Nuclear power is a type of nuclear technology involving the controlled use of nuclear reactions to release energy for work, including propulsion, heat, and the generation of electricity. Nuclear energy is produced by a controlled nuclear chain reaction and creates heat—which is used to boil water, produce steam, and drive a steam turbine. The turbine can be used for mechanical work and also to generate electricity.
The use of nuclear power has also engendered much debate. Critics claim that nuclear power is a potentially dangerous energy source with a limited fuel supply (compared to renewable energy), and they note the problems of storing radioactive waste, the potential for radioactive contamination by accident or sabotage, and the possibility of nuclear proliferation. Advocates claim that these risks are small and can be further reduced by the technology in new reactors, and the safety record is good when compared to other major types of power plants. In addition, they note that many renewable energy technologies have not solved the problem of their intermittent power production.
Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination. Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect.
Tidal power, sometimes called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that exploits the rise and fall in sea levels due to the tides, or the movement of water caused by the tidal flow. Because the tidal forces are caused by interaction between the gravity of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, tidal power is essentially inexhaustible and classified as a renewable energy source. In fact though, the ultimate energy source is the rotational energy of the Earth, which will not run out in the next four billion years, although the Earth's oceans may boil away in two billion years.
Although not yet widely used, tidal power has great potential for future electricity generation and is more predictable than wind energy and solar power. In Europe, tide mills have been used for nearly a thousand years, mainly for grinding grains.
Tidal power can be classified into two types:
Tidal stream systems make use of the kinetic energy from the moving water currents to power turbines, in a similar way to underwater wind turbines. This method is gaining in popularity because of the lower ecological impact compared to the second type of system, the barrage.
Barrages make use of the potential energy from the difference in height (or head) between high and low tides, and their use is better established. These suffer from the dual problems of very high civil infrastructure costs and environmental issues.
Litter means rubbish carelessly dropped or left about anywhere, especially in public places. Sadly, people are found littering the road or any other public place with impunity. Quite often, we see even educated persons travelling in an expensive car roll down their car’s window to dump trash on the road. They do not think twice about throwing half-eaten sandwiches or throwing empty soda can which hit the car coming from behind us with its driver trying to avoid it in a dangerous way. A truck loaded on the highway goes spreading trash due to its broken container. Who cares?
Many people have an unfortunate habit of just dumping waste products at an inappropriate location. We callously drop objects such as aluminium cans, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles at a public place and leave them there indefinitely. Household waste and even hazardous items of rubbish such as tyres, electrical appliances, electronics, batteries and large industrial containers are dumped on public land. This way, we expect others to dispose them of as opposed to ourselves disposing of them properly.
Spitting anywhere and throwing garbage
anywhere is an unfortunate tendency. People often spit on the stairs of an office building, on the over bridge and platform of the railway station. Pan, gutkha and tobacco eaters generally find it hard to resist the tendency of spitting.
THE PROBLEM AND CAUSES OF LITTERING
India is the most sluggish in terms of cleanliness among most countries of the world. There are many reasons for the sad mentality of people towards hygiene in India.
A widespread social phenomena
Often poor sections are considered to be responsible for creating a pile of garbage, filth or garbage in public places. But what about the dirt spread by the pee and poo of dogs of rich classes in parks, streets and roads? There is a charge against the slum dwellers that they spread pollution, but the truth is that there is a woeful dearth of proper waste management in multi-storey buildings, chemical industries and other factories which are responsible for spreading more garbage in the residential areas. So, the filth in the cities is not limited to poor people’s actions, but every section of the society is guilty of spreading the mess at its own level.
Inability to share responsibility
Many people tend to believe that they have to maintain the standards of sanitation within the four walls of their houses. The filthy water, garbage, or the dirt of the dog, is removed from the house and thrown into the street, road or park. People believe that garbage-disposal is the responsibility of the government and the administration. It is neither their responsibility to keep the environment, road, park or the street clean nor they are accountable for the garbage or filth, which is thrown out of the house.
