Most effective measures to control pollution in the world

As pollution has been increased at an alarming rate, the society has waked up and busy in searching for measures to control pollution. It is irrelevant for which pollution, we are working against. The only focus is to eradicate or bring down the pollution. We will look into the most effective measures to control or prevent pollution.

Initially the focus of pollution control was on cleaning up the pollutants after they were generated. Though there was some improvement brought about by this in the quality of the environment, such regulations sometimes just caused the pollution to be shifted from one environmental medium to another.

As this was realized, it made more sense to follow the path of pollution prevention rather than pollution control. Pollution prevention includes all practices that reduce, eliminate or prevent pollution at its source. This is also known as source reduction.

Pollution prevention helps in saving both financially as well as environmentally. The cost of clean-ups and waste management to the government and the taxpayer is a very heavy monetary price. The damage to the environment and all living beings including humans is another heavy price to pay in terms of health and well-being.

Federal and Corporate Sectors

Preventing Pollution can be applied to every field of pollution generating activity. This includes sectors of energy, agriculture and industry. Government regulatory agencies, local governing bodies and communities have to work together to this end.

In the energy sector, pollution can be reduced by

In the agricultural sector, the approaches include

In the industrial sector, source reduction is very effective when

Governments must set up Regional environmental protection centres and Technical Assistance providers which can help businesses identify products that are safer for human health and the environment. They can guide manufactures and their supply chains to adapt to a greener economy.

Individual and Community Responsibilities

While the responsibility of pollution control falls with governing agencies and industries probably communities also, but the responsibility of the individual must not be taken lightly. Efficient use of energy and water in homes, work places and public spaces will help control pollution to a large extent.

Indoors

Outdoors

Recycling

Recycling is not technically a part of pollution prevention. It is a process of waste management. But recycling does help reduce the need for fresh raw material in some industries.

Paper, glass, metals, tires and batteries have been part of recycling for a long time. With the increase in use of electronics, it is now important that obsolete devices be taken up for recycling. This is E-cycling. Mobile phones and computers have several rare metals as part of their components that can be extracted and reused in new devices.

Green Engineering

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Green Engineering is the design, commercialization and use of processes and products in a way that reduces pollution, promotes sustainability and minimises risk to human health and the environment without sacrificing economic viability and efficiency.

According to its principles

Conclusion

As we have seen source reduction is the path best followed for preventing pollution. Through observation and awareness many methods of combating pollution, preventing and controlling it can be practised. Safe living and working spaces, clean air and water, even energy distribution is the right of all. Hence everyone has a responsibility to take part in this process – from the government to the individual. Systematic approaches involving a combination of disciplines, which can look at a problem from various angles to result in a viable solution – from the manufacture of a pencil to the planning an urban space- This is the future of Prevention of Pollution.

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