Different types of pollution, wasting natural resources, overpopulation, cutting down of trees,….are a few impacts on the environment created by humans. Have you ever wondered the consequences of these acts?

The reality that we are facing in the past couple of years. We have seen the drastic climate change, quality of air and water deterioration to name a few. This in turn is going to affect all living beings on this earth. Animals are also getting affected and face health issues due to air pollution.

We have heard about different types of pollution – water, soil, noise, air….. I am going to discuss about the impact of air pollution to the environment and humans.

Air pollution is mostly created by us. The emissions come out from the different mode of transportation such as cars, bikes, planes and from factories. The smoke coming out from cigars are also causing air pollution.

Now let’s see the sources of air pollution.

1.      Anthropogenic sources are man-made sources of pollution.

2.      Some smokes come out naturally such as the smoke coming out due to wildfires or volcanoes are known as natural sources.

While comparing cities with towns and villages, air pollution is most prevalent in very large cities where the use of different modes of transportation is in increase.

Have you heard the word smog? Smoke + Fog is Smog. You might have seen the air murky i.e. it often appears like a cloud but it is actually polluted air. Sometimes air pollution occurs inside a house also. When you burn a charcoal or wood, smoke is released which leads to breathing difficulties.

As I said before it is not only humans that are getting affected due to air pollution but all living beings on this earth such as animals, plants and their ecosystems. Some particles of air pollution do fall on to earth. This leads to the contamination of soil, water. A few particles also destroy crops, young plants, trees,…

Acid Rain is created when Nitrogen Oxide and Sulphur Dioxide mix with water and oxygen. We have seen a few famous monuments in India getting decayed over the years. The reason for this is acid rain. When they fall on earth, it cause serious damages to monuments, building, soil, water, plants and crops.

You might read in the news that according to WHO, the most polluted cities are Beijing, Cairo, Lima, Karachi, New Delhi, Los Angeles and California. At present due to lockdown, air pollution is reduced considerably and we have seen beautiful pictures of various mountains that are visible from a distance. So it is our responsibility as global citizens to take care of our environment even after the normal life resumes after lockdown.

We need to take measures to reduce the air pollution every day. We can opt for alternatives such as car pooling, using public transportation, cycling or walking to reduce our vehicle emissions.

Let’s heal the environment and love the nature.

 Photo source:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/11/positively-alpine-disbelief-air-pollution-falls-lockdown-coronavirus