Top 10 Cleanest Countries of the world

These are the top 10 cleanest countries of the world.

1. Iceland
2. Switzerland
3. Costa Rica
4. Sweden
5. Norway
6. Mauritius
7. France
8. Austria
9. Cuba
10. Singapore

Countries which are responsible for environmental degradation

These are the top 10 countries responsible for environmental degradation.
1. Brazil
2. USA
3. China
4.Indonesia
5. Japan
6. Mexico
7. India
8. Russia
9. Australia
10. Peru

The study, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and Princeton University, found that the total wealth of a country was the most important driver of environmental impact.

Acid Rain and Its Effects

Acid rain is a rain  that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It causes harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure. It is caused by emissions of Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. Nitrogen oxides can also be produced naturally by lightning strikes, and Sulfur dioxide is produced by volcanic eruptions. The chemicals in acid rain can cause paint to peel, corrosion of steel structures such as bridges, and weathering of stone buildings and statues.

The principal cause of acid rain is Sulfur and nitrogen compounds from human sources, such as electricity generation, factories, and motor vehicles. Thermal electrical power generation is among the greatest contributors to gaseous pollutions that are responsible for acidic rain. In the past, factories had short funnels to let out smoke but this caused many problems locally; thus, factories now have taller smoke funnels. However, despite of  these taller stacks causes pollutants to be carried farther, causing widespread ecological damage.

Earth Situation by 2020

 Earth's environment  is changing very fiercely.The unsustainable development of developing is playing a major role to destroy earth environment. The world population is growing day by day and there is no such road map to reduce population growth.

We are enhancing our technology but  not concerned about the earth's environment which will leads to a devastating situation.

All around the world will soon reach climatic tipping points, with some in tropical regions — home to most of the world’s biodiversity — feeling the first impacts of unprecedented eras of elevated temperatures as soon as four years from now.

On average, locations worldwide will leave behind the climates that have existed from the middle of the 19th century through the beginning of the 21st century by 2047 if no progress is made in curbing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, said researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, who sought to project the timing of that event for 54,000 locations.

If they are correct, the transition would occur by 2020 in Manokwari, Indonesia; by 2023 in Kingston, in the Caribbean; by 2029 in Lagos; by 2047 in Washington; by 2066 in Reykjavik; and by 2071 in Anchorage, Alaska.

Environmental Science Study

It may be one of the best area of study.Environmental science is very much a generalist degree. Degree in environment science not only provide good job prospective but also a good researcher who can solve environmental related issues. It requires a strong background in the more traditional sciences: biology, physics, chemistry, geography, and ecology. In addition, environmental science degrees also draw heavily from the social sciences, such as economics, business, or sociology. Due to the fact that environmental science is a generalist degree, students often complete specializations within a more select area, i.e. energy, sustainability, conservation, etc. True to most science degrees, environmental science programs often require significant field work, lab work, or other data-oriented work. There are universities like Florida state university and university of Texas are providing the following degrees in environmental study.

Degrees in Environmental Study

                                Bachelor's                           Master's                                  Doctorate

 Years of study               4                                       2                                             4-7

 Degree                         BS                                    MS                                          Ph. D

Job Prospects with a Environmental Science Degree

There are different kind of positions for Environmental Science Degree holders

i)   Environmental scientists

ii)  Team leader 

iii) Management positions

iv) University professor

Solar and Wind Energy

Solar Energy and wind energy will play a major role in coming future. There is a huge exploitation of non renewable resources and due to this non renewable resources are at shrinking stage. Hence we should think for these alternative energy resources so that we scan reduce energy crisis of our country. The clean energy will  make our earth green which is our motto. so we and govt should work together to fulfill our dream.

Renewable Energy

By using renewable energy sources like solar energy, we also reduce our dependence on fossil fuel gas and oil reserves, which are becoming more expensive and difficult to find. It also reduces our dependence on imported fossil fuels, improving our energy security.

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources—such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat—which are renewable (naturally replenished).

Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity/micro hydro, biomass and bio-fuels for transportation.



News:

Hong Kong based CLP Group has forayed into the Indian solar energy market by acquiring 49% stake in Suzlon Energy's 100 mw project in Telangana, the two companies said in a joint statement Monday. 

