Our planet Earthis only a tiny part of the universe, but nowadays it's the onlyplace where we can live.People alwayspolluted their surroundings. But until now pollution was notsuch a serious problem. People lived in rural areas and did notproduce such amount of polluting agents that would cause adangerous situation in global scale. With thedevelopment of overcrowded industrial highly developed cities,which put huge amounts of pollutants into surrounds, the problemhas become more and more dangerous. Today our planet is inserious danger. Acid rains, global warming, air and waterpollution, and overpopulation are the problems that threatenhuman lives on the Earth.In order tounderstand how air pollution affects our body, we mustunderstand exactly what this pollution is. The pollutants thatharm our respiratory system are known as particulates.Particulates are the small solid particles that you can seethrough rays of sunlight. They are products of incompletecombustion in engines, for example: internal-combustion engines,road dust and wood smoke.Billions of tonsof coal and oil are consumed around the world every year. Whenthese fuels are burnt, they produce smoke and other by-products,which is emitted into the atmosphere. Although wind and rainoccasionally wash away the smoke, given off by power plants andautomobiles, but it is not enough… These chemical compoundsundergo a series of chemical reactions in the presence ofsunlight; as a result we have smog, mixture of fog and smoke.While such pollutants as particulates we can see, other harmfulones are not visible. Among the most dangerous to bur health arecarbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and ozone oractive oxygen. If you have everbeen in an enclosed parking garage or a tunnel and felt dizzy orlightheaded, then you have felt the effect of carbon monoxide (CO). This odourless, colourless, but poisonous gas is producedby the incomplete burning of fossil fuels, like gasoline ordiesel fuel.Factories emittons of harmful chemicals. These emissions have disastrousconsequences for our planet. They are the main reason for thegreenhouse effect and acid rains.Our forests aredisappearing because they are cut down or burnt. If this trendcontinues, one day we won't have enough oxygen to breathe, wewon't see a beautiful green forest at all.The seas are indanger. They are filled with poison: industrial and nuclearwastes, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. If nothing is doneabout it, one day nothing will be able to live in our seas.Every ten minutesone kind of animal, plant or insect dies out forever. If nothingis done about it, one million species that are alive today maysoon become extinct.And even greaterthreats are nuclear power stations. We all know how tragic theconsequences of the Chernobyl disaster are.Fortunately, it'snot too late to solve these problems. We have the time, themoney and even the technology to make our planet a better,cleaner and safer place. We can plant trees and create parks forendangered animals. We can recycleour wastes; persuade enterprises to stop polluting activities,because it is apparent that our careless use of fossil fuels andchemicals is destroying this planet. And it is now more thanever apparent that at the same time we are destroying our bodiesand our future.
