Pollution can be caused by natural occurrences but the majority of pollution is caused by humans. Some ways we cause pollution are from our cars, electricity, garbage, and pesticides. Air and water can carry pollution to other sources. Three major types of pollution are air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution. Air pollution can sometimes be visible from smoke from factories, but most of the time it is invisible. Factories can make smog or haze. Air pollution can be dangerous and it can cause health problems, such as lung cancer and problems with breathing. Sometimes you can see water pollution because it will look muddy and you can see garbage floating in it. But other times, it’s not visible because we are not able to see the chemicals. Some things that cause water pollution are oil spills, sewage, mining and drilling, chemicals, and fertilizers. Land pollution can be caused by mining and trash that contains oils, chemicals, and ink. Plants absorb pesticides and fertilizers which can cause health problems for humans and animals. Pollution leaked from landfills can go to local groundwater supplies which affects aquatic food webs.
In the last 50 years, the world’s population has more than doubled going from 3.69 billion in 1970 to 7.89 billion in 2021. Due to the growing population, we have fewer resources, more waste and pollution, more clearing of forests, and more climate change. Because of overcrowding, there is more poverty, and not as much housing for everyone. More people are causing more pollution and destroying animal habitats, decreasing biodiversity and animal populations. Agriculture can be a big cause of pollution but we need more agriculture because of the population. Many people must farm because they need the resources. If harvests decline, it can result in more people in poverty and less biodiversity.
Overhunting can mess up food chains, food webs, and ecosystems. If there is no more prey, the species that eat them will also decline or if there are no more predators, the population of some species will increase and their prey will then decrease. Some species can become endangered and biodiversity will decrease. Death rates can become higher than birth rates for some animal populations. Some species that were hunted to the point where they were once endangered are whales, elephants, rhinos, and tigers. Other animals can be affected by one species getting over hunted. With overfishing, marine life can be impacted and people and their jobs can also be impacted because of demand for fish.
In conclusion, there are many challenges and threats animals face throughout their lives. With millions of tons of pieces of trash in the ocean and pollution in the land, air, and water many animals can be in danger of getting caught, dying, or getting sick. Poaching can be a major threat because target animals can become at risk of extinction and animals not targeted can also be harmed. Thousands of species of animals are at risk of extinction all over the world with 1,300 in the United States alone. Animal cruelty is a big problem because of their living conditions as seen in puppy mills. All of these threats and challenges animals face can be helped at least a little, many organizations do what they can to help and someday will hopefully succeed.
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