While the two companies will develop the project at Veltoor in Telangana in a joint venture, under s special purpose vehicle namely SE Solar, CLP India will have the option to acquire the balance 51% stake later. ET had first reported the deal on May 30. (Read more: CLP set to buy Suzlon's Rs 800 crore Telengana project for India solar debut ) 

Factors of Environmental Degradation

I am providing the graphs that will definitely make you compel to think about the current world scenario. 

World Population Graph

Air Pollution Report

We live in a greenhouse

Life on Earth depends on energy coming from the sun. About half the light reaching Earth's atmosphere passes through the air and clouds to the surface, where it is absorbed and then radiated upward in the form of infrared heat. About 90 percent of this heat is then absorbed by the greenhouse gases and radiated back toward the surface, which is warmed to a life-supporting average of 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius).

GLOBAL WARMING REPORT

World Environment Day

Each year celebration of the World Environment Day is based on the particular theme decided by the United Nations to make the celebration more effective by encouraging mass people worldwide to hugely take part in addressing environmental issues on global scale. Year wise list of the themes and slogans of world environment day are mentioned below:

• The theme of the year 2016 would be “Join the race to make the world a better place”.

World Environment Day Quotes

Some of the famous quotes (written by the famous personalities) on world environment day are mentioned below:

• “The environment is everything that isn’t me”. – Albert Einstein
• “God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools”. – John Muir
• “Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth”. – Henry David Thoreau
• “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”. – Margaret Mead
• “We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment”. – Margaret Mead
• “It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment”. – Ansel Adams
• “I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend”? – Robert Redford
• “Take a course in good water and air; and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own. Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you”. – John Muir
• “Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we’ll soon be in trouble”. – Roger Tory Peterson
• “By polluting clear water with slime you will never find good drinking water”. – Aeschylus
• “If we do not permit the earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food, either”. – Joseph Wood Krutch
• “They claim this mother of ours, the Earth, for their own use, and fence their neighbors away from her, and deface her with their buildings and their refuse”. – Sitting Bull
• “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land”. – Aldo Leopold
• “After all, sustainability means running the global environment – Earth Inc. – like a corporation: with depreciation, amortization and maintenance accounts. In other words, keeping the asset whole, rather than undermining your natural capital”. – Maurice Strong
• “Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left”. – Aldo Leopold
• “You will die but the carbon will not; its career does not end with you. It will return to the soil, and there a plant may take it up again in time, sending it once more on a cycle of plant and animal life”. -Jacob Bronowski
• “People blame their environment. There is only one person to blame – and only one – themselves”. – Robert Collier
• “I can find God in nature, in animals, in birds and the environment”. – Pat Buckley
• “We must return to nature and nature’s god”. – Luther Burbank
• “The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved”. – Richard Rogers
• “Journey with me to a true commitment to our environment. Journey with me to the serenity of leaving to our children a planet in equilibrium”. – Paul Tsongas
• “Environmental degradation, overpopulation, refugees, narcotics, terrorism, world crime movements, and organized crime are worldwide problems that don’t stop at a nation’s borders”. – Warren Christopher
• “I think the government has to reposition environment on top of their national and international priorities”. – Brian Mulroney
• “Environmental concern is now firmly embedded in public life: in education, medicine and law; in journalism, literature and art”. – Barry Commoner
• “Earth Day 1970 was irrefutable evidence that the American people understood the environmental threat and wanted action to resolve it”. – Barry Commoner
• “The government should set a goal for a clean environment but not mandate how that goal should be implemented”. – Dixie Lee Ray
• “Why has it seemed that the only way to protect the environment is with heavy-handed government regulation”? – Gale Norton
• “The most important environmental issue is one that is rarely mentioned, and that is the lack of a conservation ethic in our culture”. – Gaylord Nelson
• “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed”. – Mahatma Gandhi
• “What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another”. – Mahatma Gandhi

Most endangered animals in the world

GIANT PANDA

GORILLA

KIWI

NORTHERN SPORTIVE LEMUR

PACIFIC-WALRUS

POLAR BEAR

SMILING TARSIER

Early Environmental Education to children

Environmental education should be provided to children at school so that they will well understand about the current environmental challenges. They will be encouraged to take part of the initiatives taken by the government to control pollution.

