Pollution - Revision history

Jmdonev: 1 revision imported

2021-09-27T00:02:49Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 00:02, 27 September 2021
(No difference)

energy>Ethan.boechler at 21:07, 10 September 2021

2021-09-10T21:07:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:07, 10 September 2021
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	[[category:371 topics]]		[[category:371 topics]]
	[[Category:Done 2018-12-10]]		[[Category:Done 2018-12-10]]
			[[Category:Translated to Spanish]]
			[[es:Contaminación]]
			[[Category:Translated to French]]
			[[fr:Pollution]]
	[[File:littah.jpg\|330px\|thumb\|Figure 1. The improper disposal of waste (litter) is a form of pollution.<ref>"Litter" by Nils Ally - Personal trip in 2010. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Litter.JPG#/media/File:Litter.JPG</ref>]]		[[File:littah.jpg\|330px\|thumb\|Figure 1. The improper disposal of waste (litter) is a form of pollution.<ref>"Litter" by Nils Ally - Personal trip in 2010. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Litter.JPG#/media/File:Litter.JPG</ref>]]
	<onlyinclude>Human driven ecological degradation continues to be a major problem around the world. '''Pollution''' is the presence of any substance in [[air]], [[water]], [[soil]], or food which threatens the health of human, animal and plant life.<ref name=hackett1>G. Tyler Miller, Jr. and D. Hackett, "Pollution," in ''Living in the Environment'', 2nd ed. USA: Nelson , 2011, ch.1, sec.4, pp.9</ref> Pollution often results from [[pollutant]]s like [[carbon monoxide]], but can also arise from [[street light]]s or the noise from traffic.</onlyinclude> Pollution sources are split into : '''point sources''' and '''non-point sources'''.		<onlyinclude>Human driven ecological degradation continues to be a major problem around the world. '''Pollution''' is the presence of any substance in [[air]], [[water]], [[soil]], or food which threatens the health of human, animal and plant life.<ref name=hackett1>G. Tyler Miller, Jr. and D. Hackett, "Pollution," in ''Living in the Environment'', 2nd ed. USA: Nelson , 2011, ch.1, sec.4, pp.9</ref> Pollution often results from [[pollutant]]s like [[carbon monoxide]], but can also arise from [[street light]]s or the noise from traffic.</onlyinclude> Pollution sources are split into : '''point sources''' and '''non-point sources'''.
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	*'''[[air pollution\|Air]]:''' both natural and human activities [[air pollution\|pollute the air]], and this is often seen as one of the main problems of pollution as it contributes to the pollution in the following two (soil and water) as well.		*'''[[air pollution\|Air]]:''' both natural and human activities [[air pollution\|pollute the air]], and this is often seen as one of the main problems of pollution as it contributes to the pollution in the following two (soil and water) as well.

	*'''[[soil pollution\|Soil]]:''' [[soil pollution]] may occur from the fall out of pollutants in the air, from pollutants in water, or ~~those~~ that are directly within it~~, and~~ is harmful for plant and animal life.		*'''[[soil pollution\|Soil]]:''' [[soil pollution]] may occur from the fall out of pollutants in the air, from pollutants in water, or from pollutants that are directly within it. Pollution in the soil is harmful for plant and animal life.

	*'''[[water pollution\|Water]]:''' like soil pollution, air ~~pollutants may fall into~~ and ~~[[water pollution\|~~pollute water~~]] as~~ [[rain]] ~~or make its way~~ as [[run off]] from the land. It can be harmful for all types of life.		*'''[[water pollution\|Water]]:''' like soil pollution, pollutants from the air can be trapped in raindrops and pollute the water when it [[rain\|rains]]. Pollutants can also travel into large bodies of water as [[run off]] from the land. [[Water pollution]] can be harmful for all types of life.