Lack of spirit for maintaining cleanliness
In this densely populated country, most of us still spread dirt on the streets despite dustbins being kept along the roads. We just mean to clean up the place where we live and worship.
We do not do this because we like to spread dirt on the road, but we do this because we are a slave to our habit of littering.
Despite the much-talked about Swachh Bharat campaign, our country is quite dirty compared to other countries. There is no cleanliness campaign in other countries of the world. Despite this, they are cleaner than most Indian villages and towns. Unlike Indian roads, no one is seen sweeping a broom in other countries, similarly, important celebrities there do not flaunt themselves spreading campaign for hygiene with a broom in hand. Still, what is the hidden secret behind their cleanliness?
The answer lies in the spirit of maintaining cleanliness that lies in the character of citizens of those countries from a very young age. In many public places in India, the board of ‘Do not litter’ can be seen. Even then, that place is filled with dirt. People consider it their rights to defile public places, and cleaning is considered to be the job of sanitation workers.
Increase in types of waste
In olden times, garbage was generally organic waste which would assimilate into the ground, but with modern development, the proportion of chemicals in the waste is increasing. It is extremely harmful to health. Earlier, in countries like India, materials used as bags were not harmful. Pottery was used for curd, and jute bag was used to carry other stuffs. The use of plastic has changed the situation and a problem has also arisen with it because the plastic never melts. There is no proper system to deposit or dump it. Now efforts are being made to deal with the problem by banning the use of plastic.
WHAT LITTERING CAN DO TO THE ENVIRONMENT?
Littering has a negative impact on the environment. In fact, it has become a serious environmental issue how to counter the ill-effects of littering. We all like to keep our houses clean, but after cleaning it many of us throw the garbage around due to which there is contamination of the entire environment. We never bother to understand that it’s our responsibility for not polluting the atmosphere, and spreading diseases by littering.
Before throwing the garbage out of houses and shops in the drains made in the roadside, nobody thinks that if the same garbage gets stuck, then due to excessive flooding in the rainy season, dirty water will be seen flowing out of their own houses.
When someone thinks of pollution, the idea of thermal pollution often doesn’t come to mind. People will first think of things like carbon emissions, personal pollution and waste, and a variety of other changing factors. However, thermal pollution is a real and persistent problem in our modern society. In layman’s terms, thermal pollution is when an industry or other human-made organization takes in water from a natural source and either cools it down or heats it up. They then eject that water back into the natural resource, which changes the oxygen levels and can have disastrous effects on local ecosystems and communities.
Thermal pollution is defined as sudden increase or decrease in temperature of a natural body of water which may be ocean, lake, river or pond by human influence. This normally occurs when a plant or facility takes in water from a natural resource and puts it back with an altered temperature. Usually, these facilities use it as a cooling method for their machinery or to help better produce their products.
Plants that produce different products or waste water facilities are often the culprits of this massive exodus of thermal pollution. In order to properly control and maintain thermal pollution, humans and governments have been taking many steps to effectively manage how plants are able to use the water. However, the effects are still lasting today.
Causes of Thermal Pollution
1. Water as Cooling Agent in Power, Manufacturing and Industrial plants: Production and Manufacturing plants are biggest source of thermal pollution. These plants draw water from nearby source to keep machines cool and then release back to the source with higher temperature. When heated water returns to the river or ocean, the water temperature rises sharply. When oxygen levels are altered in the water, this can also degrade the quality and longevity of life in wildlife that lives underwater. This process can also wipe away streamside vegetation, which constantly depends on constant levels of oxygen and temperature. By altering these natural environments, industries are essentially helping decrease the quality of life for these marines based life forms and can ultimately destroy habitats if they are not controlled and careful about their practices.
2. Soil Erosion: Soil erosion is another major factor that causes thermal pollution. Consistent soil erosion causes water bodies to rise, making them more exposed to sunlight. The high temperature could prove fatal for aquatic biomes as it may give rise to anaerobic conditions.
