Essay --

14 billion. That’s how many pounds of garbage are thrown into the ocean every year. 46%. That’s the amount of lakes that we can’t use for recreational activities in America because they are too polluted. 7 billion. That’s the number of people who can do something about it. Hi my name is Francisco Zepeda and I’m from Spalding County. My presentation is on how to reduce your impact on the Earth, but before you can REDUCE your impact on the earth, you must first know HOW you’re impacting the Earth. Pollution is one way to negatively impact the Earth, but what is pollution? Defined literally it is the presence or introduction of a substance that has harmful or poisonous effects. The main types of pollution are air, water, land, noise, and light. Air pollution is a serious problem. It occurs when there are harmful amounts of gases, dust, fumes, or odors in the atmosphere. The main source is man. It has been of concern for a lo ng time, as far back as the Roman Empire where they called the dark clouds of pollution above them gravioris caeli, however air pollution has gotten increasingly worse. It can easily travel because there is nothing to stop it in the air. It takes just 5 days for China’s pollution to reach us and affect our weather. Automobiles that use gasoline and fossil fuel-burning power plants alone make up 90% of the air pollution in the United States. The number of people estimated to die from air pollution anually is over 50,000. Air pollution can can also cause global warming. Water pollution can be defined as any chemical, physical, or biological change in water that has a negative effect on any living organism that uses it. There are two types of water pollution, non-point source and point s... ...ture. When reducing your impact on the Earth, most of it is very affordable and some requires nothing but participation on your part. To reduce air pollution you need to conserve energy so turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room. Just about every electronic that comes with a remote is not really off you turn it off, but in a low power mode, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to use the remote! For these appliances it is better to unplug them when not in use. Plant deciduous trees around your home so they will provide shade during the summer, but allow heat from the sun to radiate into your home during the winter giving your heating system and air conditioner a break. Recycle paper, plastic, glass bottles, and aluminum cans. A lot of energy is used in making these products and you can conserve a lot of energy by recycling them reduce production emissions.