	*'''[[Light]]:''' as a result of society making use of artificial light, it is often hard to see the night sky within a city. This is more of a minor problem, but it can be a reminder of the pollution that was potentially created to produce the light.		*'''[[Light]]:''' as a result of society making use of artificial light, it is often hard to see the night sky within a city. This is more of a minor problem, but it can be a reminder of the pollution that was potentially created to produce the light.
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	*'''Littering:''' litter itself is a form of waste, however improper disposal of it is pollution. It is often completely avoidable.		*'''Littering:''' litter itself is a form of waste, however improper disposal of it is pollution. It is often completely avoidable.

	Through the [[electrical generation\|generation of electricity]], production of industrial goods and the [[transportation]] of people and these goods, the most prominent and harmful forms of pollution arise: air, water and soil pollution. These can be seen daily in large cities in the form of [[photochemical smog]], with the pollutants contained in it often finding its way into water and soil. Water and soil pollution also occur directly from industrial and residential sites, ~~in which~~ harmful [[chemical]]s find their way into the environment.		Through the [[electrical generation\|generation of electricity]], production of industrial goods and the [[transportation]] of people and these goods, the most prominent and harmful forms of pollution arise: air, water and soil pollution. These can be seen daily in large cities in the form of [[photochemical smog]], with the pollutants contained in it often finding its way into water and soil. Water and soil pollution also occur directly from industrial and residential sites. From these sites, the harmful [[chemical]]s find their way into the environment.

	==Reducing pollution==		==Reducing pollution==
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	The key to reducing pollution is ''prevention''. It is always easier (and safer) to address a problem before it happens than to clean up after it has happened. A quote by Benjamin Franklin portrays this nicely, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".<Ref name=hackett1/> Therefore, pollution prevention is of primary concern in reducing pollution, while cleanup methods are more secondary but still necessary.		The key to reducing pollution is ''prevention''. It is always easier (and safer) to address a problem before it happens than to clean up after it has happened. A quote by Benjamin Franklin portrays this nicely, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".<Ref name=hackett1/> Therefore, pollution prevention is of primary concern in reducing pollution, while cleanup methods are more secondary but still necessary.

	~~The reason~~ why cleanup is secondary to prevention ~~is due to three reasons~~:<ref name=hackett1/>		There are three reasons why cleanup is secondary to prevention:<ref name=hackett1/>

	#It is only a temporary solution. As population grows and pollution levels rise, cleanup would have to increase with it and that is clearly not an efficient answer to pollution. Although cleaning up is often still a good idea if the pollution has already been released.		#It is only a temporary solution. As population grows and pollution levels rise, cleanup would have to increase with it and that is clearly not an efficient answer to pollution. Although cleaning up is often still a good idea if the pollution has already been released.

Jmdonev: 1 revision imported

2019-01-04T18:15:24Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 18:15, 4 January 2019
(No difference)

2dev>Jmdonev at 18:12, 2 January 2019

2019-01-02T18:12:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:12, 2 January 2019
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	[[category:371 topics]]		[[category:371 topics]]
	[[Category:Done ~~2015~~-09-06]]		[[Category:Done 2018-12-10]]
	[[File:littah.jpg\|330px\|thumb\|Figure 1. The improper disposal of waste (litter) is a form of pollution.<ref>"Litter" by Nils Ally - Personal trip in 2010. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Litter.JPG#/media/File:Litter.JPG</ref>]]		[[File:littah.jpg\|330px\|thumb\|Figure 1. The improper disposal of waste (litter) is a form of pollution.<ref>"Litter" by Nils Ally - Personal trip in 2010. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Litter.JPG#/media/File:Litter.JPG</ref>]]
	<onlyinclude>Human driven ecological degradation continues to be a major problem around the world. '''Pollution''' is the presence of any substance ~~at high enough levels~~ in [[air]], [[water]], [[soil]], or food ~~to threaten~~ the health of human, animal and plant life.~~</onlyinclude>~~<ref name=hackett1>G. Tyler Miller, Jr. and D. Hackett, "Pollution," in ''Living in the Environment'', 2nd ed. USA: Nelson , 2011, ch.1, sec.4, pp.9</ref> ~~There~~ are ~~two categories all pollution sources can be~~ split into: '''point sources''' and '''non-point sources'''.		<onlyinclude>Human driven ecological degradation continues to be a major problem around the world. '''Pollution''' is the presence of any substance in [[air]], [[water]], [[soil]], or food which threatens the health of human, animal and plant life.<ref name=hackett1>G. Tyler Miller, Jr. and D. Hackett, "Pollution," in ''Living in the Environment'', 2nd ed. USA: Nelson , 2011, ch.1, sec.4, pp.9</ref> Pollution often results from [[pollutant]]s like [[carbon monoxide]], but can also arise from [[street light]]s or the noise from traffic.</onlyinclude> Pollution sources are split into : '''point sources''' and '''non-point sources'''.