3. Deforestation: Trees and plants prevent sunlight from falling directly on lakes, ponds or rivers. When deforestation takes place, these water bodies are directly exposed to sunlight, thus absorbing more heat and raising its temperature. Deforestation is also a main cause of the higher concentrations of greenhouse gases i.e. global warming in the atmosphere.
4. Runoff from Paved Surfaces: Urban runoff discharged to surface waters from paved surfaces like roads and parking lots can make water warmer. During summer seasons, the pavement gets quite hot, which creates warm runoff that gets into the sewer systems and water bodies.
5. Natural Causes: Natural causes like volcanoes and geothermal activity under the oceans and seas can trigger warm lava to raise the temperature of water bodies. Lightening can also introduce massive amount of heat into the oceans. This means that the overall temperature of the water source will rise, having significant impacts on the environment.
Soil Pollution is a considered as a major challenge for healthy environment. The weathering of earth’s crust forms, soil over the centuries that supports the variety of microscopic and macroscopic life-forms.
Soil Pollution can consist of anything that contaminates the soil. Thus, it is also referred to as soil contamination. It occurs when pollutants in the soil reduce soil quality and make it inhabitable to organisms such as insects.
Soil Pollution (also soil contamination) refers to the degradation of soil quality either due to human activities or due to natural phenomenon leading to:
decreased agricultural output,
deterioration in crop quality,
exposure to harmful and toxic chemicals
health risks of people living on it,
health threats to animals,
contamination of underground water further resulting in polluted water supply,
imbalance of the soil ecosystem
The top most layer of soil is composed of minerals of various sizes and organic matters along with pores filled with air and water. Soil is said to be contaminated when there is the presence of excess chemicals such as nitrate, ammonia, petroleum hydrocarbons, lead, naphthalene, mercury, pesticides, etc.
Noise Pollution is one type of the volume which makes diseases into the environment and it very harmful for the people who are breathing and living on this earth. Noise Pollution involves the Vehicle horns, Industrial volume, and loudspeaker music. Noise Pollution is very discomfort and injurious for the physical and mental health and irritating and annoying to the living beings.
Causes of Noise Pollution
In India have most of the festivals which all they are celebrating in a different style but in some of the festivals like Diwali, It is a great festival, but people are using firecrackers for exploding and making a noise and also the air polluting.
As we all know in the Hinduism marriage, the people are making a sound by playing on the loudspeaker music, but they are careless for the noise pollution how mush its spreading in the environment.
In the traffic of India, so many people are making noise, and it is severest in the cities. There is a different mode of transportation for example Buses, Trains, Airplanes, and trams, etc. which is making noise cause it is very painful for us and disturbs to the mind but they do not understand how to solve that problem if one makes noise than people will follow it like a chain.
In the industrial area have a significant number of factories in the major cities if we go then we get the noise pollution along with that air pollution and polluting to the environment and also disturbing the nearby residential area.
There have the most of the social events and the festive occasions, but people are using the loudspeaker very loudly and making noise and disturbing to other people.
There are the uses of mobile phones during the social and political events which are unrestricted.
In the home people also generating noise by the using large number of appliances like Mixer grinder juicer.
Television also causes of the noise pollution because it may effect to the physically like it can harm to our Eye and ear by the watching for the long hour.
When any construction site is working in progress than his activity can damage to us by using of such sound producing equipment, Cranes, Cement mixer and road roller, etc.
Effects of Noise Pollution
Over a period we are the effect of the noise pollution, and it can easily result in damaged to our ear drums and loss of hearing. Which may impair the hearing for always and it also reduces our sensitivity to sounds so that our ears pick up unconsciously to regulate our body’s rhythm.
There are many types of diseases and stress related to a heart which can harm it because of the Blood pressure levels, cardiovascular diseases, and high noises can cause to the high blood pressure and increases heart beat rate as it cause the normal blood flow.
