Humans, animals and plants all need unpolluted water to survive.
Litter can also clog storm-water drains and cause flooding
. Food scraps and other organic items that are disposed of improperly can increase algal blooms in water, which reduces the amount of available oxygen for other aquatic life, such as fish.
How does littering affect our environment?
In addition to water and soil pollution,
litter can also pollute the air
. Researchers estimate that more than 40% of the world’s litter is burned in the open air, which can release toxic emissions. These emissions can cause respiratory issues, other health problems, and even be a starting base for acid rain.
What could happen to Earth’s water if we litter?
When debris—plastic bags, bottles, cigarette butts, etc—is thrown on the ground,
it gets washed into storm drains and directly into our waterways
. In addition to potentially choking, suffocating, or disabling aquatic life like ducks, fish, turtles, and birds, litter decreases oxygen levels in the water when it decays.
What will happen if we litter?
Littering
causes a threat to our health and can cause harmful germs and bacteria
. Littering can cause fires and also sends a message that people really don’t care about the Earth. … Above all, littering has a negative effect on everything. Animals get injured and swallow toxic things like oil and pesticides.
How can littering affect humans?
The soil absorbs the toxins that litter creates and affects plants and crops. … Humans can also
become sick
, eating animals that have ingested compromised water. The litter is often put on fire as an easy way to get rid of the litter, which can also lead to air pollution.
Does litter affect climate?
Both carbon dioxide and methane are
greenhouse
gases, which contribute to global warming and climate change. … Thus, rubbish sent to a dumpsite or landfill represents a significant amount of greenhouse gases already emitted to the atmosphere and have contributed to climate change.
Why is it important to stop littering?
Litter is bad for animals and people
. Plastic waste suffocates, disables and kills thousands of animals each year. Litter is dirty and spoils our environment. Turtles, seals, birds and dolphins often mistake plastic waste for food.
What can we do to stop littering?
- Keep a litter bag in your car and hang on to litter until you find a garbage receptacle.
- Report litterbugs.
- Make sure your trash cans have tight-fitting lids.
- Share with others the proper way to dispose of trash.
- Put papers in a paper bag before placing them in your recycling bin.
How long has littering been a problem?
When our great grandparents were young there was virtually no litter but now the country is carpeted in it. Well, it’s no coincidence that litter was first seen as a national problem
in the mid-1950s
just as our domestic manufacturing industry began to bounce back after the Second World War.
What are the long term effects of littering?
In the long-term it
affects the animals’ eating habits, eventually killing the animals
. Much of marine wildlife including birds, whales, dolphins and turtles have been found dead with plastic and cigarettes found in their stomachs. [4] An estimated 100,000 sea mammals are killed by plastic litter every year.
What diseases can spread due to littering?
- Parasitic Infections. …
- Lung Infections. …
- Skin infections. …
- HIV and Hepatitis B and C Viruses. …
- Candida. …
- Meningitis. …
- Bacteremia.
What are the causes of littering?
- Presence of Litter in an Area. …
- Construction Projects. …
- Laziness and Carelessness. …
- The Belief That There is no Consequence For Littering. …
- Lack of Trash Receptacles. …
- Improper Environmental Education. …
- Low Fines. …
- Pack Behavior.
How does burning garbage affect climate change?
When organic waste decomposes, carbon dioxide and methane gas is created
. … Both carbon dioxide and methane are greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming and climate change.
Does plastic cause global warming?
Because single-use
plastic is produced from fossil fuels
, the process of extracting and creating these plastics emits huge amounts of greenhouse gases. It is estimated that just the extraction of these fossil fuels and their transportation to plastic factories emits 12.5 to 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases.
How does plastic affect our environment?
How does plastic harm the environment?
Plastic sticks around in the environment for ages, threatening wildlife and spreading toxins
. Plastic also contributes to global warming. Almost all plastics are made from chemicals that come from the production of planet-warming fuels (gas, oil and even coal).
What happens if we don’t stop littering?
Simply put, destroying it. When waste isn’t properly disposed of in the correct bins there’s less chance of recycling. The litter ends up in our water systems, it ends up in the digestive tracts of our wildlife,
it ends up smothering plants
, and reduces air quality due to smell and toxic chemical vapors coming from it.
