Book II: Pollution Ecology

Dams, Rivers and People, 2009

"A water body is an ecosystem, not just a carrier of water that is susceptible to pollution. It is a system unto its own that is dependent on plant and animal activity around it. The problem isn’t always pollution and the solution isn’t always separation of humans from nature. The solution lies in nurturing a healthy, democratic and accountable relationship between humans and their natural habitat, for the sustainable survival of both. The notion of protecting the environment from pollution by rigidly divorcing it from humans who live off it is problematic. There are some basic assumptions this notion is guided by, which need to be questioned. Who is causing the real pollution? Why is it that the people who are in direct contact with the environment are always the ones fingers are pointed at? "

Over the past several decades, several large-scale seemingly unrelated events have unfolded in all corners of the world. Within the oceans, coral reef systems have been facing unprecedented mass bleaching episodes, sea turtles worldwide are currently experiencing an epidemic in the form of fibropapilloma, and global phytoplankton populations have declined by 40%. Within Earth's terrestrial systems, similar phenomenon have appeared in the form of colony collapse disorder (CCD) currently devastating honey bee colonies, White Nose Syndrome decimating bat populations, and

Biodiversity and Conservation, 1992

Humans are making increasing demands on natural ecosystems. One recent study has concluded that our species is consuming or diverting some 40% of the net photosynthetic productivity of our planet. Many habitats are being converted to simpler systems which provide more harvestable goods to people. As a result, genetic diversity, species and whole ecosystems are disappearing; some scientists suggest that as many as 25% of the world's species could be lost in the next several decades.

International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, 2014

2010

Written for researchers and practitioners in environmental pollution, management and ecology, this interdisciplinary account explores the ecological issues associated with industrial pollution to provide a complete picture of this important environmental problem from cause to effect to solution. Bringing together diverse viewpoints from academia and environmental agencies and regulators, the contributors cover such topics as biological resources of mining areas, biomonitoring of freshwater and marine ecosystems and risk assessment of contaminated land in order to explore important questions such as: What are the effects of pollutants on functional ecology and ecosystems? Do current monitoring techniques accurately signal the extent of industrial pollution? Does existing policy provide a coherent and practicable approach? Case studies from throughout the world illustrate major themes and provide valuable insights into the positive and negative effects of industrial pollution, the provision of appropriate monitoring schemes and the design of remediation and restoration strategies.

Multicultural Education, 2022

Entering the era of disruption, digital 4.0, and society 5.0, Indonesia needs to free itself from various environmental pollutions to disasters. In the last three years, Indonesia is inseparable from various disasters. Of course this is caused by various phenomena as well. Apart from being a test and trial from God Almighty, it is also a non-maintenance of the environment properly. In the global dimension, Indonesia is part of the global community itself. Geographically Earth Indonesia is a very strategic part of efforts to realize a good environment for the world globally whole. This provides awareness that Indonesia must also comply with international law. In fact, apart from natural resources, it does make a big contribution to development, on the other hand sustainability of the availability of natural resources is ignored. Likewise the rules should beadhered to as the basis for carrying out management that supports the development of the economic sector ignored. The result is a tendency in the form of a decrease in carrying capacity environment and the depletion of the availability of existing natural resources as well as a decrease in environmental quality live fast. Management of natural resources and the environment that is not carried out in accordance with carrying capacity can lead to a food crisis. In the management dimension, it is realized that implementation of development that relies on technology and industry in maintaining the level of Economic growth often has a negative impact on the human environment. Pollution environment will cause a decrease in the quality of the environment, so that it will threaten the sustainability of living things, especially the tranquility and tranquility of human life, this is what is declared a disaster environment caused by human activities.

The Ouachita River is 605 miles long and hosts an impressive amount of biodiversity within its waters and on its shores. Twenty-three aquatic animals are endemic in the Ouachita river and lake systems (Nature Conservancy, 2013). Coffee Creek and Mossy Lake are tributaries of the Ouachita River that have become contaminated with paper mill waste from the Georgia Pacific paper mill plant in Crossett, Arkansas. The ecosystems and biodiversity are severely threatened by the toxic runoff from the paper plant, many of which host endemic species that forage, nest and breed in the tainted watershed. One risk associated with contaminated habitats is the potential for bottleneck effects within both the aquatic and terrestrial life systems of these freshwater ecosystems. Additionally, reduced genetic diversity, mutations, decreased population density and population extirpation are some of the deleterious effects facing the biodiversity in water bodies contaminated by anthropogenic sources like the Georgia Pacific paper mill. Industrial pollution has become a serious concern for this and almost every waterway in the United States due to decades of unmonitored, corporate waste disposal. Keywords: biodiversity, watershed pollution, river pollution, wetland pollution