Pollution

Roderick Frazier Nash's Island Civilization discusses several factors that have contributed to the damage of our environment. One that stuck out in particular to me was pollution. Nash states how the word pollution was introduced to society in the mid 1960's. Recently it has become a trending topic amongst environmentalist and set off an alarm to people all across the world. Pollution can be defined as "the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that causes adverse change." As humans, we've contributed more pollutants to our environment than any other species on Earth. If we damaged it, we should be the ones to find the solution.

Over thousands of years, people have introduced technology that has had a bitter sweet effect on us. Think of how people were living thousands of years ago in huts but they were not harming their surroundings. Today we have cities such as New York City with thousands of buildings that house millions of people but with this come destruction to the environment due to pollutants. I have aspirations to live in New York when I graduate from college but after reading Nash's statements about how selfish humans have been with our surrounding neighbors; it makes me question my decision to move. I may just remain a small town boy, contributing to the demise of the world as little as I can. Still, I want to live out my dreams in New York whether I distribute many pollutants or not. That's the issue, finding a balance for humanity's technological advancements and the well-being of the Mother Nature.

http://www.nrdc.org/air/cleanairact/default.asp?gclid=CNWf_4zS-7ECFc2b7Qod_wsAgQ