According to the world health organization, about 25% of all deaths and total disease, globally, can be attributed to environmental factors. There are many of us who go through life, not really understanding or wanting to know the importance of the environment and the impact us humans have on it, and the impacts it has on us. The environment serves as a foundation for us to build our lives in, by providing us with the natural resources needed to survive this planet. Without them, there would be no life on earth. And it is for this reason, that we must ensure that we take care of our environment, not only for our benefit, but for the future generations to come. One main issue that many struggle to understand is the relevance of environmental
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The use of cigarettes not only affects the smoker, but also affects the environment around him, creating more pollution in the air as well as second hand smoking. Second hand smoking impacts the very young, the elderly and those with chronic diseases the most. Exposure to second hand smoking in utero and first few years of life has had irreversible effects on children. According to the Healthy People 202 besides for smoking, exposure to hazardous materials and chemicals before and during pregnancy can cause an increase in the number of health problems that can occur. These problems include childhood cancer, birth defects and developmental …show more content…
According to the Core Concepts of Health textbook some of these factors include global warming, solid waste pollution, asbestos, lead, mercury, pesticides and radiation pollution. An increase in the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil leads to a rise in temperature, thereby causing global warming. This is evident in the fact that there are polar ice caps melting, increased mortality from heat stress. The text goes so far as to say that “The use of fossil fuels pumps more than 20 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year” (Core Concepts of Health, chapter 14 page 329). Solid waste pollution occurs because humans generate an exorbitant amount of waste, which if handled incorrectly can lead to contamination problems. About 1% of the solid waste is toxic. The method to getting rid of it is burning. This has its benefits as well as its downplays. Although it is true that burning toxic waste greatly reduces the bulk of solid waste, it can release hazardous material into the air, depending on what is being burned. (Core Concepts of Health, Chapter 14, page 332). With the progress of technology comes the introduction of new chemicals and materials that end up putting both humans and wildlife in danger. For example, asbestos is defined as a mineral-based compound that was used in the 1960s as insulation and fire protection. What people did not realize was that this chemical releases
The use of cigarettes not only affects the smoker, but also affects the environment around him, creating more pollution in the air as well as second hand smoking. Second hand smoking impacts the very young, the elderly and those with chronic diseases the most. Exposure to second hand smoking in utero and first few years of life has had irreversible effects on children. According to the Healthy People 202 besides for smoking, exposure to hazardous materials and chemicals before and during pregnancy can cause an increase in the number of health problems that can occur. These problems include childhood cancer, birth defects and developmental …show more content…
According to the Core Concepts of Health textbook some of these factors include global warming, solid waste pollution, asbestos, lead, mercury, pesticides and radiation pollution. An increase in the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil leads to a rise in temperature, thereby causing global warming. This is evident in the fact that there are polar ice caps melting, increased mortality from heat stress. The text goes so far as to say that “The use of fossil fuels pumps more than 20 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year” (Core Concepts of Health, chapter 14 page 329). Solid waste pollution occurs because humans generate an exorbitant amount of waste, which if handled incorrectly can lead to contamination problems. About 1% of the solid waste is toxic. The method to getting rid of it is burning. This has its benefits as well as its downplays. Although it is true that burning toxic waste greatly reduces the bulk of solid waste, it can release hazardous material into the air, depending on what is being burned. (Core Concepts of Health, Chapter 14, page 332). With the progress of technology comes the introduction of new chemicals and materials that end up putting both humans and wildlife in danger. For example, asbestos is defined as a mineral-based compound that was used in the 1960s as insulation and fire protection. What people did not realize was that this chemical releases