In Our Backyard: A Guide to Understanding Pollution and Its EffectsMost attempts to control pollution have been piecemeal, focusing on one environmental component at a time, such as air or water, and have not addressed the big picture. Such efforts have not fully accounted for the Earth’s fundamental interconnectedness and unity; as a result, pollution control has often lagged behind pollution-related problems. This book puts all the pieces together as it explains how pollution affects all components of the environment. Using layperson’s language and an easy-to-use question and answer format, it describes: how the components of the environment operate together; major sources of pollution; and what we can do to clean up our surface water, groundwater, and air. Care has been taken to avoid bias and to present only the most sound, objective data available. Nearly 500 questions are formulated and answered, covering topics such as:
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acid deposition acid mine drainage addition air pollution amount approximately areas asbestos atmosphere carbon dioxide carbon monoxide carcinogen cause Clean Air Act cleanup coal combustion consumed crude oil decrease discharged disposal drilling drinking water electricity emissions emitted energy environment evaporation example exposure federal gallons gasoline groundwater hazardous waste heat heavy metals household human carcinogen human health impacts incinerators increased industrial ingestion inhalation landfills lead levels low-level radioactive waste major manufacturing material medical waste million tons Moderately toxic municipal natural gas nitrogen oxides nuclear power oil and gas oxygen ozone particulates percent pest pesticides petroleum potential power plants precipitation primarily primary radiation radioactive waste radon recycling reduce released removed result runoff sediments shown in Figure significant soil solid waste solvents spent fuel spills storage sulfur dioxide Superfund surface water tanks Transportation underground United uranium volatile organic compounds waste management wastewater wetlands
Popular passages
Page v - This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in if it is not a reasonably good place for all of us to live in.
References to this book
Consider the Earth: Environmental Activities for Grades 4 - 8 Julie M. Gates No preview available - 1999 |