Pollution

The Problem

Pollution has grown to the point of creating citywide smog. The largest contributor is Pakistan at 101ug per cubic meter, however, the issue is that the pollution can be carried long distances by winds, thus not only affecting the immediate area of it, but also regional and continental boundaries, causing an impact on the global climate. Beyond simply the air, human pollution can be seen around the globe whether be in the form of garbage patches in the ocean, dumps filled beyond capacity, or the trash that litters the streets. Pollution takes many separate forms, and all of them must be halted to achieve a clean planet.

The Solution

There are various ways in which the pollution emitted from a country could be cut, to begin with, a government aid in financing for the production of cleaner forms of energy could be a start. Also, the amount of which a business could pollute could be regulated with harsh fines and greater enforcement. Beyond simply what the government can do, it must also be in the will of all to take it upon themselves to ensure that the carbon footprint they leave behind is minimal, and any trash that cannot be composted sees its way to the proper location.

Canadian Perspective

Pollution in any form is not seen as a very large issue to many Canadians, however, it is present especially when it comes to the larger cities such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. With the factories and extremely large populations, it is expected that these areas produce more pollution than the rest of Canada. The air quality index of Toronto averages 50, whereas towns that are smaller with less of a population such as Medicine Hat, Alberta has an index of 6. This fine balance sets Canada third as of 2011 for the best air quality.

Reaction/Reflection

Being from the small town of Hampton, New Brunswick, the issue of extreme pollution is not exactly blatent, although, it's not foreign either. With a simply trip 30 minutes southeast, the smog of Saint John's pulp mill sends a quick reminder of how much harm humans truly do to the planet. The fact is that until we all buy into a system that will change out ways for the better, the Earth will continue to be damaged until such a point as there is no way to reverse what we've done. Pollution is an important factor in today's society and it is crucial that a remedy for our ways can be achieved, for if not, the planet's days are numbered.

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