	A point source is a single large emitter into the [[environment]]. Usually this means a source can be traced, like the [[smokestack]] of a [[coal-fired power plant]], or the drainpipe of a factory. ~~Non~~-point sources ~~however~~ are hard or even impossible to ~~identify~~ because their [[pollutant]]s are dispersed. An example would be ~~runoff~~ of fertilizers and pesticides from farms, golf courses, and residential lawns into streams or lakes.<ref name=hackett1/> It is apparent that there is pollution in the streams and lakes, but it is not so apparent exactly where it comes from.		A point source is a single large emitter into the [[environment]]. Usually this means a source can be traced back, like the [[smokestack]] of a [[coal-fired power plant]], or the drainpipe of a factory. However, non-point sources are hard or even impossible to trace back because their [[pollutant]]s are dispersed. An example would be run off of fertilizers and pesticides from farms, golf courses, and residential lawns into streams or lakes.<ref name=hackett1/> It is apparent that there is pollution in the streams and lakes, but it is not so apparent ''exactly'' where it comes from.

	Pollution and waste can often be confused for one another. ~~Pollution is the unwanted and most often harmful by-products of any system throughout its use, whereas waste~~ is the disposed product of a once-useful system (as deemed by the ~~user --~~ "one person's trash is another's treasure"). For more information, see [[pollution vs waste]].		Pollution and waste can often be confused for one another. Waste is the disposed product of a once-useful system (as deemed by the user—"one person's trash is another's treasure"). In contrast, pollution is ''harmful waste.''

			For more information, see [[pollution vs waste]].

	==Types of pollution==		==Types of pollution==
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	There are many types of pollution in the world. All of which can be mitigated at some level, yet are a necessary byproduct of conveniences in our [[energy]] dependent society. None of the following can be eliminated completely, but with proactive planning they can often be greatly diminished. Types of pollution include:		There are many types of pollution in the world. All of which can be mitigated at some level, yet are a necessary byproduct of conveniences in our [[energy]] dependent society. None of the following can be eliminated completely, but with proactive planning they can often be greatly diminished. Types of pollution include:

	*'''[[air pollution\|Air]]''' - both natural and human activities [[air pollution\|pollute the air]], and this is often seen as one of the main problems of pollution as it contributes to the following two as well.		*'''[[air pollution\|Air]]:''' both natural and human activities [[air pollution\|pollute the air]], and this is often seen as one of the main problems of pollution as it contributes to the pollution in the following two (soil and water) as well.
	*'''[[soil pollution\|Soil]]''' - [[soil pollution]] may occur from the fall out of pollutants in the air, from pollutants in water, or those that are directly within it, and is harmful for plant and animal life.
	*'''[[water pollution\|Water]]''' - like soil pollution, air pollutants may fall into and [[water pollution\|pollute water]] as [[rain]] or make its way as [[~~runoff~~]] from the land. It can be harmful for all types of life.		*'''[[soil pollution\|Soil]]:''' [[soil pollution]] may occur from the fall out of pollutants in the air, from pollutants in water, or those that are directly within it, and is harmful for plant and animal life.
	*'''[[Light]]''' - as a result of society making use of artificial light, it is often hard to see the night sky within a city. This is more of a minor problem, but it can be a reminder of the pollution that was potentially created to produce the light.
	*'''Noise''' - noise pollution refers to sounds that would otherwise not be heard in a society not reliant on energy. Examples include ~~highways~~ and ~~airports~~.		*'''[[water pollution\|Water]]:''' like soil pollution, air pollutants may fall into and [[water pollution\|pollute water]] as [[rain]] or make its way as [[run off]] from the land. It can be harmful for all types of life.
	*'''Radioactive''' - there is [[radioactivity]] all around us, constantly bombarding the world and its inhabitants, however an excess concentration could be problematic, so radioactive waste is carefully controlled.
	*'''Thermal''' - introducing unnatural [[temperature]]s on an [[ecosystem]] may have adverse effects. An example would be dumping (clean) warm water from a [[power plant]] into a nearby river may harm fish life.		*'''[[Light]]:''' as a result of society making use of artificial light, it is often hard to see the night sky within a city. This is more of a minor problem, but it can be a reminder of the pollution that was potentially created to produce the light.
	*'''Littering''' - litter itself is a form of waste, however improper disposal of it is pollution. It is often completely avoidable.
			*'''Noise:''' noise pollution refers to sounds that would otherwise not be heard in a society not reliant on energy. Examples include noise from cars and airplanes.

