Environment Crimes

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Environment Pollution

Pollution is when an environment such as water, air or land becomes contaminated with substances that renders part of the environment unfit for its intended or desired or natural properties. Pollution results in contamination of the Earth’s environment with materials that interfere with human health, and normal natural functioning of ecosystems (living organisms and their physical surroundings).

• Air pollution effects the air,

• Water pollution effects the water and aquatic life,

• Land pollution effects soils, plants and terrestrial life.

Pollution can also be classified as activities that impact on members of a community such as noise pollution (i.e. loud music, industries, airports).  This type of pollution may not affect the natural environment but creates conditions that are detrimental the quality of life of a particular community, neighbour, or individual.

 

We all contribute to pollution in some way; whether it be industries polluting our waterways, the atmosphere, or our coast lines and oceans or individuals disposing of trash in the street we all in some way cause some damage to our health, environment and in the case of noise pollution for example, our families, neighbours or friends.

The environmental pollution also does not respect national boarders or boundary. For example, waste being dumped by one company or even one individual can have far-reaching consequences beyond the damage caused in immediate area. In one instance on January 30th 2000, a dam containing toxic waste material from the Baia Mare Aurul gold mine in North Western Romania burst and released 100,000 cubic meters of waste water, heavily contaminated with cyanide, into the Lapus and Somes tributaries of the river Tisza, one of the biggest rivers in the neighbouring county Hungary. The cyanide contaminated water was carried to the river Danube which flows through Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, causing trans-boundary pollution. The dam was built in 1998 and the breakage in the Aurul dam was partially caused by heavy rains and rapidly melting snows that made the water level in the pond rise.

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