Article 1

Environmental Pollution
Caused by Factories
Carbon Dioxide
Nearly 85 percent of energy in the United States comes from
carbon emitting fossil fuels. When burned, these fossil fuels
emit harmful gases including carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide
which increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere resulting in global warming. Air pollution is much
worse in highly populated cities where more factories emit
pollution in close proximity to humans.
Agricultural Waste
Large commercial factory farms produce an enormous amount
of waste that includes animal blood, feces and pesticides. Some
have been caught dumping waste directly into rivers, which also
increases the chance of disease transmission through fluids such
as blood. The excess nutrients from factory farms, such as
animal feces and fertilizers, can disrupt the natural level of
nutrients in the water, causing decreased dissolved oxygen
levels from an overgrowth of decomposers, which often results
in fish-kills. Pesticides from agricultural waste also end up in
soil, water and air, and can be toxic to the living things they
come in contact with.
Ozone
Ozone can be formed when a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen
dioxide is exposed to sunlight after being emitted by factories
and consumer product use such as driving cars. When high in
the atmosphere, ozone is considered beneficial, providing a
protective barrier from harmful ultraviolet radiation. However,
when ozone is near the ground it becomes harmful to the
environment, causing damage to human tissues, crops and other
materials such as rubber. Ground-level ozone is most common
in densely populated areas where emissions are more
concentrated.
Article 2

Causes of Climate
Change
The greenhouse effect
causes the atmosphere
to retain heat
When sunlight reaches Earth’s surface, it can
either be reflected back into space or absorbed by
Earth. Once absorbed, the planet releases some of
the energy back into the atmosphere as heat (also
called infrared radiation). Greenhouse gases like
water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2),
and methane (CH4) absorb energy, slowing or
preventing the loss of heat to space. In this way,
GHGs act like a blanket, making Earth warmer than
it would otherwise be. This process is commonly
known as the “greenhouse effect.”
The role of the greenhouse effect in
the past
Over the last several hundred thousand years,
CO2 levels varied in tandem with the glacial cycles.
During warm "interglacial" periods, CO2 levels were
higher. During cool "glacial" periods, CO2 levels
were lower.[2] The heating or cooling of Earth’s
surface and oceans can cause changes in the
natural sources and sinks of these gases, and thus
change greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere.[2] These changing concentrations are
thought to have acted as a positive feedback,
amplifying the temperature changes caused by
long-term shifts in Earth’s orbit.[2]