LIGHT POLLUTION

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.

click here: learn more about light pololution!

WATER POLLUTION

        Water pollution is the contamination of waterbodies, usually as a result of human activities. Waterbodies include for example lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater.

What is water pollution?

Water pollution happens when toxic substances enter water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans and so on, getting dissolved in them, lying suspended in the water or depositing on the bed. This degrades the quality of water.

Not only does this spell disaster for aquatic ecosystems, the pollutants also seep through and reach the groundwater, which might end up in our households as contaminated water we use in our daily activities, including drinking.

Sources and effects of water pollution

Water pollution can be caused in a number of ways, one of the most polluting being city sewage and industrial waste discharge. Indirect sources of water pollution include contaminants that enter the water supply from soils or groundwater systems and from the atmosphere via rain.

Soils and groundwaters contain the residue of human agricultural practices and also improperly disposed of industrial wastes. 

Types of water pollutants

Pollutants can be of varying kinds: organic, inorganic, radioactive and so on. In fact, the list of possible water contaminants is just too vast to be listed here. 

LEARN MORE: https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/natural-resources/water-and-water-pollution/

THE TYPES OF POLLUTION: ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Environmental pollution, the addition of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or any form of energy (such as heat, sound, or radioactivity) to the environment at a rate faster than it can be dispersed, diluted, decomposed, recycled, or stored in some harmless form. The major kinds of pollution, usually classified by environment, are air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution. Modern society is also concerned about specific types of pollutants, such as noise pollution, light pollution, and plastic pollution. Pollution of all kinds can have negative effects on the environment and wildlife and often impacts human health and well-being. 

LOOK THE VIDEO:

https://www.britannica.com/science/pollution-environment/media/468070/194028

Although environmental pollution can be caused by natural events such as forest fires and active volcanoes, use of the word pollution generally implies that the contaminants have an anthropogenic source—that is, a source created by human activities. Pollution has accompanied humankind ever since groups of people first congregated and remained for a long time in any one place. Indeed, ancient human settlements are frequently recognized by their wastes—shell mounds and rubble heaps, for instance. Pollution was not a serious problem as long as there was enough space available for each individual or group. However, with the establishment of permanent settlements by great numbers of people, pollution became a problem, and it has remained one ever since.

Cities of ancient times were often noxious places, fouled by human wastes and debris. Beginning about 1000 CE, the use of coal for fuel caused considerable air pollution, and the conversion of coal to coke for iron smelting beginning in the 17th century exacerbated the problem. In Europe, from the Middle Ages well into the early modern era, unsanitary urban conditions favoured the outbreak of population-decimating epidemics of disease, from plague to cholera and typhoid fever. Through the 19th century, water and air pollution and the accumulation of solid wastes were largely problems of congested urban areas. But, with the rapid spread of industrialization and the growth of the human population to unprecedented levels, pollution became a universal problem.

By the middle of the 20th century, an awareness of the need to protect air, water, and land environments from pollution had developed among the general public. In particular, the publication in 1962 of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring focused attention on environmental damage caused by improper use of pesticides such as DDT and other persistent chemicals that accumulate in the food chain and disrupt the natural balance of ecosystems on a wide scale. In response, major pieces of environmental legislation, such as the Clean Air Act (1970) and the Clean Water Act (1972; United States), were passed in many countries to control and mitigate environmental pollution.

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION, CLICK HERE:
https://sciencing.com/causes-effects-air-pollution-4779837.html

SOME INTERESTING FACTS...

What Effects Does Bubble Gum Have on the Environment?

If you’ve ever stuck your hand under a school desk or accidentally placed your new shoe in a giant wad of sticky gum, you already know that spit-out bubble gum can be pretty gross. What you might not know is that it can also be pretty bad for the environment. People often don’t dispose gum properly, and even if they do, it’s not biodegradable, meaning it can be a big source of litter and contamination around the world. Understanding more about gum’s composition and its impact on the environment can help you become a more responsible bubble gum consumer.

The synthetic polymers in bubble gum make the chewy treat not biodegradable, which means it can become toxic litter or take up valuable space in landfills. Responsible gum chewers should look for biodegradable chewing gum free of synthetics.

The Beginning: Bubble Gum Invented in 1928

Mastication, the scientific name for chewing, can help boost energy, fight hunger and keep your teeth and gums healthy. That's why for centuries, humans have chewed on different plants like resin. But it wasn’t until 1928 that bubble gum as you know it first hit the market. Walter Diemer came up with a formula for a pink bubble gum that was more flexible than other chewing wax. That allowed kids to chew it more comfortably and, more importantly, blow bubbles with it. His product took off, and ever since, competitors have come up with all kinds of different chewing gums in many flavors, colors and shapes.

The Makeup of Bubble Gum

As many different types of flavors of gum there are, though, the basic ingredients remain relatively the same. Whether you’re chomping on cheap chewing gum or blowing more high-end bubbles, most gum is made with a base of a synthetic polymer called polyisobutene, a synthetic plastic material that helps give gum its flexibility.

