Pollution

Pollution is an issue of concern in this modern world that we live in today.

There are many types of pollution, namely air, water and noise. Pollution in our
environment will undoubtedly affect our quality of life. Our naturally beautiful world
becomes ugly because it is suffering from the effects of environmental pollution.
Pollution can also cause various health problems and other negative effects.
Air pollution is caused by the emission of toxic gases from vehicles, factories
and open burning. Nowadays, there are more and more vehicles on the road, as
society gets more affluent. More and more people strive to have a better quality of
life by having the convenience of driving to their destinations instead of taking public
transportation. Automobiles provides transport to millions people around the world to
enable them to travel to their workplace, school and other places, therefore, the air
around us is getting more polluted by the carbon dioxide that is emitted. Carbon
monoxide is another type of gas that is harmful to the environment as it can cause
the reduction of oxygen in the bloodstream.
Another example of contributor to the air pollution is the manufacturing
factories. The manufacturing of products in factories to meet the growing demand of
society is also causing air pollution. Factories release toxic gases to the environment.
Some factories also use coal to generate heat and energy. As a result from the
burning of coal, carbon dioxide is released into the environment.
Besides factories, many people are still practising open burning as a way of
disposing their household wastes. Although burning our household wastes is a
convenient way of getting rid of our rubbish, it is harmful to the environment as it
contributes to the worsening of the air quality. As a result, air pollution causes people
to suffer from health problems such as chest pain and asthma. In extreme cases,
people can contract lung cancer.
Water pollution is also a problem that we are currently facing. The marine
life is the first to suffer from water pollution as they depend on the nutrients in the
water to survive. As a result, we are robbed of beautiful sea corals and unique
species of fishes. Besides ruining our marine heritage, the disappearance of marine
life will affect the livelihood of fishermen, not to mention our source of food. Water
pollution is caused by harmful waste from industries, farms and sewerage systems
which are dumped into our sources of water such as rivers and lakes. This
irresponsible act contaminates our drinking water and can cause serious health
problems and can even culminate in death.
Noise pollution is another form of pollution. Noise from heavy machinery and
vehicles can cause hearing problems and in extreme cases, deafness. As there is
growing number of vehicles on the road, we are exposed to noise pollution every
day. The government in advanced countries encourages their citizens to take the
public buses and trains by providing an affordable and efficient transportation
system. This effort discourages people from driving their private vehicles and
consequently reduces the number of vehicles on the road.
We must work together to reduce pollution so that the future generations
can live in a healthy, unpolluted environment. As the saying goes, precaution is
better than cure. Lets hands on hands together by recycle and conserve the world for
the better future.

What can we do to save the environment? (Continuous Writing, SPM 2010)

