Highlights
Environmental pollution is contamination of air, water and land from man-made waste. Pollution leads to depletion of the ozone layer, global warming and climate change. Air pollution is the release of chemicals and particles into the atmosphere. Water pollution includes surface runoff, leakage into groundwater, liquid spills, wastewater discharge and littering. If toxins are spilled on the ground or if an underground storage tank leaks, soil can become contaminated. Well known contaminants include herbicides and pesticides. Toxic waste is waste material, often in chemical form, which pollutes the natural environment and contaminates groundwater.
Other types of pollution include ocean...
Other types of pollution include ocean...
Environmental pollution is contamination of air, water and land from man-made waste. Pollution leads to depletion of the ozone layer, global warming and climate change. Air pollution is the release of chemicals and particles into the atmosphere. Water pollution includes surface runoff, leakage into groundwater, liquid spills, wastewater discharge and littering. If toxins are spilled on the ground or if an underground storage tank leaks, soil can become contaminated. Well known contaminants include herbicides and pesticides. Toxic waste is waste material, often in chemical form, which pollutes the natural environment and contaminates groundwater.
Other types of pollution include ocean pollution and noise pollution. Environmental pollution can have a deadly effect on humans and ecosystems. For example, cigarette smoke, including second-hand smoke, causes cancer, emphysema, stroke and heart attack. Drinking water can become contaminated by untreated sewage, rashes and skin problems occur due to oil spills, while excessive noise can cause hearing loss. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 to put a limit on the amount of pollutants in the air. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1963, the Noise Control Act in 1972 and the Clean Water Act in 1977. Pollution is a bigger concern in other parts of the world, especially developing countries. Time Magazine reported in 2007 that the most polluted spots in the world included China, India, Peru and Russia.
Other types of pollution include ocean pollution and noise pollution. Environmental pollution can have a deadly effect on humans and ecosystems. For example, cigarette smoke, including second-hand smoke, causes cancer, emphysema, stroke and heart attack. Drinking water can become contaminated by untreated sewage, rashes and skin problems occur due to oil spills, while excessive noise can cause hearing loss. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 to put a limit on the amount of pollutants in the air. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1963, the Noise Control Act in 1972 and the Clean Water Act in 1977. Pollution is a bigger concern in other parts of the world, especially developing countries. Time Magazine reported in 2007 that the most polluted spots in the world included China, India, Peru and Russia.
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O'Malley grilled on green agenda
Gov. Martin O'Malley fielded skeptical questions from lawmakers about three of his top environmental initiatives Tuesday as he appealed to them to approve bills aimed at promoting offshore wind energy, limiting development and improving water and sewer...Tags: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Harford County, Edward R. Reilly, Renewable Energy, Regional Authority
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Maryland sturgeon restoration effort in limbo
— "Sturgie" is biding his time, waiting to be introduced to the right female.
Caught off Hooper's Island five years ago, the hulking six-foot Atlantic sturgeon passes his days lolling about in a large tank at the University of Maryland's Horn Point...Tags: Seafood and Fishing Industry, Fishing, Environmental Politics, Cambridge (Dorchester, Maryland), Hudson River
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State needs wind energy to reach its goals
Much of the attention paid to Gov.Martin O'Malley's second offshore wind proposal has centered around the cost of building and maintaining an offshore wind farm and its effect on ratepayers. That is a very important discussion, and the governor has his...Tags: Biofuels, Garrett County, Petroleum Industry, Renewable Energy, Conservation
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'Bike boulevards' can get Baltimore rolling
Cycling has long been promoted as an activity with the potential to improve community wellness through its health benefits and its ability to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. Monday through Friday, rain or shine, I ride my bike from my...Tags: Mini, Road Transportation, Commuting, Transportation, Health and Safety at School
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Groups find some localities lag in Bay cleanup plans
A coalition of environmental groups has handed out mixed grades for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup plans every county in Maryland prepared late last year.
The plans, submitted to the state Department of the Environment, are part of a detailed statewide bay...Tags: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Politics, Environmental Politics, Environmental Pollution
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MD "on track" to reduce greenhouse gases
Maryland is on track to reduce climate-altering greenhouse gases 25 percent by the end of the decade, according to a state environmental official.
In a preview of the state's overdue plan to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and methane, George S. "Tad"...Tags: Global Change, Global Warming, Ecosystems, Layoffs and Downsizing, Conservation
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Keystone pipeline: Let's wait for the facts
The op-ed by retired Gulf Oil vice president Charles Campbell ("D.C.'s Keystone Kops) claims President Obama's refusal to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline was made only for political reasons. This couldn't be further from the truth. There is still...Tags: Oil Spills, Oil Spills, Upstream Oil and Gas Activities, Barack Obama, Environmental Pollution
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Permitting issue ends local firm's recycling of food scraps
A Woodbine company that had been processing food scraps into composted materials with commercial applications — a process lauded by state and local officials as the next great frontier in recycling — has ceased those operations after hearing...Tags: Companies and Corporations, Local Government, Montgomery County (Maryland), Environmental Pollution, Companies and Corporations
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It's a big load of garbage to me
A friend of mine, who knows more about these things than I do, corrects me when the subject of global warming enters the conversation. The correct term, she reminds me, "is climate change." The bottom line is scientists who study the weather are pretty...Tags: Global Change, Ecosystems, George Bush, Car Safety Tips and Advice, Conservation
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Maryland power plant closing to avoid pollution rules
An aging, little-used power plant in Williamsport is slated to be closed later this year rather than meet new federal air-pollution limits, its owner announced Thursday, in what could be a spate of such shutdowns resulting from the controversial Obama...Tags: Plant Openings, Plant Closings, Environmental Politics, Companies and Corporations, FirstEnergy Corp.
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Air quality firm to meet with Edgewater Elementary School community
A consulting firm hired by Anne Arundel County schools to test air quality at Edgewater Elementary School will meet with the school community on Tuesday. Ed Light, president of Ashton-based Building Dynamics LLC, said Friday that the company is...Tags: Schools, Family, Elementary Schools, Air Pollution, Health and Safety at School
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O'Malley makes his case for 'investments' in Maryland
Gov. Martin O'Malley used his State of the State address Wednesday to make his case for his most ambitious legislative agenda since taking office.
Now comes the hard job of selling it.
In an upbeat, 33-minute speech to both chambers of the General...Tags: Marriage, Pension and Welfare, Family, Michael E. Busch, Democratic Party
Feb 14, 2012
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Feb 1, 2012
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