			*'''Radioactive:''' there is [[radioactivity]] all around us, constantly bombarding the world and its inhabitants, however, an excess concentration could be problematic, so radioactive waste is carefully controlled.

			*'''Thermal:''' introducing unnatural [[temperature]]s on an [[ecosystem]] may have adverse effects. An example would be dumping (clean) warm water from a [[power plant]] into a nearby river may harm fish life.

			*'''Littering:''' litter itself is a form of waste, however improper disposal of it is pollution. It is often completely avoidable.

	Through the [[electrical generation\|generation of electricity]], production of industrial goods and the [[transportation]] of people and these goods, the most prominent and harmful forms of pollution arise: air, water and soil pollution. These can be seen daily in large cities in the form of [[photochemical smog]], with the pollutants contained in it often finding its way into water and soil. Water and soil pollution also occur directly from industrial and residential sites, in which harmful [[chemical]]s find their way into the environment.		Through the [[electrical generation\|generation of electricity]], production of industrial goods and the [[transportation]] of people and these goods, the most prominent and harmful forms of pollution arise: air, water and soil pollution. These can be seen daily in large cities in the form of [[photochemical smog]], with the pollutants contained in it often finding its way into water and soil. Water and soil pollution also occur directly from industrial and residential sites, in which harmful [[chemical]]s find their way into the environment.
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	==Reducing pollution==		==Reducing pollution==

	The key to reducing pollution is ''prevention''. It is always easier (and safer) to address a problem before it happens than ~~it is~~ to clean it after it has happened. A quote by Benjamin Franklin portrays this nicely, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".<Ref name=hackett1/> Therefore pollution prevention is of primary concern in reducing pollution, while cleanup methods are more secondary but still necessary.		The key to reducing pollution is ''prevention''. It is always easier (and safer) to address a problem before it happens than to clean up after it has happened. A quote by Benjamin Franklin portrays this nicely, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".<Ref name=hackett1/> Therefore, pollution prevention is of primary concern in reducing pollution, while cleanup methods are more secondary but still necessary.

	The reason why cleanup is secondary to prevention is due to three reasons:<ref name=hackett1/>		The reason why cleanup is secondary to prevention is due to three reasons:<ref name=hackett1/>
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	#Once pollutants are in the environment it is extremely costly to get rid of them, with time also being a factor.		#Once pollutants are in the environment it is extremely costly to get rid of them, with time also being a factor.

	Many methods can be employed to prevent pollution. Air pollution can be reduced by use of [[scrubber]]s in plants that produce many harmful pollutants~~, and adding~~ catalytic converters to car exhausts can reduce transportation based pollutants. Water pollution can be reduced by septic tanks and various levels of sewage treatment.		Many methods can be employed to prevent pollution. Air pollution can be reduced by use of [[scrubber]]s in plants that produce many harmful pollutants. Adding catalytic converters to car exhausts can reduce transportation based pollutants. Water pollution can be reduced by septic tanks and various levels of sewage treatment.