Pollution has harmful effects on the environment. Since we are the inhabitants of the earth, each
of us has to contribute to the prevention of pollution [general discussion]. We should accept
personal responsibility and participate actively in making the environment, pollution free [thesis
statement].
First of all, we can participate in saving the environment by adopting the 3Rs of solid waste
management: reduce, reuse and recycle [stating first point]. Reuse things that are still good to
use and recycle things that you can recycle. Spend extra five minutes sorting out what is rubbish
and what is recyclable [elaborating first point]. We can recycle almost everything these days
such as plastics, glass, clothes, metals, newspapers and so on. Reduce the use of plastic bags
by recycling them or not using them at all. We can use a basket, a rucksack or other bags for our
shopping [providing details and examples to support first point].
Apart from that, in order to save our environment, we need to be aware that our actions have
effects on our planet [stating second point]. If we are friends of the earth, it will also be friendly
to us. Therefore, be a part of the solution by doing the right things in our daily lives [elaborating
second point]. For example, we may use unleaded gasoline in our cars and keep our cars
properly maintained to avoid excessive smoke emissions. Besides, smokers should consider to
quit smoking or at least follow the "No Smoking" sign. Avoid open burning. We need oxygen to
breathe and sustain our lives, so allow the earth to have more clean air [providing details and
examples to support second point].
Last but not least, we can save the environment by speaking out and telling people what we know
about pollution and its effects [stating third point]. Do whatever we can to get the word out
there[elaborating third point]. For instance, we may write an article for our school magazine or
local newspaper. We may also start a group with our friends and meet once a week to discuss
environmental issues and what we can do to help. In addition, making a speech about preventing
pollution in the community gatherings or school assembly can also get the word out [providing
details and examples to support third point].
In a nutshell, we can save the environment by adopting the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle),
doing the right things to prevent pollution in our daily lives, and speaking out what we know about
pollution [restating main points]. We should therefore accept personal responsibility and
participate actively to save the environment [emphasize the importance of topic].
The Benefits of Using Eco-friendly Products
There are many benefits to using eco-friendly products! By using green products, you can help
decrease pollution, the destruction of forests and other ecosystems, and the amount of waste
sent to landfills. In addition to this, eco-friendly products are better for your health, as they dont
contain any harmful chemicals that can irritate skin or eyes. This is especially important with
babies and children in the house. An infants skin is five times more permeable than an adults
skin and therefore, much more sensitive to harsh chemicals.
Another benefit of using green products is the peace of mind that youre helping keep the planet a
clean and safe place to live not only for your generation, but for generations to come! Youre
helping shape the world your children will live in, and using green products will help make sure
the planets as wonderful for them when theyre adults as it is for them now.

Whatcanyoudotosavepower?
The increasing popularity of global energy-saving initiatives like Earth Hour shows
us that, not only is there an overwhelming need for us all to conserve energy and
start to preserve natural resources, there's also a great deal of interest around the
world in finding out the best ways to save power on an individual level.
We've looked into the issue to help Malaysian households reduce their energy
consumption, enabling you to save money and start having a positive impact on the
global environment.
1.Appliances
Unplug your appliances when they're not in use
Your TV, computer, microwave and even some washing machines have a
'standby' mode, which means they're still using energy even when they're not in use.
Buy appliances with a good energy rating
The more stars, the better but think about size first. Often it's easier for a larger
model to be more efficient (and therefore have more stars) than a smaller one.
However, since it is bigger, its overall energy consumption is usually higher.
Choose an energy-efficient fridge
Your fridge/freezer is working non-stop and the energy it consumes adds up quickly.
Look for a model that uses a hydrocarbon, such as butane or pentane, as the
refrigerant and/or blowing agent for the insulation foam. All fridges on the market are
CFC-free, so don't base you purchase decision on "CFC free" labels.
2.Heatingandcooling
Turn on the air conditioner early
If you have an air conditioner, try to use it only on really hot or humid days, and if
you expect a hot day, pre-empt the heat rather than waiting until your home is
already hot. (Similarly, start heating early when expecting a cold day.)
Look for programmable timer and thermostat controls. Set your air conditioner at the
highest temperature setting at which you still feel cool enough; 25C is usually
adequate. Each 1C increase of the thermostat setting will save about 10% on your
energy usage.
Install ceiling fans
Ceiling fans are much cheaper than air conditioning and have less impact
environmentally.
3.Transport
Even if you have a fuel-efficient car, whenever possible it's a good idea to leave it
at home and walk, cycle, catch public transport or car pool.
Rainwater
Collected rainwater is ideal for watering your garden. Contact your water authority
and local council for advice on how to install and maintain a rainwater tank.
Buy a water-efficient showerhead
These are great water-saving devices for daily use. However, if you have an
instantaneous hot-water system, the flow rate of a low-flow shower head may not
be enough to start it. Check with your installer. If you have a gravity-fed water
system (the water flows from your tank to your taps without being pumped), make
sure you buy a shower head that's designed to cope with low pressure.
5.Greenpower

The average household emits around 14 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year, half
of which is from electricity generation. This contributes to climate change and global
warming.
One simple and relatively cheap way that we can all start to make a difference is by
switching our electricity to "green" power. This means using power generated from
clean renewable sources such as the sun, wind, water and waste power, rather than
coal