All the types of bubble gums have another thing in common: most people don’t dispose of them properly. This is where the environmental problems begin. While gum doesn’t have enough polyisobutene in it to be harmful to its chewers, the material does prevent gum from being biodegradable. When you start to think about all the gum chewers around the world who are spitting out their gum instead of responsibly placing it in garbage cans, you can see how all the wads of gum are contributing to the plastic litter that is constantly compiling around the world. In fact, some environmental scientists believe that gum is the second largest source of litter globally, following cigarette butts.

That gum litter can harm the environment in different ways. Sometimes, animals both on land and in the water will munch on discarded, chewed-up gum, which can fill them with toxins their bodies aren’t accustomed to. And while one tiny piece of gum might seem small, the spit-out wads add up quickly. One environmental issues infographic estimates that gum makes up 250,000 tons of waste in the Earth’s landfills, which are already overflowing.

Being a Responsible Chewer

Some countries, like Singapore, have already started to crack down on bubble gum, banning it unless people have a medical reason to be chewing it. Even without a government ban, though, it’s possible to be an environmentally conscious gum chewer.

Some gum brands have worked with scientists to create gum that is biodegradable. Look at the labels of the gum you’re chewing. If it notes that it is all-natural, is free of synthetic polymers or is biodegradable, it’s probably a good choice. And even if you can’t find this kind of gum in a store near you, try to always remember to dispose of your gum in a garbage can rather than littering it. It’s possible that will make your gum end up taking up space in a landfill, but that is better than it getting into the mouth of an animal who could be harmed by the gum, or onto the bottom of someone’s new shoe as they’re walking down the street. With a little extra consideration when buying and consuming gum, you can help lessen the environmental impact of your chewy treat.

BE READY TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE!

ECOSYSTEMS

             

               Ecosystems are complex communities of organisms and inanimate materials that interact to support the living things within the ecosystem. Ecosystems typically contain plants and animals that eat, reproduce, compete and engage in many other complicated interactions. As a result, the study of ecosystems can yield a lot of interesting facts about how ecosystems in general operate and how their inhabitants live. Such general ecosystem facts can be applied to specific and unique ecosystems as well. When general facts, such as ecosystems requiring plants, are applied to specific ecosystems such as prairies, the general fact helps explain how prairies require grass so cattle can graze and humans can raise them for food.

Ecosystems are collections of living things such as plants and animals and inanimate materials such as water and soil. The different components of the ecosystem interact in complicated ways to support the living organisms and their activities. Interesting facts describing these complex systems include the following: The type of ecosystem is determined by the inanimate materials and the climate, every major ecosystem contains plants, aquatic ecosystems cover three-quarters of the Earth's surface, tropical ecosystems are the most diverse with the most species, growth of ecosystem populations is limited by the availability of inanimate materials and each species in an ecosystem has a unique combination of food and living space. Each fact applies to all ecosystems but the characteristics of each ecosystem are slightly different.

An Ecosystem and Its Types Are Determined by Geography

The type of ecosystem depends on the climate and the inanimate materials that are present. The climate, in turn, depends on the geographical location of the ecosystem. Ecosystems on land, near the equator, tend to be different kinds of tropical jungle, hot deserts or hot coastal regions. The type also depends on the presence of water and good soil or sand. Temperate regions can support ecosystems that include types of deciduous forests, prairies or wetlands, again depending on the availability of water. Temperature, rainfall, surface water and soil are key factors in determining the type of ecosystem that will flourish.

An Ecosystem Needs Plants as the Primary Food Source

All major ecosystems derive the energy that supports life from plants. Plants convert sunlight, water and carbon dioxide from the air into carbohydrates such as starches and sugars. They are the primary producers of an ecosystem. The primary consumers are the animals that eat only plants. Secondary and higher-level consumers eat other animals. Decomposers put organic material back into the soil for re-use by plants.

Aquatic Ecosystems Are the Most Common

About three quarters of ecosystems by area are aquatic. These ecosystems include not only the oceans, rivers and lakes around the world but also the coastal regions, shores and wetlands. Information about ecosystem characteristics can be deduced from the location and the proximity to land. Open water ecosystems have characteristics defined by layers such as surface or deep water. Coastal ecosystems, shores and wetlands are defined by the characteristics of the land.

Tropical Ecosystems Have the Most Variety

Ecosystems in the tropics, such as tropical rain forests, have the most species. Even if the soil is poor, there is lots of light. As long as there is enough water, plants can flourish by re-using decomposed organic material. When there are many types of plants, different animal species can exist together, and the diversity carries over to the higher-level carnivores. Tropical forests can harbor up to 300 different species of plants and animals per square mile.

Ecosystem Populations Grow Until They Encounter a Limiting Factor

The key for ecosystem population growth are the plants. As long as more and more plants are available, the other populations can grow as well. Plants need light, water and carbon dioxide to produce food and some minerals from the soil to grow. If one of these resources is limited, plant growth is reduced and the populations of the animals in the ecosystem can't increase either. The lack of such a resource is a limiting factor for the ecosystem.

