Which Cause of Land Pollution is Most Important?

...and what can we do to reduce water pollution? And how about air pollution…?

What causes land pollution?

Which is the most important cause of land pollution? What are the long-term effects of water pollution..? How do our personal choices affect the earth..?

There are so many issues! Land pollution is only one... and every day it becomes more obvious that something has to be done.

Please scroll down to the bottom of the page for articles on specific environmental problems.

For some answers to the question "Which cause of land pollution is the most important?" please see the article on industrial pollution. For a very brief over-view of some of the main pollution problems affecting people and the planet today, please read on below.

But what can any of us (as individuals) do?

In this section you will find articles and information about the earth pollution that is becoming our daily heritage, but with this difference: almost everything is written about from a personal point of view, from the point of view of someone who wants to be environmentally aware and wants to better understand green living issues.

Learning about pollution is an important thing for environmentalists and people who care about our precious planet.In other words, the question is being continually asked: What can I do?

Each article has some specific recommendations to help you decide whatyou can contribute to the fight to stop climate change and the other pressing environmental problems that are assaulting us on all sides.

Pollution facts are many; pollution solutions are fewer and more difficult because very often vested interests are at stake. This is a non-political site but some of these issues are touched upon in the articles on pollution and other earth issues in this section of Greenfootsteps.com.

You will also find some tips to help you protect yourself and your family as far as possible from the consequences of the various kinds of pollution. As ever on Greenfootsteps, most of the suggestions will not cost you much money, or they will quickly pay for themselves.

These articles are only brief overviews of the problems affecting our environment. Please see the links page for sites giving more detailed information on these issues.

The bad news keeps on rolling in...

The cause of land pollution:

I don’t like to be a gloom–monger, but recent news on climate change has not been very uplifting.

The planet’s self-regulating weather systems are becoming less stable. We all know about the upsurge of hurricanes and violent storms, the floods and the droughts. No area of the planet is immune. The ice-caps and glaciers are melting faster than ever before. Summers in many parts of the world are hotter.

Across Europe in 2003 many people died in the August heat wave and in the UK we had the hottest day ever recorded when temperatures soared to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In 2009 freak weather conditions caused death and misery across the planet. Food and water shortages are likely to affect many people, even in the rich world. In 2012 devastating storms, floods and droughts continue to wreak havoc.

For more information about global warming and climate change please see the articles below.

The cause of land pollution:

Air pollution is becoming a health menace to millions

Picture above: Air pollution over the Mediterranean and Malta

Every year the chemical smog caused by exhaust fumes from cars and industrial pollution of the air literally kills thousands of people.

The World Bank has estimated that in China alone there are nearly half a million deaths from air pollution each year. Many of these are caused by indoor air pollution from coal and other organic domestic fuels but a good many are due to the increasing air pollution in cities too.

Anyone who watched the 2008 Olympics will be aware of how poor air quality in China can be - and they closed a number of factories during the games to try to improve it.

China now has 16 of the world's top twenty polluted cities. People are buying and using cars more and industry is causing more emissions of sulphur dioxide and other pollutants.

But it's not just the developing world - there are plenty of developed nations where clean air is still an important issue.

Indoor pollution is an issue in the rich world because of the increasing use of pollutants in our household chemicals and home artifacts.

Outdoor air pollution is a significant factor in urban areas because of factories and traffic but even rural areas are not immune. Each pollutant carries its own environmental costs and many of these common pollutants also have a huge impact on people's health.

Here in the UK we all pay extra taxes to support the National Health Service because of air pollution. In other countries the costs fall on individuals as higher personal health insurance costs.

Water Pollution Issues

Then there are the problems affecting the oceans.Coral reefs are dying from pollutants.Many fish store pollutants in their bodies which affect their reproduction. Fish stocks are crashing because of persistent over-fishing, too.

The quality of beaches in the richer nations is improving. But this is only a small part of the picture. There are still far too many oil spills and toxic discharges into the seas, affecting sea birds and marine life all the way up and down the food chain.Seas have no boundaries; we are all affected by pollution of the marine environment.

Inland waters are a concern, too

Many lakes and rivers in developing nations are poisonous with industrial discharges.

The contraceptive pill (flushed down the loo) is affecting fish stocks in some waterways.

Pollution from the land in the form of fertilizer and pesticide run-off causes further problems.

In some countries oil extraction and fracking for gas are causing huge problems.

Many everyday processes that we take for granted may affect water sources. For example, dry-cleaning chemicals can find their way into ground water and even drinking water.

The cause of land pollution:

So what can we do?

To explore these and other issues please explore the articles below.

Green earth issues

This section of Greenfootsteps is dedicated to providing you with some of the background information you need to help you lessen your impact on the planet.

There are many small things that we can each do which collectively may make some difference to some of these problems, from reducing or stopping using harsh chemicals such as phosphates in our daily cleaning programme, to driving less and flying less often.

The focus in this section is the bigger picture but with specific ideas for how you can help solve or lessen the particular problems described.

Industrial Pollution Causes Land Pollution This page gives additional detail on some of the major kinds of land pollution and explores a significant cause of land pollution in the developed and developing world.

Global Warming Cause and Effect Here are details of some of the main causes of global warming and their impact upon our climate.

An Air Pollution Article What are the causes and effects of air pollution? What can we do to help and how can we protect ourselves? Here are some of the main facts about air pollution.

Air Quality Improvements More on how to reduce and control air quality in our own lives.

The Main Causes of Water Pollution Here's a look at some of the most important and common causes of water pollution in inland waterways and drinking water supplies.

Water Pollution Solutions - What Can We Do? Here are a few ideas for preventing water pollution at home.

War Pollution can Last for Generations Here are some of the main types of pollution resulting from wars and conflicts, old and new.

Military Asbestos Use Still Causes Health Problems This article is mainly about asbestos use by the US military and the health problems which this continues to cause.

Asbestos Dangers - Asbestos Mesothelioma and Vermiculite Some sources of vermiculite cause pollution from toxic asbestos.

Becoming Carbon Neutral What can we do to control carbon emissions? Can we become carbon neutral? What would it mean? Some pointers towards a low-carbon future.

Carbon Reduction and Kyoto A brief overview of the effort to create carbon reduction through international agreement with the Kyoto Protocol.

Why Organic Food is Best (Part 1) This page explores the environmental costs of conventional farming. It also outlines the case for organic farming and horticulture. Non-organic farming is a significant cause of land pollution. However, even organic farming can cause some pollution, too.

Why Organic Food is Best (Part 2) Cheap Food - Is it a Con? More about the differences between conventionally grown food and organic food, including how conventional agriculture is subsidised and a brief history of the organic movement.

Pesticide Problems are a Growing Concern Pesticides are not safe and never will be. Here is a brief history of pesticides as a cause of land pollution and some of the main ones which cause health problems today.

Pesticides and Pollution - The Link is Clear Pesticides cause considerable environmental damage. Here are some of the main hazards for us and wildlife.

Missing Bees: A Worldwide Problem that Concerns Us All Bees are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. This page explores some of the main reasons for their decline.

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Which cause of land pollution may be difficult to decide - but there are certainly many causes of environmental degradation and pollution to cause us concern.

WWF, Greenpeace and PAN are all international organisations which campaign on these issues.

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