Technology and science have revolutionized the living style of humans. Our lives have become more efficient and easy to live, to travel; we have motorcycles, cars, ships, airplanes. Big mills and factories are running 24 hours to produce the clothes, foods and vehicles. Multistory buildings are everywhere. All these inventions and growth of science may have given comfort to our lives, but it is affecting our environment very badly.

The Carbon Dioxide, emission from vehicles, factories and by burning coals is harming our delicate and fragile environment. Moreover, we are cutting trees, which are sources of fresh airs and helps in balancing the environment. We human are the smartest and wisest living beings, but if we consume and harm the things on which we are able to survive for these years then definitely it’s a matter of shame for each of us.

We need to take a step to save and help our environment for better tomorrow. There are many ways by which a person can fulfill their share to stop the environment pollution which could help to save the environment, such as, stop using vehicles like a car, motorcycle if you can walk. The Carbon Dioxide emission from vehicles  and factories are responsible for the global warming due to which aquatic lives, animals and also humans get affected. Stop using poly bags. They are non-biodegradable and can harm our environment. A poly bag needs decades to degrade and these could harm the effectiveness of soil. By controlling such acts, we are taking a step towards the saving of our environment.

Time has come that we all should become aware of the fact that, we are drastically harming the environment and we all should stop. Every human need to rethink that their certain acts can affect the environment. We all should spread awareness and do the right things to save our environment. If we don’t start now then the days to come is going to be harder, and may be our offspring’s have to pay the price of our foolishness.

In last few year world had witnessed the rise in average earth of temperature, which has caused climate change and greenhouse effect. Gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane are the main causes of greenhouse effect. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere of earth and increase the temperature of earth. The global warming can cause many irreversible changes in the ecosystem and the behavior of animals.

The world’s rate of carbon dioxide emission has gone by 30 percent since industrialization began in the eighteenth century and surface of the seas has risen at least by 10cms. However, the lion’s share of climate damage is done by burning coal and oil. Carbon dioxide emission from cars, planes and factories are changing the climate all over the globe.

According to study and research by UK scientists, it was concluded that the overall temperature will rise annually by around 4 degrees Celsius unite the year 2060 and the surface of the world’s ocean will rise by around 20cms while the carbon dioxide will double.

Studies reveal that it is cheaper to reduce the use substances causing green house gases than undo the damage caused by them. The effect of possible collapse of the world is more than severe. Environment officials, legislators and scientists from more than 30 Asia-Pacific countries have blamed developed nations for this climate change and have urged to speed up reduction targets against green house gas emission.

The predicted long periods of drought will leave lasting marks on agriculture. Some 10 million people are now dying every year due to malnutrition and the figure will increase many times over if the carbon dioxide emission doubles. Global warming offers an ideal condition of epidemics, malaria and cholera could spread in the US, Australia and Central Europe. According to surveys, it has been found that many marine species also get affected due to the rise in temperature.

Governments of all the countries are trying to cut the emissions of greenhouse gases. Variety of measures has been taken to limit the greenhouse gas emission. In 2009, at Copenhagen summit, the developed country has decided to reduce the carbon emission by 10-20 percent within 2020.

Ozone Layer Depletion

Ozone layer depletion is one of the major environmental issues.  Ozone layer is a layer of o₃ (Tri atomic Oxygen) gases present around the stratosphere of earth. In the 1980s, researchers have reported and proved that there is a decrease of ozone gas in Antarctic stratosphere because of some man-made chemicals.  In the upper atmosphere, an oxygen atom absorbs Ultra-violet rays emitting from Sun and reacts with an oxygen molecules to form Ozone layer or gases. The process of forming Ozone layer is also called as photoisomerization or photolysis.

In late 1970s scientists discovered that chemicals like Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Carbon mono oxide (CO) could destroy the Ozone layer. Chlorofluorocarbon is a gas used in air conditioning, refrigerator and aerosol spray propellants. It was invented by Thomas Midgley in the year 1928. CFC is uses as a by-product in some chemical processes and cleaning agent for some electronic equipment. Studies showed that CFC molecule is heavier than nitrogen or oxygen molecules, it takes around 15 years to reach to the upper atmosphere from ground level and can stay there for centuries. During the stay at upper atmosphere CFC breaks down into free radical catalysts (Chlorine, Bromine, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide), these catalysts further react with ozone gas molecules and results in thinning of ozone gas.

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Effect of Ozone layer depletion on Humans

Ozone layer acts as a natural sunscreen for the humans and other living organism on the planet earth. Depletion in the ozone layer can results in an increase of surface ultraviolet level. Experts predict that an estimate 10 % reduction in the ozone layer will cause 20% increases in Ultraviolet level on the earth surface. Increase in level on Ultraviolet lights can cause skin cancer and chronic eye diseases to the human’s.  It has been reported that incidence of skin cancer has increased dramatically by 690 percent from 1950 to 2001, and the overall death rate increased 165 percent during the same period.  The World Health Organization estimates that 90 percent of skin cancers are caused by ultraviolet rays from the sun.

Effect of ozone Layer depletion on Plants and Crops.

