Pollution
Pollution—the presence of harmful substances in the environment—is largely a result of human activities. Pollution is caused by various industrial and agricultural processes, population growth and movement, and transportation. For thousands of years, people lived off the land without permanently harming it. However, since the beginning of the industrial age in the mid-1800s, the concentration of pollutants has increased greatly and has challenged the environment.
The book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson,first published in 1962, awakened a passionate minority of environmentalists to the extent of the pollution problem in the United States. Carson chronicled the toll that decades of indiscriminate pesticide use, in particular DDT,which has since been banned, had taken on land, water, and…>> (read more)
Pollution Points of View
5 New Coal-Burning Technology Is Less Polluting
6 Coal-Fired Power Plants Create Harmful Emissions
7 Automobiles Cause Air Pollution
8 Air Quality Has Improved
9 Air Pollution from Automobiles Has Been Reduced
10 Corporations Are Reckless Polluters
11 Corporations Are Engaging in Phony Environmentalism
12 Oil Companies Are Harmful Polluters
13 Businesses Have Reduced Pollution
14 U.S. Factories in Mexico Are Reducing Pollution
15 Air Pollution Threatens Human Health
16 Factory Farming Is Polluting the Water Supply
17 Recycling Programs Are Unprofitable and Unnecessary
18 Recycling Does Not Reduce Waste
19 Superfund Hazardous Waste Program Is Effective
20 Mandatory Pollution Regulations Are Effective
21 Clean Water Regulations Should Be Strengthened
22 Clean Air Regulations Protect Public Health
23 Superfund Hazardous Waste Program Is Ineffective
24 Recycled Materials Produce Less Pollution
25 Efficient Recycling Programs Can Reduce Waste
Pollution
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Pollution in the News
Byline: David R. Baker; Chronicle Staff Writer
A court-appointed expert in Ecuador has recommended that Chevron Corp. pay $7 billion to $16 billion if it loses a…>> (read more)
California's war with Washington over air pollution rules has moved into a new realm of the absurd, weakening what little clout the Bush administration has left on the topic.…>> (read more)
Debating the idea of fertilizing the ocean with iron can feel a little like riding a seesaw.
On the up side is iron's eye-catching potential to set…>> (read more)
Pollution Statistics
