People and governments around the world are working to reduce pollution. For example, recycling has become more common. Recycling is the process of reusing materials that would otherwise be thrown away. It’s possible to melt down and reuse aluminium cans, as well as many other types of plastic. New paper can be made by decomposing old paper.
The amount of waste sent to landfills, incinerators, as well as waterways is reduced through the practise of recycling. The highest conversion rates are found in Austria and Switzerland. These countries recycle 50-60% of their waste. About a third of the trash generated in the United States is recycled.
Limiting the amount but also types of chemicals production lines and agricultural businesses can use is one way governments can fight pollution. Coal-fired power plants can produce filtered smoke. Millions of dollars in fines can be levied against those who illegitimately dump pollutants into land, water, or air. The Superfund programme in the United States is one example of a government programme that can compel polluters to clean up after themselves.
Pollution can also be reduced through international agreements. More than 190 countries have signed the Kyoto Protocol, an UN agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. There was no agreement with the U.s., the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter. Even the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China, has fallen short of its targets.
Despite this, there have been numerous victories to be celebrated as well. An oil and trash-clogged Cuyahoga River in the United States state of Ohio caught fire in 1969. Environmental Protection Agency of 1972 was prompted by the blaze. In order to ensure that water was safe, this law set limits on the amount of pollutants that could be released. The County seat River is now much cleaner than it was a few years ago. Fish have re-established themselves in previously inhospitable river areas.
As rivers become cleaner, others become more polluted, despite this fact. Some types of pollution are becoming more prevalent as the world’s economies grow richer. Economies that expand necessitate more energy plants, which in turn generate more pollution.
Leaders from the environmental, political, as well as economic spheres are needed to reduce pollution. Reduce and recycle materials in developed countries, while developing countries must work to improve their economies without causing environmental damage. Protecting the environment for the future requires cooperation between developed and developing countries