxide; is also the essential molecule for life and is the most basic building block found in all organic compounds. Human activities been blamed for the disruption of the earth’s natural carbon cycles and according to some studies, carbon is being added to the atmosphere faster than the natural processes that sequestrate it. The massive carbon sinks that naturally regulated and fixated excess carbon dioxide have been destroyed as humans have deforested ancient forests for the
The disadvantages about recycling plastics is that it takes money, time, and energy to recycle plastic itself. Recycling plants also use electricity, as much as it recycles it uses up resources and in great quantities because plants are big and are recycling a lot of material. Not everyone is informed on what is recyclable for instance car tiers vulcanized rubber like in car tires cannot be melted down and used again to make more tiers but many people have the misconception that there are recyclable when in reality they are not they can no longer be broken down and the recycled tiers will be shredded and burned in coal plants vulcanized rubber will last an extremely long time in a landfill creating more pollution for the air.
Plastic water bottles are seen and consumed everywhere. Without knowing the deadly effects that water bottles have on the environment, consumers will keep buying them and contribute to the problem. About 17 million barrels of oil are used each year solely to make water bottles