be envirementally good to the animals

In any ecosystem, there are innumerable feeding pathways or food chains through which energy flows. Bonds that had joined the atoms together in food molecules are broken and energy is released. The energy is used to power the many activities that enable the animal to grow and survive. Organisms at any one trophic level are dependent on the organisms at the level below them for their energy needs. In nature, many food chains are interlinked in complicated systems called food webs. Therefore, the damage to any one species by pollution theoretically could impact our own survival.
1) Air Pollution can cause respiratory problems in animals other than humans. Smaller animals, as are small children, are more susceptible to distress from higher levels of sulfur dioxide and ozone in the air. The greenhouse effect and global warming may be changing our climate faster than animal populations can adapt. Air conditioners and aerosol sprays that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) are contributing to a hole in the protective ozone layer. Do you think skin cancer can only occur in humans? Acid rain has caused fish kills in Canada, Scandinavia and the Adirondacks. Salmon are no longer found in many Nova Scotia rivers.
2) Water Pollution is particularly harmful to marine ecosystems. As previously mentioned, sewage and other waste consume dissolved oxygen, decreasing the concentration available to fish. When we treat our sewage with chlorine to kill bacteria, we also kill marine ecosystems with the chlorine itself, or with carcinogenic chlorinated hydrocarbon byproducts. Mercury bioaccumulates in the food chains and for this reason it can be dangerous to eat large quantities of big ocean fish such as tuna and swordfish. In humans, mercury causes neurological symptoms (felt hat manufacturers developed the "Mad Hatter" disorder) and birth defects. Toxic substances are released by industries and also by accidents. Who can forget the images of the 1989 oil spill by the Exxon Valdez?
More than 1000 miles of Alaskan shoreline were contaminated with 11 million gallons of oil coating tens of thousands of sea birds and killing at least 1000 sea otters. Since oil is nonpolar and insoluble in water, it is very difficult to clean. The area has been analyzed ten years after the event at A National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Website.
3) Soil Pollution includes the abuse of pesticides like DDT. This nearly caused the extinction of several large birds like the brown pelican, but they have made a dramatic recovery since DDT use in the US was banned nearly thirty years ago. Did you know, however, that DDT is still produced in this country for export to other developing nations whose needs outweigh the problems caused? This toxic substance and others from solid waste are taken up by the plants and animals we ingest. Some people believe in only purchasing food from organic stores which is more expensive since the crop is smaller by not using pesticides. An argument that poorer people have higher cancer rates since they cannot afford to shop organic can be made. Does you family purchase organic food?
4) Aquatic Ecosystems are in peril due water pollutants such as acid rain and mercury contamination. Another problem for local fish is polychlorinated byphenyls (PCB's) from elecrical transformers. This impairs reproduction in aquatic species and has been detected in the flesh of striped bass. Have you heard about the recent lobster die-off on Long Island? It may be linked to the runoff of the pesticide malathion used to eradicate the West Nile virus-carrying mosquitos since crustaceans are closely related to insects. Other toxic chemicals like lead and cadmium cause brain and liver damage respectively and accumulate in the body over a lifetime of exposure. Finally, seemingly harmless thermal pollution both lowers dissolved oxygen and increases respiration rates, killing fish in a positive feedback cycle (ever increasingly). A summary of pollution effects on aquatic populations is available at A Marine Pollution Website.
5) Land Ecosystems are also affected by pollution. Bird populations have been changed by pesticides and oil spills. Bears that rely on fish diets can become contaminated. Mysterious mutations in frogs have been detected in the US. Habitat destruction is the primary reason for extinctions of animal populations. To learn more about what species are endangered, click on The US Fish and Wildlife Service Homepage.
What can be done to save animal populations?
There are many environmental organizations that deserve your support: The National Audubon Society, The Sierra Club, The World Wildlife Fund, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, to name a few. One organization that has preserved local sites for wildlife and takes an active role in saving the endangered piping plover on Long Island is The Nature Conservancy. You can volunteer your services and/or become a contributing member. Think about it.
Conclusions: 1. What is bioaccumulation? 2. How could the extinction of a species in South America affect a human living in New York City? 3. Why don't we use mercury thermometers in chemistry lab anymore?