Each Ecosystem Species Has a Unique Niche

The survival of the ecosystem species depends on competition. A species that is the best at surviving and reproducing using a specific food source in a particular location will crowd out all other species trying to do the same thing. Other species have to become the best at using another food source in a different location. This principle of competitive exclusion means that each species has a unique niche where it operates.

Generalized Facts Give Specific Characteristics

The facts that are true about all ecosystems can be applied specifically to one ecosystem at a time. For example, all ecosystems contain plants, but oceans have algae while prairies have grass. In deserts, the limiting factor holding down population growth is lack of water while in northern ecosystems a limiting factor is lack of sunlight. In each case a generalized fact is useful in explaining a specific ecosystem characteristic.

LEARN MORE: https://sciencing.com/2-main-components-ecosystem-2576.html

ECOLOGY AND ME

Ecology Facts Where other fields of science are devoted to a type of organism or set of theories, ecology is best understood as the way in which a number of different fields of biology fit together. It looks at the interactions between living creatures and their environments, encompassing both biology and Earth science.

Interesting Ecology Facts:
Due to the way its disciplines intersect, it's hard to pinpoint when the study of ecology began.
The individual biology and Earth science disciplines all have individual time lines, some of which date back to ancient civilizations like the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans.
Hippocrates and Aristotle were among the first recorded scientists to write down their observations on what would be considered ecology.
Herodotus recorded observations on the topics like balance in nature and regulation of what we know to be ecosystems, putting him at the forefront of early ecological research.
Some of the most important understandings of ecology came about as late as the 1700s, when scientists began to understand concepts like food chains, population management, and heredity.
Later researchers began to observe and theorize on the planet's impact on living organisms with concepts like adaptation and evolution.
The term ecology was first coined by Ernst Haeckel in 1866.
Ecology focuses on life processes and adaptations, energy in living communities, the eventual growth and development of entire ecosystems, and how biodiversity manifests itself in an environment.
The human element cannot be removed from ecology, as human behaviors are understood to make a tremendous and irreparable impact on ecosystems.
Ecology encompasses all living things, from single-cellular and acellular organisms, through to the most complex of all living creatures.
Ecologists must understand an area's biodiversity, its habitats and niches, biomes and biospheres, and more in order to understand how an ecosystem builds itself.
Human ecology is broad enough to nearly be a field all to itself, and investigates people's impacts on the physical environment, our interconnectedness with animal and plant species, and various factors that influence the human condition.
While living things are predominantly the focus of ecology, soil ecology is a related field that studies the microbial inhabitants of soil, how plant life is impacted, and the overall geological health of an environment by seeking out components in the soil.

PEOPLE AND NATURE

The rapid rise in the human population and the corresponding demand for resources have had a dramatic impact on the natural world. While global warming, acid rain, and holes in the ozone layer affect the whole planet, other changes, such as habitat destruction and hunting, threaten individual species. Over millions of years, many species have adapted to natural changes, such as long-term variation in climate. However, it is more difficult for living things to adapt to the harmful materials released into the environment as a result of human activities.

World temperatures are currently rising every year. This so called global warming is caused by the buildup of gases and water vapour in the atmosphere. These gases form a layer that reflects the heat back to Earth, rather than allowing it to escape into the outer atmosphere. As the planet warms up, the water in the oceans will take up more space and water locked up in glaciers and the polar ice caps will start to melt. This could cause sea levels to rise and many habitats will disappear under water.

Acid rains fall when poisonous gases from power stations and vehicle exhausts mix with oxygen and moisture in the air. These gases become part of the water cycle and may be carried a long way by the wind before they fall as acid rain, or snow. Acid rain poisons or kills wildlife in lakes, rivers, and forests and damages the surrounding plant life. The problem could be controlled by reducing vehicle emissions and limiting the gases released from power stations.

A natural layer of ozone gas high in the atmosphere provides protection against the Sun’s harmful rays. However, certain pollutant gases, including CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) are now destroying the ozone. Since 1979, “holes” have appeared in the ozone layer – first over the Antarctic, then over the Arctic. Damaging ultraviolet rays from the Sun penetrate these “holes”, slowing the growth of plants.

The development of technology by the human race has allowed the greater exploitation of natural resources and has helped to escape some of the risk from natural hazards. In spite of this progress, however, the fate of human civilization remains closely linked to changes in the environment. Man-made threats to the Earth's natural environment include pollution, deforestation, and disasters such as oil spills. Humans have contributed to the extinction of many plants and animals.

Humans employ nature for both leisure and economic activities. The exploitation of natural resources for industrial use remains the primary component of the world's economic system. Although early humans gathered uncultivated plant materials for food and employed the medicinal properties of vegetation for healing, most modern human use of plants is through agriculture. The clearance of large areas of land for crop growth has led to a significant loss of habitat for many plant and animal species as well as increased erosion.

Learn more:
http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/vision_amazon/models/natural_resources_management_amazon/

http://factsanddetails.com/russia/Nature_Science_Animals/sub9_8c/entry-5062.html