Presented are a selection of the student writings online and in print.
Dear Editor,
Just picture this. With misty air, unclear water, and messy land, our lives would completely change.
We’d better fix this problem. The contaminants around the world are affecting the environment and all living lives. The consequences of pollution are becoming clear. It is hard to ignore this situation and may get harder to fix this problem in the future.
There are three main types of pollution, which are found in our air, water and on land. What are their main causes?
Fossil fuels are commonly used in countless factories. The steam that they generate are leading to one of our main causes of air pollution. When fossil fuels burn, they release large amount of carbon dioxide which has sulfur and nitrogen compounds. The amount of burning fossil fuel holds more gas than the plants are consuming it and can thicken the leaves which can worsen the climate change.
Surprisingly, carbon dioxide and other gas can trap heat from earth using greenhouse gas and global warming might occur. During the twentieth century, the air pollution has increased in 0.6 Celsius at the rapid rate.
After the water is used, wonder where the used water goes to. According to UN, 80 per cent of the world’s sewage finds its way into seas and rivers. When wastes are dumped into the water, oxygen can be exhausted by bacteria from sewage using up all the oxygen. It can get to the point where there isn’t enough oxygen for fish to breathe. This can lead to animal extinction. Sewage destroys aquatic ecosystem and may just destroy marine lives completely in the future. We might have to live seeing polluted water soon, too.
Farming practices and agriculture can be helpful in providing food for us, but they can also make a pathway to soil erosion. Land that is once converted into dry cannot be made fertile again quickly. The process takes at least 500 years for 2.5 centimetres of topsoil, and before that, the land is useless. Soil erosion also clogs waterways causing dead fish and other species. These lands are also often less able to hold water, and that causes the flooding and other hazardous events.
As you can see, our home might become a whole mess during the incident with pollution. There is air pollution that can lead to global warming. There is water pollution which is making animal extinction get worse. Then finally, soil erosion from land pollution can make land less fertile and the soil useless.
Giving at least some care into our home can change the environment. There should be some other ways other than using burning fossils, water dumping and causing soil erosion. Let’s take a moment to look at some ways to change our habit. We need to take action.
Riley, Grade 7, Gordon Greenwood Elementary
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