A monthly seminar should be held at the school where all distinguished environmentalist should be called for a talk. They will motivate students to take part of the environmental related program and campaign run and managed by government and NGO.

INDIA'S CONTINUOUS ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

India needs to cut its levels of air pollution to preserve and increase its productivity.

India is experiencing an economic surge after Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered office in 2014. Investors see India as a growth opportunity. Last year, capital expenditure projects attracted $23 billion of foreign investment. Yet the country’s potential is clouded by environmental problems, which have been caused by pollution.

Water pollution has been in focus because of the River Ganga. Air pollution is not featured as much as it should in the news, but noxious air is shortening the life expectancy of India’s citizens. The Environmental Protection Index (EPI) air quality ranking places India at 174 out of 178 countries on the population’s exposure to particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5). According to an article in the Economic and Political Weekly, particulate matter comprises small particles suspended in the air with a concoction of “acids (sulphate and nitrates), ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, water, and mineral dust.” PM2.5 is particularly egregious to health because it burrows deeper into the lungs and can cause pneumonia and cancer. Needless to say, this results in an unhealthier and less productive population apart from increasing pressure on an already overburdened health care system.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2005 guidelines state that permissible exposure to PM2.5 should be an annual average of ten micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). The Central Pollution Control Board’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) set the rate at an average of 40μg/m3 per year. Around 660 million people live in cities with PM2.5 higher than 40μg/m3 each year, the NAAQS standard. Over a billion people, around 99.5% of the Indian population, live in places with PM2.5 levels over the WHO’s more stringent guidelines.

Increasing air pollution is causing lower labor productivity. It is also damaging agriculture. Crop yields have been falling. Tourism is likely to be affected with India’s legendary smog causing increasing problems to foreign visitors. The poor suffer disproportionately from air pollution. Those who work in or live near factories, drive auto rickshaws and work as traffic policemen breathe noxious fumes on a daily basis. According to the abovementioned article in the Economic and Political Weekly, life expectancy for 660 million Indians could be increased by an average of 3.2 years if pollution was limited to NAAQS standards.

Delhi government scheme for preventing air pollution in Delhi

Over the past month, there have been repeated calls from environmentalists and activists for drastic measures on part of the administration to clean the toxic air in Delhi, considered the world’s most polluted city. Studies have shown that vehicular emissions and dust from construction sites account for rising air pollution levels and smog in the city.

This year, the outcry has seen a slew of measures proposed by the state government as well as the Supreme Court of India so as to ensure that future generations are not harmed by the air.

The following are some of these measures:

1. The Delhi government has proposed the odd/even rule wherein cars with odd-numbered registration plates would ply on odd dates and those with even-numbered registration plates would do so on even dates. The idea is to reduce congestion as well as to reduce pollution resulting from vehicular emissions.

2. The top court has asked the Centre to supply the Delhi traffic police with proper masks. The court noted that the policemen, who stand for long hours at traffic signals, should be supplied with masks so that their health is not compromised.

3. The Supreme Court has also banned the registration of luxury SUVs and diesel cars above 2000cc in the national capital. Diesel cars are believed to be a major source of vehicular emissions. A bench headed by the Chief Justice had noted that it was not fair for rich people to buy luxury cars and thus pollute Delhi.

4. The green cess on commercial vehicles entering Delhi has been hiked by the top court by a whopping 100 per cent. The SC-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority has directed the Delhi government to install boards notifying the new cess in 125 toll booths across Delhi.

5. The top court has ordered that all taxis plying in the city must convert to CNG from March next year. Also, commercial vehicles which are registered before 2005 won’t be allowed to enter the national capital.

6. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued directions to all authorities to strictly implement earlier orders regarding the ban on burning of waste and fine on emission of construction dust. The bench called for an action taken report as well as a “list of offenders” from all authorities on the next date of hearing.

7. The NGT has asked the central and state government not to buy diesel vehicles for its personnel. It also asked public administration departments and municipal bodies to take efforts to gradually phase out diesel vehicles.