Loud Noise can effect on the people sleeping pattern it generating the irritation and uncomfortable situations, so that is the reason for individuals who are not getting a good night sleep and not getting a proper rest and it can lose the performance of individuals at the office and the home.
Noise pollution is causing on the health of the people, and nowadays the people are suffering from stress and anxiety and also psychological health. It shows its effects like disturbance of sleep, Constant stress, fatigue and hypertension can link to excessive noise levels.
Trouble communicating generated when two people are talking freely and noise are disturbing to them so people will not understand the other person communication then it can become a headache for the people.
Marine scientists are concerned about excessive noise used by oil drills, submarines and other vessels on and inside the ocean. Many marine animals, especially whales, use hearing to find food, communicate, defend and survive in the sea. Excessive noises are causing a lot of injuries and deaths to whales. For example, the effect of a Navy submarine’s sonar can felt 300 miles away from the source.
Wildlife faces far more problems than humans because noise pollution since they are more dependent on sound. Animals develop a better sense of hearing than us since their survival depends on it. The ill effects of excessive noise begin at home. Pets react more aggressively in households where there is the constant noise.
As is controlling the sound levels in clubs, bars, parties, and discos. Better urban planning can help in creating ‘No-Noise’ zones, where honk and industrial noise are not tolerated. It is only when our understanding noise pollution is complete, can we take steps to eradicate it completely.
Solutions of Noise Pollution
Public awareness is essential for prevent and control the noise pollution. Not only the government but we should also be aware of the harmful consequences of noise pollution.
Which cause to the certain deafness people should aware of that excessive noise
Such transport terminals, Industries, Airport, and railway terminals sight should be far from living spaces.
Avoid the maximum uses of sound processing instruments and make proper regulations for the utilize of a loudspeaker and other devices.
Construction of some soundproof machines in industrial and manufacturing installation must be encouraged. Also necessary for residential building.
Anti-pollution laws should make strict rules and regulation which enacted and forced.
Ban all type of fire crackers which is very harmful for pollution and replace with the bulb horns.
In the law of community must have a real and silence zone like Schools, Colleges, and Hospitals.
Make in the residential area the plantation (Trees) it absorbs the sound and reduces the pollution and also healthier for breathing of body.
Conclusion
We can reduce Noise pollution by using all solutions and make a healthy and happier India. If we all reduce the pollution and make the plantation everywhere, then people breathe healthy on this planet.
Light pollution is excessive, misdirected or inappropriate outdoor lighting. Too much of light pollution washes out view of the Universe, result in increase in the energy consumption, interferes with astronomical research, disrupts ecosystems, affects the health and safety of humans and wildlife. It may surprise you to know that light pollution can have as great an impact on the planet as levels of carbon monoxide and other airborne pollutants.
When most people talk about light pollution they are speaking of all the ways that man made light is changing the natural lighting of the environment. For example, all the lights of a city change the way light and dark fall. There is really no more night there, and plants or animals that are dependent on that night illumination are compromised. There are other reasons why maintaining natural light is important too.
Why is maintaining natural light so important?
While science has made great strides in creating ways to illuminate darkness, we now know that changing the natural light of any environment can have devastating effects on the plant, animal and natural life. It can even affect weather in some cases. The natural world is set to respond to the sun’s patterns of light. The seasons are a result of the distance of the sun to the Earth. This creates growing and hibernation seasons that natural life recognizes because most are photosensitive. The type of light is also a warning as to the climate to come and can trigger natural protections such as the turning of leaves and the slowing down of metabolic systems.
What happens to those natural processes when there is light pollution?
When there is too much light, too little light, or the wrong kind of light present it can disrupt the natural harmonies and metabolic cycles of lifeforms on Earth. While worrying about whether the ground worm is confused as to whether it is night or day doesn’t seem like an issue, consider that human beings have metabolic systems that are also highly light dependent. We are as responsive to light as a plant that turns its bloom towards the sun. In fact, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is thought to be caused by a sharp decrease in exposure to natural light.
