Pollution and the environment
“Going green” is a household phrase in many parts of the world today. To say that you are “going green” means that you are determined to make an effort to protect the environment.
The term “environment” refers to natural world in which we live.
This includes living components like plants, animal and humans, as well as non- living components like land, water and air. The environment has always been changing over time. In the past, it usually changed slowly and gradually as a result of natural vents. Today however, many environment changes occur more rapidly and are associated with the harmful effects of pollution.
Pollution is caused by waste. Waste can be described as all kinds of unwanted material in the form of solids, liquids or gases. It is not necessarily harmful to the environment. Waste materials from plants and animal are "biodegradable," which means that they can eventually be returned to the land after being broken down by living things like worms insects and bacteria. This is nature's own process of recycling. However, if it occurs in large amounts, or if it is not handled properly, waste can become a harmful substance known as a "pollutant." Pollution results when pollutants are released into the environment at a rate faster than nature is able to deal with.