8. In a separate order, the NGT directed the state governments of Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to immediately ban the burning of crop residue. In earlier orders, the NGT had noted that the practice was contributing to the rising air pollution in the NCR.

9. To give alternative modes of transport to people during the odd-even rule, the government said it would add 1,000 more buses in three months. Also, 9,000 CNG contract carriages will be roped into Delhi to augment public transport.

10. The Delhi government has imposed an environment compensation penalty of Rs 50,000 on 38 major projects across the city for causing dust pollution. Officials said notices have been sent to all the projects. While a few of the projects have replied asking for ‘reconsideration’ of the compensation fee, 26 of them are yet to file their replies.

Prevention of Water Pollution

Things You Can Do To Reduce Water Pollution

• DO NOT pour fat from cooking or any other type of fat, oil, or grease down the sink. Keep a “fat jar” under the sink to collect the fat and discard in the solid waste when full.
• DO NOT dispose of household chemicals or cleaning agents down the sink or toilet. 
• DO NOT flush pills, liquid or powder medications or drugs down the toilet. For recommendations on proper disposal for all types of medical wastes, visit the CT DEP publication here.
• Avoid using the toilet as a wastebasket. Most tissues, wrappers, dust cloths, and other paper goods should be properly discarded in a wastebasket. The fiber reinforced cleaning products that have become popular should never be discarded in the toilet.
• Avoid using a garbage disposal. Keep solid wastes solid. Make a compost pile from vegetable scraps.
• Install a water efficient toilet. In the meantime, put a brick or 1/2 gal container in the standard toilet tank to reduce water use per flush.
• Run the dishwasher or clothes washer only when you have a full load. This conserves electricity and water.
• Use the minimum amount of detergent and/or bleach when you are washing clothes or dishes. Use only phosphate free soaps and detergents.
• Minimize the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers. DO NOT dispose of these chemicals, motor oil, or other automotive fluids into the sanitary sewer or storm sewer systems. Both of them end at the river.

Effect of chlorofluorocarbon on environment

What is it?

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a group of compounds which contain the elements chlorine, fluorine and carbon. At room temperatures, they are usually colourless gases or liquids which evaporate easily. They are generally unreactive and stable, non-toxic and non-flammable. CFCs are also a part of the group of chemicals known as the volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

What is it used for?

The properties of CFCs make them useful for a variety of commercial and industrial purposes: as a propellant in aerosol sprays (now banned in the US and Europe), in refrigeration and air conditioning systems, in foams, in cleaning solvents and in electrical components.

Where does it come from?

Most CFCs have been released to the atmosphere through the use of aerosols containing them and as leakages from refrigeration equipment. Other releases may occur from industry producing and using them and other products containing them. There are not thought to be any natural sources of CFCs to the environment.

How might it affect the environment?

CFCs are unlikely to have any direct impact on the environment in the immediate vicinity of their release. As VOCs, they may be slightly involved in reactions to produce ground level ozone, which can cause damage to plants and materials on a local scale. At a global level however, releases of CFCs have serious environmental consequences. Their long lifetimes in the atmosphere mean that some end up in the higher atmopshere (stratosphere) where they can destroy the ozone layer, thus reducing the protection it offers the earth from the sun's harmful UV rays. CFCs also contribute to Global Warming (through "the Greenhouse Effect"). Although the amounts emitted are relatively small, they have a powerful warming effect (a very high "Global Warming Potential").

Effects of Pesticides on Human Health

Introduction

Pesticides are designed to kill and because their mode of action is not specific to one species, they often kill or harm organisms other than pests, including humans. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 3 million cases of pesticide poisoning each year and up to 220,000 deaths, primarily in developing countries. The application of pesticides is often not very precise, and unintended exposures occur to other organisms in the general area where pesticides are applied. Children, and indeed any young and developing organisms, are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticides. Even very low levels of exposure during development may have adverse health effects.

Pesticide exposure can cause a range of neurological health effects such as memory loss, loss of coordination, reduced speed of response to stimuli, reduced visual ability, altered or uncontrollable mood and general behavior, and reduced motor skills. These symptoms are often very subtle and may not be recognized by the medical community as a clinical effect. Other possible health effects include asthma, allergies, and hypersensitivity, and pesticide exposure is also linked with cancer,hormone disruption, and problems with reproduction and fetal development.