	==See also==		==See also==
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	*[[Air pollution control devices]]		*[[Air pollution control devices]]
	*[[Pollution vs waste]]		*[[Pollution vs waste]]
			*Or explore a [[Special:Random\|random page]]

	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}
	[[Category:Uploaded]]		[[Category:Uploaded]]

J.williams: 1 revision imported

2015-09-18T16:52:01Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 16:52, 18 September 2015
(No difference)

Jmdonev at 03:24, 14 September 2015

2015-09-14T03:24:41Z

J.williams: 1 revision imported

2015-08-26T21:31:30Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 21:31, 26 August 2015
(No difference)

J.williams at 16:58, 12 August 2015

2015-08-12T16:58:35Z

New page

[[category:371 topics]]
[[Category:Done 2015-07-24]]
[[File:littah.jpg|330px|thumb|Figure 1. The improper disposal of waste (litter) is a form of pollution.<ref>"Litter" by Nils Ally - Personal trip in 2010. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Litter.JPG#/media/File:Litter.JPG</ref>]]
<onlyinclude>Human driven ecological degradation continues to be a major problem around the world. '''Pollution''' is the presence of any substance at high enough levels in air, water, soil, or food to threaten the health of human, animal and plant life.</onlyinclude><ref name=hackett1>G. Tyler Miller, Jr. and D. Hackett, "Pollution," in ''Living in the Environment'', 2nd ed. USA: Nelson , 2011, ch.1, sec.4, pp.9</ref> There are two categories all pollution sources can be split into: '''point sources''' and '''non-point sources'''.

A point source is a single large emitter into the [[environment]]. Usually this means a source can be traced, like the [[smokestack]] of a [[coal-fired power plant]], or the drainpipe of a factory. Non-point sources however are hard or even impossible to identify because their [[pollutant]]s are dispersed. An example would be runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farms, golf courses, and residential lawns into streams or lakes.<ref name=hackett1/> It is apparent that there is pollution in the streams and lakes, but it is not so apparent exactly where it comes from.

Pollution and waste can often be confused for one another. Pollution is the unwanted and most often harmful by-products of any system throughout its use, whereas waste is the disposed product of a once-useful system (as deemed by the user -- "one person's trash is another's treasure"). For more information, see [[pollution vs waste]].

==Types of pollution==

<gallery caption="Types of pollution (click to enlarge)" mode=packed heights=140px>
File:pswaterpol.jpg|Point source water pollution.<ref>Wikimedia Commons [Online], Available: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Jacuecanga_Angra_dos_Reis_Rio_de_Janeiro_Brazil_Brasfels.JPG</ref>
File:smokestackse.jpg|Point source air pollution.<ref>Wikimedia Commons [Online], Available: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/AlfedPalmersmokestacks.jpg</ref>
File:soilcontam.jpg|Non-point source soil pollution.<ref>Wikimedia Commons [Online], Available: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Soilcontam.JPG</ref>
File:lightpol.jpg|Clear sky (left) vs light pollution (right).<ref>Wikimedia Commons [Online], Available: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Light_pollution_It%27s_not_pretty.jpg </ref>
</gallery>
There are many types of pollution in the world. All of which can be mitigated at some level, yet are a necessary byproduct of conveniences in our [[energy]] dependent society. None of the following can be eliminated completely, but with proactive planning they can often be greatly diminished. Types of pollution include:

*'''Air''' - both natural and human activities pollute the air, and this is often seen as one of the main problems of pollution as it contributes to the following two as well.
*'''Soil''' - soil pollution may occur from the fall out of pollutants in the air, from pollutants in water, or those that are directly within it, and is harmful for plant and animal life.
*'''Water''' - like soil pollution, air pollutants may fall into water as rain or make its way as runoff from the land. It can be harmful for all types of life.
*'''[[Light]]''' - as a result of society making use of artificial light, it is often hard to see the night sky within a city. This is more of a minor problem, but it can be a reminder of the pollution that was potentially created to produce the light.
*'''Noise''' - noise pollution refers to sounds that would otherwise not be heard in a society not reliant on energy. Examples include highways and airports.
*'''Radioactive''' - there is [[radioactivity]] all around us, constantly bombarding the world and its inhabitants, however an excess concentration could be problematic, so radioactive waste is carefully controlled.
*'''Thermal''' - introducing unnatural [[temperature]]s on an ecosystem may have adverse effects. An example would be dumping (clean) warm water from a [[power plant]] into a nearby river may harm fish life.
*'''Littering''' - litter itself is a form of waste, however improper disposal of it is pollution. It is often completely avoidable.

