1.Respiratory diseases-Evidence of increasing air pollution is seen in lung cancer,asthma, allergies and various breathing problems along with severe and irreparable damage to flora and fauna.
2.Bird migration-Even the most natural phenomenon of migratory birds has been hampered with severe air pollution preventing them from reaching their seasonal metropolitan destinations of centuries.
3.Global warming-Chlorofluocarbons(CFC) released from refrigerators, air conditioners, deodorants and insect repellents cause severe damage to the earth’s environment. This gas has slowly damaged the atmosphere and depleted the ozone layer leading to global warming.
1.Death of marine life-contanination of water bodies with harmful chemicals kills fish and other water inhabitants.
2.Waterborne diseases-contaminated water is not fit for human use as drinking water.Cholera,typhoid and dysentery spread very fast through water.
3.Fish contamination-polluting water bodies with chemicals and metals is very harmful. Fish contaminated with mercury causes serious health problems.
Examples of noise pollution are aircraft noise, noise of cars,buses, trucks,vehicle horns,loudspeakers,and industry noise.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented seven categories of adverse health and social effects of noise pollution, whether occupational, social or environmental:
2.interference with spoken communication
4.mental health problems
6.negative social behaviour eg bad mood.
Soil pollution may result from acid rain,polluted water, fertilizers etc.
Contaminated soils produce bad crops unfit for human consumption.
Other effects of pollution
Global warming as a result of the destruction of the ozone layer affects climate. Climate change has serious effects.
1.Drought-lack of rain for a long time kills plants,crops and vegetation. Severe drought causes death of animals and human beings.
2.Wild fires-excessive heat due to high temperatures sometimes causes wild fires.
3.Famine/food scarcity-Poor rainfall affects food production.
Food scarcity leads to poor food choices, undernutrition and malnutrition.Poor nutrition may lead to a variety of food related diseases.
Food scarcity causes a hike in food prices which in turn increases the cost of living.
4.Poverty-when families fail to afford basic commodities consistently, their capacity to live productive lives is hampered.
5.Social instability-Uneven distribution of basic commodities eg food and water is a recipe for wars between communities.
In Kenya,some pastoral communities fight, kill and displace others due to competition over limited resources like water and animal grazing fields.
6.Corruption-One man’s meat is another man’s poison. We have opportunists everywhere. The highest form of corruption is done by governments.
Instead of solving perennial problems related to food scarcity for instance, some governments allocate billions of shillings every year that end up in the pockets of a few.