Pesticide formulations contain both "active" and "inert" ingredients. Active ingredients are what kill the pest, and inert ingredients help the active ingredients to work more effectively. These "inert" ingredients may not be tested as thoroughly as active ingredients and are seldom disclosed on product labels. Solvents, which are inert ingredients in many pesticide formulations, may be toxic if inhaled or absorbed by the skin.

Children are at greater risk from exposure to pesticides because of their small size: relative to their size, children eat, drink, and breathe more than adults. Their bodies and organs are growing rapidly, which also makes them more susceptible; in fact, children may be exposed to pesticides even while in the womb.

SOIL POLLUTION

Soil pollution is defined as the build-up in soils of persistent toxic compounds, chemicals, salts, radioactive materials, or disease causing agents, which have adverse effects on plant growth and animal health.

There are many different ways that soil can become polluted, such as:

• Seepage from a landfill
• Discharge of industrial waste into the soil
• Percolation of contaminated water into the soil
• Rupture of underground storage tanks
• Excess application of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizer
• Solid waste seepage The most common chemicals involved in causing soil pollution are:
• Petroleum hydrocarbons
• Heavy metals
• Pesticides
• Solvents

Environmental Long Term Effects of Soil Pollution

When it comes to the environment itself, the toll of contaminated soil is even more dire. Soil that has been contaminated should no longer be used to grow food, because the chemicals can leech into the food and harm people who eat it. If contaminated soil is used to grow food, the land will usually produce lower yields than it would if it were not contaminated. This, in turn, can cause even more harm because a lack of plants on the soil will cause more erosion, spreading the contaminants onto land that might not have been tainted before. In addition, the pollutants will change the makeup of the soil and the types of microorganisms that will live in it. If certain organisms die off in the area, the larger predator animals will also have to move away or die because they've lost their food supply. Thus it's possible for soil pollution to change whole ecosystems

Effects of soil pollution in brief:

• pollution runs off into rivers and kills the fish, plants and other aquatic life
• crops and fodder grown on polluted soil may pass the pollutants on to the consumers
• polluted soil may no longer grow crops and fodder
• Soil structure is damaged (clay ionic structure impaired)
• corrosion of foundations and pipelines
• impairs soil stability
• may release vapours and hydrocarbon into buildings and cellars
• may create toxic dusts
• may poison children playing in the area 

WHY RAIN WATER HARVESTING

Rain water harvesting, particularly in urban areas, as a technological solution that can be adopted by all to decrease the groundwater layer. We have to promote water harvesting began with its in-depth research on India’s rich traditions in using rainwater harvesting for a sustainable, participatory and equitable management of water. People have to know how rainwater harvesting is done. In order to create awareness among people and decision-makers, how policy options can be developed and implemented.

Wetlands are vital sponges in the city. In cities most of the rain water is wasted. Minimum use of plastic materials and reuse of plastic can help to increase the groundwater layer. Govt. of India should take a major initiative for rain water harvesting.

The reasons for using rainwater harvesting systems answer three questions:

What: Rainwater harvesting will improve water supply, food production, and ultimately food security.

Who: Water insecure households or individuals in rural areas will benefit the most from rainwater harvesting systems.

How: Since rainwater harvesting leads to water supply which leads to food security, this will greatly contribute to income generation.

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION AND LEARNING

Five things you didn't know about Earth Day

1.One billion people across the world will get involved with Earth Day this year
2.The celebration has its own flag that features a picture of the Earth taken from the Apollo 17 spacecraft on its way to the Moon
3.20 million people participated in the first ever Earth Day in 1970
4.No one knows where the name or date for the day came from as the organisers can't remember
5.In 2008 Disney launched Disney nature, a channel dedicated to environmental documentaries, in celebration of Earth Day

How to get involved

There are Earth Day events taking place across the globe. Google has created a special map with a selection of planned events in different countries.

