How to avoid environmental pollution

Depending on the origin and the place where the contamination occurs, we can find different types of environmental contamination . In all cases, we must bear in mind that environmental pollution will be caused by the introduction of elements or substances foreign to the environment and that alter the nature of the environment, which in fact is the basic definition of environmental pollution. In this way, broadly speaking, we can distinguish up to five types of environmental pollution:

Noise pollution

It is a type of pollution that is not seen and that does not leave chemical residues in the environment, but physical ones. This type of pollution is caused by excessive noise caused by human activities (the most common include means of transport, but also certain industrial activities or works produce this type of pollution). The noise or sound particularly affects living things, both people and animals, altering their normal rhythms of life and causing major diseases, such as chronic stress.

Light pollution

In this case, it is a type of environmental pollution that is caused by the introduction of artificial lighting elements into the environment. This type of pollution especially affects animals more than humans, although there are also examples of cases in which light pollution affects human health, especially in cases of insomnia and in the correct sleep-watch cycle. Light pollution affects the natural cycles of many birds and land animals, so it is pollution that seriously damages the ecosystems in which it is present.

Water contamination

In this case, we are talking about a type of environmental pollution that affects water resources in all its forms. Water contamination can manifest as physical or chemical contamination, depending on the size of the contamination and how dilute it is in the water. This pollution affects the health of humans, animals and plants, and is capable of destroying entire ecosystems as well as causing diseases of many different types.

We suggest you consult this World Map of garbage in the oceans , so that you can have a more approximate idea of ​​the great problem that this pollution poses.

Air pollution

The pollution of the air affects particularly important form to humans and animals, since respiratory – type diseases caused by the presence in the air of particulate matter that are breathed in by living beings, affecting their health. In addition, this pollution is also directly related to global warming, since the presence of this type of particles in the air increases the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere and, with it, the global average temperature. Its main cause is found in the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil derivatives and natural gas.

Soil contamination

Finally, it is worth highlighting another type of environmental contamination that is soil contamination . In this case, it is a type of contamination that can be both chemical and physical. It affects the quality of the soils, destroying entire ecosystems and promoting the desertification of the land by making it unusable for flora to grow on it. The origin of this contamination is very diverse. It is worth highlighting the presence of chemicals such as pesticides and pesticides used in agriculture, as well as the presence of heavy metals and plastics that have not been properly managed.

In this other article we explain in more detail what environmental pollution is and its types .

There are different ways to avoid environmental pollution depending on the time and place where we are. It must be taken into account that, although governments and large companies and institutions play a fundamental role in this task, the ordinary citizen can also influence environmental pollution through their individual actions. Here are some ideas on how to avoid and reduce environmental pollution :

Use the public transport

One of the main measures to avoid environmental pollution is to take into account that the transport sector is one of the most polluting sectors of all. Its effects are especially perceived in environmental air pollution, since it is responsible for the emission of huge amounts of greenhouse gases and gases that are harmful to health (for example nitrogen oxides). The best option we can choose when it comes to minimizing the impact of this pollution is to opt for public transport. Public transportallows the transport of large numbers of people at the same time, which manages to reduce the impact of air pollution to a minimum. For this reason, dispensing with your own vehicle and opting for public transport is one of the best options when it comes to minimizing the impact of pollution produced by transport.

This is one of the main measures to make air pollution solutions work and it is also one of the recommendations on How to avoid noise pollution .

Consumption of organic products

What else can we do to avoid environmental pollution? Well, let’s move on to organic products. Ecological products are all those that are produced respecting the environment . That is, without introducing chemical elements in the products themselves or in the environment where they are produced. We can find from food products to cosmetics, cleaning products for the home, fashion or footwear. By choosing this type of product, we are able to reduce the impact that our consumption has on the environment.

Consumption of local products

On the other hand, it is very important to opt for local or proximity products . The transport of the products entails large emissions of greenhouse gases. In this way, opting for local or proximity products, we avoid that these products have had to travel long distances until the moment they reach the consumer.

Plant-based diet

Another of the sectors that can produce more environmental pollution is livestock, to which it is necessary to allocate large areas of cultivation to feed livestock. If our diet substitutes products of animal origin for others such as legumes or nuts (rich in protein), we will considerably reduce environmental pollution caused by livestock. It is not necessary to opt for a fully vegan diet. Although the impact would be even greater, if we simply reduce meat consumption to two days a week we will already be achieving a very important impact on the environment.

Reduce, reuse and recycle

Of course, another way to reduce and avoid environmental pollution is to implement the 3Rs of ecology: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle , both by governments and in schools, workplaces and everyone at home. The three aspects are pillars to achieve control and reduce the problem of pollution in the world. But, as recycling is one of the pillars to take into account in order to reduce and avoid pollution of the planet , at AgroCorrn we want to inform you in depth about it. Therefore, here below you can consult a very visual, simple and enlightening infographic and in this other article learn more information and data from this Infographic on recycling .

However, at AgroCorrn, we want to introduce you to the 7Rs of ecology , to go further and take better care of the environment.

Reduce the consumption

Finally, another aspect that we have to take into account is that a large part of the environmental pollution that we suffer derives from a consumer lifestyle . If, on the contrary, we opt for a more sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle, we will reduce part of the environmental pollution derived from current consumerism. In this sense, think twice before making a purchase, extend the useful life of products such as clothing or technology, buy in second-hand stores and markets, or simply understand that we do not need many of the things we buy by inertia, they will help us to reduce the environmental pollution of the planet and, in addition, they will also allow us to save a lot of money. Learn more about What is responsible consumption in this other post.

Avoid fires

We refer both to avoiding fireworks (which produce pollution of various types), as well as fires for barbecues or campfires without complying with the laws of the region, among others. Although fires are well controlled they always cause environmental pollution and, furthermore, if they get out of control they are a great danger. In this other article you will learn more about How to avoid forest fires .

Now that we have already talked about how to avoid environmental pollution , we want to emphasize once again the great gravity of the problem that this poses. The great environmental deterioration that our planet has suffered in the last two centuries, and especially in the last decades, is enormous and very serious, as more and more surface of the pallet is destroyed faster and faster, making it useless to develop life as it has been up to now. It helps to educate others about the importance of avoiding environmental pollution and reducing existing pollution.

Here we leave an interesting video in which we clarify more aspects about environmental deterioration.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to avoid environmental pollution , we recommend that you enter our Pollution category .