Environment Will Get You Theme

Environment Will Get You

Theme -- Environmental Psychology is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the way humans and their surroundings interact. The environment is a broad term in this case, and encompasses nature, social settings, urban environments, learning environments and informational environments.

The environment is everything that surrounds us -- both good and bad

Air-quality -- Outdoor

The Greenhouse Effect is a buildup of carbon dioxide in the environment caused by pollution and an eroding of the ozone layer -- this allows the sun's rays in, but not out, and causes a buildup of heat

Some believe that this is also caused by natural phenomenon like volcanoes, earthquakes and the amount of precipitation that occurs naturally

Pollution into the air is nothing new; but since the Industrial Revolution, CO2 has increased in the atmosphere, at least 15% in the last century.

The so-called Ozone Hole was discovered in 1986 in Antarctica; this changes the way the earth "respirates" and has also been known to cause ozone poisoning to people who travel into high levels of ozone through airline travel

Automobile pollution is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect because when hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxidize in sunlight, they combine to form harmful oxidants. These oxidants are largely responsible for "smog" or the brown haze over many cities.

Lead was a major pollutant in gasoline until it was reduced to the point at which 1% or less is now mandated in U.S. gasoline.

There are a number of pollutants that arise from industry, mostly sulfur from energy plants -- especially coal, which is one of the most serious pollution sources

Natural gas, however, is one of the cleaner forms of energy and requires less volatile production to refine.

Air Quality -- Indoor

The most common indoor pollutants are cigarette smoke, asbestos, radon, and formaldehyde. Natural contaminants are dust mites, fungus, and bacteria.

Smoking is hazardous to health -- whether by ingesting or second-hand. The medical effects of tobacco use are well-documented, and include heart and lung disease, organ failure, and a host of other respiratory maladies.

Asbestos, radon and formaldehyde come from artificial insulation and/or construction materials -- most now banned in new construction. Radon is the most prominent pollutant, widely found in rocks and soils.

Noise pollution is also a serious indoor problem. From music to jets to urban noise, particularly at the volume levels people now use, are hazardous to hearing. This is also problematic in factories and construction sites and should be mitigated by wearing protective gear.

OSHA estimates that noise and other indoor pollutants have increased tenfold in the last 20 years.

Water Quality-

Next to the Greenhouse Effect, the 2nd largest threat to the environment comes from acid rain, caused by sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide put into the atmosphere from factories, mixing with water in the clouds, and then falling as acid rain. This is so serious that Canada has charged the U.S. For ruining some of its lakes.

Currently, rain has 10 times the normal acidity rate in most of the northeastern parts of the United States

PCB's (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) are waxy substances that were previously used as coolants, but now banned because of their cancer-causing properties and difficulty in disposal

PBBs (Polybrominated biphenyls) are potent and have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of cattle.

EDBs (Ethylene dibromide) is a pesticide that was finally banned but used extensively in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Antibiotics from urine and waste enter the water table and are stored in plant and animal tissues -- when humans or animals ingest them, they cause bacteria to mutate and become immune from their effects; resulting in the need for higher doses and newer chemicals to fight disease.

Lead is now considered a problem in many areas, largely due to old and inadequate plumbing systems.

While many cities and towns have taken steps to reduce bacteria and lead, their use of other chemicals has caused an increase in nitrate, chloride, arsenic and cadmium. While one area is improved, another seems to suffer.

Rivers and other water sources are being increasingly polluted via ground water and run off from industry and, ironically, livestock farms -- particularly swine, who have high concentrations of ammonia in their urine.