You can get involved without attending an official event by trying some of the following activities:

1.Walk to work, cycle or take public transport
2.Use a reusable coffee cup
3.Make sure you recycle
4.Go paperless
5.Take a tote bag to the shop
6.Plant a tree
7.Go meat or dairy free at least once a week
8.Carry a reusable water bottle
9.Add the Earth Mode Google Chrome extension to your browser to monitor your energy use
10.Buy local produce

Global Warming Solution proposed by Scientists

With global temperatures rising inexorably, some scientists and national security theorists have pondered
cooling things down by tinkering mechanically with the planet’s climate.

The goal of this geoengineering would be to create an effect not unlike when clouds suddenly block the sun and chill a warm afternoon. Average surface temperatures might be held down by a few degrees worldwide, these experts suggest — enough, they theorize (maybe with fingers crossed), to stave off environmental cataclysm.

How to do this? With smoke and mirrors. For real.

One idea is to launch giant mirrors into space, where they would bounce back some of the sun’s energy.
Another suggestion involves spraying ocean water into the air to whiten clouds and thereby increase their capacity to deflect sunlight. Then there is a widely discussed plan to pump sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere. Those particles, too, would reflect the sun’s radiation back toward space, comparable to the effects of natural phenomena like volcanic eruptions. The haze created by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 spread so widely that average global temperatures dropped by nearly one degree for more than a year.

Let’s set aside these proposals for a moment to first note that the aerosols plan faintly echoes a terrifying scenario that informs the latest offering from Retro Report, a series of video documentaries that study the
continuing impact of major news stories of the past.

With forests and scores of cities set ablaze, enough dust and smoke would be hurled into the upper atmosphere to blot out the sun. The darkening would last for many months, most oppressively in the Northern Hemisphere, though the Southern Hemisphere would hardly be immune. Beneath the sun-blocking canopy, surface temperatures would plummet, conceivably by as much as 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant and animal life would die. Famine would spread across the globe.

Air Pollution and its effect

(1) Air Pollution: Air is mainly a mixture of various gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen. These are present in a particular ratio. Whenever there is any imbalance in the ratio of these gases, air pollution is caused. The sources of air pollution can be grouped as under

(i) Natural; such as, forest fires, ash from smoking volcanoes, dust storm and decay of organic matters.

(ii) Man-made due to population explosion, deforestation, urbanization and industrializations.

Certain activities of human beings release several pollutants in air, such as carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), lead, arsenic, asbestos, radioactive matter, and dust. The major threat comes from burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum products. Thermal power plants, automobiles and industries are major sources of air pollution as well. Due to progress in atomic energy sector, there has been an increase in radioactivity in the atmosphere. Mining activity adds to air pollution in the form of particulate matter. Progress in agriculture due to use of fertilizers and pesticides has also contributed towards air pollution. Indiscriminate cutting of trees and clearing of forests has led to increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere. Global warming is a consequence of green house effect caused by increased level of carbon dioxide (CO2). Ozone (O3) depletion has resulted in UV radiation striking our earth.

The gaseous composition of unpolluted air
The Gases	Parts per million (vol)
Nitrogen	756,500
Oxygen	202,900
Water	31,200
Argon	9,000
Carbon Dioxide	305
Neon	17.4
Helium	5.0
Methane	0.97-1.16
Krypton	0.97
Nitrous oxide	0.49
Hydrogen	0.49
Xenon	0.08
Organic Postulates	ca.0.02

Harmful Effects of air pollution –

(a) It affects respiratory system of living organisms and causes bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, pneumonia etc. Carbon monoxide (CO) emitted from motor vehicles and cigarette smoke affects the central nervous system.

(b) Due to depletion of ozone layer, UV radiation reaches the earth. UV radiation causes skin cancer, damage to eyes and immune system.

(c) Acid rain is also a result of air pollution. This is caused by presence of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur in the air. These oxides dissolve in rain water to form nitric acid and sulfuric acid respectively. Various monuments, buildings, and statues are damaged due to corrosion by acid present in the rain. The soil also becomes acidic. The cumulative effect is the gradual degradation of soil and a decline in forest and agricultural productivity.

(d) The green house gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) trap the heat radiated from earth. This leads to an increase in earth’s temperature.

(e) Some toxic metals and pesticides also cause air pollution.