Different Types and Sources of Light Pollution
There are many different types and sources of light pollution. Light pollution can mean visible light disruptions from a flooding of too much man-made light (as in the example of the city lights); it can also mean a lack of light – again, city lights take away a form of natural illumination and replace it with an artificial means; and it can also mean changes to light that cannot be seen. Light that cannot be seen is found on the radio-wave spectrum. When people talk about light pollution they tend to mean one of five specific types:
1. Over-illumination: This is caused by misuse of lights. Lights that are left on, or even street lamps that aren’t adjusted for daylight savings time, can cause millions of barrels of oil to be wasted. It can have the immediate effect of raising utility costs in an area as well as disrupting natural sleep patterns.
2. Glare: Glare is a two-fold problem in which lights are reflected off surrounding surfaces so that the light scatters and causes vision problems. It doesn’t interfere with night vision, but makes it difficult to identify and place objects.
3. Light clutter: Light clutter is a uniquely man-made issue and it stems from poor placement design. A cluster of business lights, or streetlights, can create a contrast illumination that interferes with night vision and illumination. It can also be strong enough to throw off the natural nocturnal systems of animals.
4. Sky Glow: This is a term used to refer to the almost dome-like cover of light to city areas. The light that is escaping from street lamps, signs, homes and businesses goes up to change the quality of light in the atmosphere, and it bounces back down to the city from the atmosphere. It can affect natural growth patterns, and the ability of planes to navigate at night too.
5. Light Trespass: Not only is this a form of pollution but it is also a crime in many areas. Light trespass refers to unwanted light entering someone’s property. It could be light from a sign coming into a residential area or any similar circumstance.
Causes of Light Pollution
Light pollution is unique as it is caused by man only. There is no comparable natural form of the pollution like there is with carbon dioxide. The main causes of light pollution are:
Poor Planning – The placement of signage and street lights is planned by engineers, if they do not take into account the effect placement has on the surrounding environment they can create glare, light trespass and light clutter.
Irresponsible use – You may love Christmas lights but leaving them on all night is a form of pollution, as is leaving a room with the lights still on or setting the timers on streetlamps and not adjusting the timer for the season. Not actively choosing to minimize energy waste is a huge source of light pollution.
Overpopulation – That is really a zoning issue. Too many businesses, or too many residences, grouped in one area can cause light pollution of many kinds.
light-pollution-causes
Effects of Light Pollution
While many people choose to dismiss light pollution as being the price of modern life, it has serious effects on everything around it.
Animals – Lights can attract or repel animals and insects. Most animal life functions on a diurnal or nocturnal system that is thrown out of sync by light pollution. This can place entire species in danger, or attract unwanted species into human areas.
People – The wrong kind of light, or too much light has been proven to have an impact on your health and quality of life. Light pollution also increases danger to people as it can interfere with important navigational systems for trains, planes and even automobiles.
The Earth – The Earth’s ecosystem is dependent on cycles of natural light. Sky Glow alone can cause a loss in growth protection as the reflected light off the atmosphere will prevent the natural UV rays from reaching the Earth. This disrupts growth and decay cycles that our food, air and water supply is dependent on.
Solutions for Light Pollution
There are two basic approaches to solving light pollution – planning and education. Planning means more consideration about how areas are zoned and where lights are placed. It also means changing the types of lights used within the home, signs and streetlamps to more efficient bulbs, and with a light output that is not so disruptive. Education is also key. The more people understand the importance of turning off lights to conserve energy and reduce light pollution the faster change will be seen.
Why aren’t solutions being put in place faster?
It is difficult to change habits with people and expensive to redesign and replace what already exists. Slowly people and governments are recognizing the long term impact of exposure to light pollution and are seeing that preventative costs provide long-term savings over the long run. Light pollution is getting more attention these days and as education and awareness improves, so will efforts to reduce light pollution.