• Reduced Photosynthesis
• Enhanced drought stress sensitivity
• Either inhibited or stimulated flowering
• Yield Reduction
• Growth limitation

The environment refers to the surroundings which occur naturally on earth or any other region thereof. These surroundings comprise of natural resources, living and non-living things. Lately, the environment has been under tremendous strain due to astronomical population growth which has in turn led to industrialization. As a result, there has been rapid depletion of resources and considerable damage has been done to the environment.

Problem appears before us in different forms such as air-pollution, water pollution, food pollution, noise pollution, moral pollution and paper pollution. Air pollution results from the greed of man because he in under way to cut down the trees and forest for setting up of industries and settlements. This has created a complex problem for all of us. The industries vitiate the atmosphere by emitting out fumes of smoke. Side by side combustion, manufacturing processes, agricultural activities, use of chemicals and fertilizers spread pollution in the air. All these releases harmful gases and thereby the air is polluted.

The noise pollution also leads to neurosis and other psychic disorders.

Trees and plants turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. When they are cut, the air becomes impure. Deforestation causes soil erosion. This widespread pollution is great health-hazard and puts a great danger to our life.

Humans consume natural resources for purposes such as manufacturing, power generation, utility etc. The challenge that lies ahead is that the resources are limited. With global population swelling each year, enormous strain is being put on the finite reserve of resources. For our future generations to experience better standards of living we must put efforts to save clean air, water and fuel for them.

One can participate in many ways to save the environment and provide a better future to the coming generations. It can be done by taking environment friendly decisions such as: planting a tree, using energy efficient equipments, buying green products and by employing right methods to recycle plastic, e-waste etc. Recycling is an important instrument as it helps in protecting resources in two ways. Firstly, recycling of material would prevent contamination of water, soil, air etc. as a result of dumping. Secondly, recycling of material like paper, glass, aluminum etc. can help save electricity which can be used constructively.

Thus, each one of us should employ various means to protect our environment and reward our future generations with a greener planet.

Poly-bags have today become the part and parcel of our daily necessity. We use them in different sizes without paying any attention towards their adverse effects on our health and hygiene. We use them proudly as a carrier of our items and other accessories of our daily use. While making their use, we feel only their comfort and convenience, they provide us, but we do not keep in mind their side effects. As these bags are non-biodegradable in nature, so they remain in existence for a longer period, and thereby they cause inconvenience.

Polythene shopping bags and wrappers are a menace and potential threat to the environment. They choke your drain and sewer system and cause, insanitary conditions. This gives birth to many deadly germs and other fatal diseases. Poly-bags impure the atmosphere and create an unhealthy effect on the life of all the living beings. We should be very cautious in their use.

Here are some facts about the impact of poly-bags on our environment:

• Every year 100,000 sea turtle and other aquatic animals die because of plastic bags, when animals mistaken them for food.
• Tones of carbon emissions are done by the manufacturer of plastic bags, which harms the ozone layer and our environment.
• In the UK, banning poly-bags for a year would be the equivalent of taking 20,000 cars off the road.
• Each year around 1 trillion poly-bags is used worldwide.
• Most Poly-bags takes over 400 years to break down and biodegrade.
• Each day China uses 3 billion plastic bags.
• Each year around 500,000 plastic bags is collected in Australia during Clean Up Day.
• Each day 250 tone of plastic wastes comes out of various colonies of major cities in many countries like India, Pakistan.
• Each year around 100 million barrels of oil is required to make the world’s plastic bag.

Keeping in view the impact of plastic and poly-bags on us, some governments around the world have either banned the use of poly-bags or discouraging their usage.

“Tree is the best panacea for the survival of the society.” Trees play a very significant role in the survival of the society. From top to root, importance of trees cannot be described with a single pen. We use timber in office, railways, houses, schools, toys, medicine, clothes and paper, etc. Its multiple uses can never be denied. A tree in all its forms has been a friend of mankind since times immemorial.

At times it has aided mankind by imprinting upon itself tales of bygone era by taking the form of a fossil, etc. It cannot be denied that all these usage comes into being only after the tree has been chopped down and stripped of its branches. Few would believe in the statement that a living tree is of much greater value than a dead tree. This is true. Plant and human developed together in the nature. The both are interdependent. The waste of one is the food of the other.

Trees keep our environment free from pollution and provide the best remedy for and many contagious diseases. Cutting of trees has added a lot of environment degradations. In many areas, we fail to hear about the rainfall. Consequently, these are in the state of utter drought. Crops fail; people and animals die for want of starvation and food. Soil erosion becomes too acute to revoke side by side many rare species also extinct from the other whose importance can never be denied, trees supply oxygen to the atmosphere. The green leaves produce starch- as essential part of food. They provide us cool and fresh air, and thereby we remain hale and healthy. Aesthetically they bring beauty and color to life. Indirectly, they are instruments in developing the arts and culture of this world. Their gradual destruction is slowly taking the life away from earth. Nature is falling sick in their absence.

In the coming era, pollution and global warming has endangered our lives. Therefore, it would be in man’s own interest to protect the plants and trees.