Urban sprawl is us as humans moving into undeveloped lands. There is only so much land on Earth that we can inhabit. By doing this we are losing farm and forest land which we need to survive. With the increased traffic coming from urban sprawl it is causing water and air pollution. “The American Farmland Trust has reported that from 1982 to 1992 we lost to urban and suburban development an average of 400,000 acres per year of “prime” farmland, the land with all the best soils and climate for growing crops” (Turk & Bensel, 2011). Since things like stores and even parks are farther away it has caused people to drive more and this in turn pollutes our air even more. This is what causes our greenhouse gases. “We contribute to 450 million metric tons of carbon dioxide” (Turk & Bensel, 2011). In a year our cars put out 60 million tons of carbon monoxide. Sprawl also causes water pollution in our watersheds. Since there are more and more runoffs we are having more and more floods because there is no where for the water to go. With the runoffs there is more pollutants put into our water. Industrial revolution has also had a big impact on our planet. It has been affecting social, cultural, and economic conditions. When people use fertilizers and burn coal it puts a lot of nitrogen into our air. This in turn pollutes our rivers, lakes, and oceans. This pollution can kill our species that live in the water like our fish which we use as food. Since we count on things like fruit, medicine, and timber from our rainforests it is beginning to use all our resources. Farmers will burn areas of the forests to grow things until the nutrients are gone and that are preventing the rainforest from recovering. People also use our trees from forests for bio-fuels. Extinction has also become a big problem. We take over their habitats and then the animals have no where to go. The fresh waters that animals need are being polluted. “Direct human exploitation of organisms, such as through hunting, and harvesting, threatens more than a third of birds and mammals” (Turk & Bensel, 2011). When we transport exotic animals out of there country into ours it is displacing the species. Since the pollution of gases which is causing climate change this also is a major factor for species being wiped out. “Wind energy, landfill gas energy, and other green methods are a good start to helping our air” (Scipeeps, 2009). Recycling, energy efficient cars, and schools that teach our kids to treat our environment right are also good steps to cleaning our air and land. We also need to plant new trees to replace the ones we cut down. It will take our government and all of us to work together to make this happen. “We need to only build green cars, green companies, and green industries in order to start dealing realistically with the potential air pollution solutions” (Scipeeps, 2009). Organizations have been working to help keep shade farming and harvesting out of forests. New developments are being made in walking distance instead of having to drive. If they build houses and buildings in certain areas this could help stop runoff which is polluting our waters. “Consciously avoiding habitat destruction and mitigating the effects of land use change, reducing the direct exploitation of plants and wildlife, and slowing climate change can help us stop weakening the very life-support systems we depend on” (Turk & Bensel).

Reference:
Retrieved December 12, 2011, from, http://scipeeps.com/air-pollution-solutions/ Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary Environmental Issues. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, INC. (https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSCI207.10.1)