POLLUTION
Pollution is the degradation of natural
environment by external substances introduced
directly or indirectly. Human health, ecosystem
quality and aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity
may be affected and altered permanently by
pollution.
Pollution occurs when ecosystems cannot
get rid of substances introduced into the
environment. The critical threshold of its ability
to naturally eliminate substances is compromised
and the balance of the ecosystem is broken.
The sources of pollution are numerous.
The identification of these different pollutants
and their effects on ecosystems is complex. They
can come from natural disasters or the result of
human activity, such as oil spills, chemical spills,
nuclear accidents. These can have terrible
consequences on people and the planet where
they live: destruction of the biodiversity,
increased mortality of the human and animal
species, destruction of natural habitat, damage
caused to the quality of soil, water, and air.
Preventing pollution and protecting the
environment necessitate the application of the
principles of sustainable development. We must
consider satisfying the needs of today without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their needs. This means that we should
remedy existing pollution, but also anticipate and
prevent future pollution sources to protect the
environment and public health. Any
environmental damage must be punishable by
law, and polluters should pay compensation for
the damage caused to the environment.
Fonte: University Mentouri Bros. Constantine.
Department of Lettres and the English Language.
English for Science and Technology Practice. Prepared
and presented by Prof. Nacif Labed, April 2020.