Through the [[electrical generation|generation of electricity]], production of industrial goods and the [[transportation]] of people and these goods, the most prominent and harmful forms of pollution arise: air, water and soil pollution. These can be seen daily in large cities in the form of [[photochemical smog]], with the pollutants contained in it often finding its way into water and soil. Water and soil pollution also occur directly from industrial and residential sites, in which harmful [[chemical]]s find their way into the environment.

==Reducing pollution==

The key to reducing pollution is ''prevention''. It is always easier (and safer) to address a problem before it happens than it is to clean it after it has happened. A quote by Benjamin Franklin portrays this nicely, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".<Ref name=hackett1/> Therefore pollution prevention is of primary concern in reducing pollution, while cleanup methods are more secondary but still necessary.

The reason why cleanup is secondary to prevention is due to three reasons:<ref name=hackett1/>

#It is only a temporary solution. As population grows and pollution levels rise, cleanup would have to increase with it and that is clearly not an efficient answer to pollution. Although cleaning up is often still a good idea if the pollution has already been released.
#Cleanup doesn't necessarily work. For example, cleaning up litter is a solution to pollution in a given area, but then it can either be ''burned'' causing air pollution, ''dumped'' into streams or lakes, or ''buried'' potentially causing soil pollution.
#Once pollutants are in the environment it is extremely costly to get rid of them, with time also being a factor.

Many methods can be employed to prevent pollution. Air pollution can be reduced by use of [[scrubber]]s in plants that produce many harmful pollutants, and adding catalytic converters to car exhausts can reduce transportation based pollutants. Water pollution can be reduced by septic tanks and various levels of sewage treatment.

==See also==

*[[Pollutant]]
*[[Detailed pollution data]]
*[[Smog]]
*[[Acid rain]]
*[[Air pollution control devices]]
*[[Pollution vs waste]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Uploaded]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:24, 14 September 2015
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[category:371 topics]]		[[category:371 topics]]
	[[Category:Done 2015-07-24]]		[[Category:Done 2015-09-06]]
	[[File:littah.jpg\|330px\|thumb\|Figure 1. The improper disposal of waste (litter) is a form of pollution.<ref>"Litter" by Nils Ally - Personal trip in 2010. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Litter.JPG#/media/File:Litter.JPG</ref>]]		[[File:littah.jpg\|330px\|thumb\|Figure 1. The improper disposal of waste (litter) is a form of pollution.<ref>"Litter" by Nils Ally - Personal trip in 2010. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Litter.JPG#/media/File:Litter.JPG</ref>]]
	<onlyinclude>Human driven ecological degradation continues to be a major problem around the world. '''Pollution''' is the presence of any substance at high enough levels in air, water, soil, or food to threaten the health of human, animal and plant life.</onlyinclude><ref name=hackett1>G. Tyler Miller, Jr. and D. Hackett, "Pollution," in ''Living in the Environment'', 2nd ed. USA: Nelson , 2011, ch.1, sec.4, pp.9</ref> There are two categories all pollution sources can be split into: '''point sources''' and '''non-point sources'''.		<onlyinclude>Human driven ecological degradation continues to be a major problem around the world. '''Pollution''' is the presence of any substance at high enough levels in [[air]], [[water]], [[soil]], or food to threaten the health of human, animal and plant life.</onlyinclude><ref name=hackett1>G. Tyler Miller, Jr. and D. Hackett, "Pollution," in ''Living in the Environment'', 2nd ed. USA: Nelson , 2011, ch.1, sec.4, pp.9</ref> There are two categories all pollution sources can be split into: '''point sources''' and '''non-point sources'''.

