The world is slowly realizing that we need to go green, but going totally green is going to be a long uphill battle. There are still people who think that if they don't litter, that's all they need to do to prevent pollution. Or they buy a car that meets EPA's emission standards, and live in a city that has relatively clean air they think that's all they need to do. Nothing is further from the truth. Pollution affects everyone, and there are things we should all be doing to help clean up the environment and prevent pollution.

Just How Many Kinds of Pollution are there?

There are many forms of pollution and many like light pollution and noise pollution are new ideas to many people, but there are the basic sources of pollution that everyone can help change. Here are a few examples.

Litter

Litter is found everywhere; on the side of the road, in vacant lots, and in our waterways. Many people are of the mentality of "oh, it's only one cigarette butt, or one can of soda or one hamburger wrapper", but when thousands of people throw out only one thing, the litter mounts up. All that litter is causing toxins to be emitted into our air, in our groundwater and into our soil

Water Pollution

When many people think of serious water pollution, they think of large oil spills such as the Valdez oil spill in Alaska many years ago. Few realize that our everyday actions are contributing to water pollution. Poorly maintained septic tanks, improperly applied lawn fertilizers, and home cleaning products are also major contributors to water pollution.

Air Pollution

Everyone on this planet makes some contribution to the problem of air pollution. Completely eliminating air pollution will be impossible because everything we do releases some sort of chemical. Many of the major manufacturers have cleaned up their act and are getting better at monitoring the amount of pollutants they emit. Car manufacturers have made great strides in the development of emission systems, but the sheer volume of cars on the road adds is a significant amount of pollution into the air.

Light Pollution - With the addition of so many new homes, strip malls and buildings, the problem of light pollution is, excuse the pun, coming to light. Who would have ever thought that pollution comes in the form of light? Research shows that extended exposure to light causes a breakdown of melatonin in the body and the energy it takes to produce that light wastes precious energy.

Is the Picture Hopeless?

One may begin to think that we have done so much damage that there is no way we can fix the problem. Well, we all created this problem and it's time we banded together to be a part of the solution. A few ways we can do this are:

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Reduce the amount of waste your household makes by buying smartly. Reuse items purchased for one reason into something else. Recycle all the plastic, glass, paper, and other items that you use, instead of throwing them away.

• Caustic Chemicals - Look in your cabinets and see the plethora of everyday chemicals and find environmentally friendly alternatives. More and more products are showing up on grocers' shelves that are environmentally friendly.

• Hoof It - Reduce the amount of miles you use your car. This will not only cut down on emissions, it will save you a lot of money. It also has the advantage of giving you more exercise if you walk or bike to places you would have normally driven the car.

Pollution has been around since the days of the caveman. It is no longer someone else's problem, it is a problem for all of us, and we all need to take responsibility towards its control. Are you planning to be part of the problem or part of the solution?