Indirect Pollution Effects

Hello, we are Monika, Maria and Zornitsa, 14-and-15-year-old students at the English Language School "Geo Milev" in Burgas. We have a few questions for you. Have you ever thought about what happens when you spray deodorant? And what happens when you throw away your plastic straws? Unfortunately, those are only two of the many examples that we can give. But how does that affect animals or plants and why should we care? Listen to find out. According to the American Heritage Science Dictionary, pollution is defined as pollution of air, water or soil by substances harmful to living organisms. Humans are obviously affected by pollution of staining diseases such as asthma or cancer, but animals also fall victim to its effects. Many species have experienced pollution that has caused death or threatened their habitat. Some species have been pushed to the point of extinction. Specific indirect pollution statistics are harder to determine. Indirect pollution threatens the habitat of the animals. Zone depletion, global warming conditions and habitat disruption from solid waste facilities affect animals. Direct pollution is easier to study. In this case, the animals in their habitats are significantly affected by the toxic pollution. The most common are synthetic chemicals, oil, toxic metals and acid rain. For example, life in Europe's freshwater bodies of water and regional seas is not in good shape. The poor condition of ecosystems has a direct impact on many animals and plants that inhabit aquatic environments and affect other species as well as humans that depend on the availability of clean water. The state of Europe's seas is very dire, mainly due to overfishing and climate change, while freshwater bodies are suffering from nutrient overload and habitat changes. Chemical pollution negatively impacts both freshwater and marine ecosystems. Agriculture exerts the greatest pressure of nature. Almost 40% of the land in the EU is used for food production, according to EuroCert. Traditional agriculture allowed a wide range of animals and plants to co-exist with crops, but with changes in agricultural practices after the 1950s towards modernization and expertization have contributed to a a high degree of bio-diversity loss. The increased use of fertilizers, irradiance and pesticides and any such intensive changes are the main sources of pressure on native animals and plants, and especially birds. Which animals does pollution affect? Unfortunaletly, all of them. Here are some examples: Polar bears. Global warming is killing polar bears in the region. A new study shows that bears are forced to reduce their diet, and that they are eating bird eggs more and more, which clearly shows a loss of bird species. The basis of the diet of polar bears are seals and some types of whales, which are becoming less and less. The bears are on the edge of extinction. The Asian elephant. The Asian elephant is also a good example. The consequences of climate change cause a change in the number of invasive plant species which displaces the local traffic that serves as food for the elephant, and thus limits its food resources. And what about apples? This time we will give only one example. The food we eat. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. It's probably something that we have all eaten. But what if all apples had to go on being treated with chemicals? Is that good for us and our bodies? The answer, as you have probably already guessed, is "No". To sum up, our planet is slowly dying and with it are dying the animals and plants who have done nothing to harm it. So we should all help saving our planet. Not only for us, but for everything else living on Earth. That was everything for now. I hope you enjoyed it. Bye!