8/11/2019 Pollution and Waste Disposal

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Pollution and waste disposal are major problems faced by many countries. Pollution takesplace when substances with harmful effects are released into the environment and this in turnaffects the quality of the environment. The three main types of pollution are air pollution, water

pollution and land pollution.

Air is polluted when smoke, ash, dust and other poisonous gases are released into the air.Today, there are laws that prohibit open burning but this still goes on. Forest fire is a contributingfactor as well. Then, there are the numerous factories that release harmful gases into the

atmosphere. If we find traffic jams an inconvenience to us, just imagine what all the vehiclesemitting exhaust fumes would do to our air. All these contributing factors lead to air pollution. Themost serious outcome, as Malaysians have experienced is the haze. This would surely increase

respiratory diseases as air pollutants affect our lungs, eyes and various parts of our bodies in thelong run. Air pollution also blocks out sunlight and therefore plants and animals depending on it willnot be able to survive. Air pollution also causes acid rain which is again hazardous to the

environment.

Apart from that, waste products have found their way into the rivers. Waste material is

substance that is useless and unwanted. It can be grouped into two main categories. Domestic wasteis the waste that we throw into our bins for the garbage collector to take away for disposal.Industrial waste is what being discarded by factories and industries. Waste can also be grouped into

toxic waste and non-toxic waste. While toxic waste is poisonous and destroys marine life, non-toxicwaste chokes up the rivers and leads to flooding. At sea, ships collide and the subsequent oil spillageharms aquatic and marine life. It is no wonder that our supply of fish, an important source of protein

is being depleted. Water borne diseases can spread through polluted water. Water is a very

important element and without it, no living things can survive.

Basically, we have to control pollution before it is too late. We should stop using non-bio-degradable products that pollute the environment. An example would be to stop using plastic bags.Use cloth bags instead those which you can reuse many times. We should all play a part in recycling

in order to reduce waste material as well as pollution. Finally, the government should impose heavyfines or punishments on those found guilty of polluting the environment. The government shouldnot just have strict rules but should implement them as well. After all, action speaks louder than

words-enforcement is very important.