Thursday, August 23, 2012

Pollution


Environmental issues have grown largely over the past several decades due to human interactions and activities.  One of these that Roderick Nash mentioned in
“Island Civilization” is pollution.  It seems that we, as humans, take the world we have created (as far as keeping it clean and prosperous) for granted.  Is that acceptable?  In today’s society, pollution is acceptable to a degree, just not until major damage is done.  What we do not realize is that each little bit adds up, and eventually turns into a major problem.  Although our society has come to accept the fact that this type of environmental damage is much harder to control than something such as deforestation, there is still much that could be done on a regular basis to prevent such things from worsening.  Essentially, the issue of pollution will contribute to the idea of “island civilization” in the sense that it will be reduced in significant amounts by secluding humans.  Pollution also leads to other factors that could essentially become a huge problem.  The fear of health risks for both animals and humans is a major concern and one that people are more willing to pursue solutions to rather than simply pollution towards the environment.
            "As you see forest loss continue, as you see the depletion of rivers, you are undercutting the foundation for economic development in those countries," says the CNN news article related to pollution.  Third world countries, for example, are a prime example of increased health risks due to pollution, loss of natural resources, and the depletion of forest because of the lack of resources.  Due to pollution, these nations are at risk for the proper development and safety needed.  I think that if the idea of “island civilization” were to be implemented, pollution would be cut back and even diminished in some regions.  It comes down to the simple solution that humans are selfish.  We have to realize our actions cause this damage to the environment and that it has to take our actions to prevent it.

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-05-15/world/world_europe_wwf-living-planet-report_1_poor-nations-countries-footprint?_s=PM:EUROPE

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