	A point source is a single large emitter into the [[environment]]. Usually this means a source can be traced, like the [[smokestack]] of a [[coal-fired power plant]], or the drainpipe of a factory. Non-point sources however are hard or even impossible to identify because their [[pollutant]]s are dispersed. An example would be runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farms, golf courses, and residential lawns into streams or lakes.<ref name=hackett1/> It is apparent that there is pollution in the streams and lakes, but it is not so apparent exactly where it comes from.		A point source is a single large emitter into the [[environment]]. Usually this means a source can be traced, like the [[smokestack]] of a [[coal-fired power plant]], or the drainpipe of a factory. Non-point sources however are hard or even impossible to identify because their [[pollutant]]s are dispersed. An example would be runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farms, golf courses, and residential lawns into streams or lakes.<ref name=hackett1/> It is apparent that there is pollution in the streams and lakes, but it is not so apparent exactly where it comes from.
Line 18:		Line 18:
	There are many types of pollution in the world. All of which can be mitigated at some level, yet are a necessary byproduct of conveniences in our [[energy]] dependent society. None of the following can be eliminated completely, but with proactive planning they can often be greatly diminished. Types of pollution include:		There are many types of pollution in the world. All of which can be mitigated at some level, yet are a necessary byproduct of conveniences in our [[energy]] dependent society. None of the following can be eliminated completely, but with proactive planning they can often be greatly diminished. Types of pollution include:

	*'''Air''' - both natural and human activities pollute the air, and this is often seen as one of the main problems of pollution as it contributes to the following two as well.		*'''[[air pollution\|Air]]''' - both natural and human activities [[air pollution\|pollute the air]], and this is often seen as one of the main problems of pollution as it contributes to the following two as well.
	*'''Soil''' - soil pollution may occur from the fall out of pollutants in the air, from pollutants in water, or those that are directly within it, and is harmful for plant and animal life.		*'''[[soil pollution\|Soil]]''' - [[soil pollution]] may occur from the fall out of pollutants in the air, from pollutants in water, or those that are directly within it, and is harmful for plant and animal life.
	*'''Water''' - like soil pollution, air pollutants may fall into water as rain or make its way as runoff from the land. It can be harmful for all types of life.		*'''[[water pollution\|Water]]''' - like soil pollution, air pollutants may fall into and [[water pollution\|pollute water]] as [[rain]] or make its way as [[runoff]] from the land. It can be harmful for all types of life.
	*'''[[Light]]''' - as a result of society making use of artificial light, it is often hard to see the night sky within a city. This is more of a minor problem, but it can be a reminder of the pollution that was potentially created to produce the light.		*'''[[Light]]''' - as a result of society making use of artificial light, it is often hard to see the night sky within a city. This is more of a minor problem, but it can be a reminder of the pollution that was potentially created to produce the light.
	*'''Noise''' - noise pollution refers to sounds that would otherwise not be heard in a society not reliant on energy. Examples include highways and airports.		*'''Noise''' - noise pollution refers to sounds that would otherwise not be heard in a society not reliant on energy. Examples include highways and airports.
	*'''Radioactive''' - there is [[radioactivity]] all around us, constantly bombarding the world and its inhabitants, however an excess concentration could be problematic, so radioactive waste is carefully controlled.		*'''Radioactive''' - there is [[radioactivity]] all around us, constantly bombarding the world and its inhabitants, however an excess concentration could be problematic, so radioactive waste is carefully controlled.
	*'''Thermal''' - introducing unnatural [[temperature]]s on an ecosystem may have adverse effects. An example would be dumping (clean) warm water from a [[power plant]] into a nearby river may harm fish life.		*'''Thermal''' - introducing unnatural [[temperature]]s on an [[ecosystem]] may have adverse effects. An example would be dumping (clean) warm water from a [[power plant]] into a nearby river may harm fish life.
	*'''Littering''' - litter itself is a form of waste, however improper disposal of it is pollution. It is often completely avoidable.		*'''Littering''' - litter itself is a form of waste, however improper disposal of it is pollution. It is often completely avoidable.