5. Pulp and Paper Mills
The first of the worlds biggest polluters is the paper industry. The paper industry is the third-largest polluter in the Americas. This industry produces massive amounts of pollution through the chemicals, such as bleach, that are used to create and color or whiten the paper. The pollution this industry creates affect the soil, water and air.
4. Wood industries
The wood industry is another of the worlds biggest polluters. The wood industry's pollution largely affects the water around the region where large-scale logging and manufacturing the wood is done. Organic compounds from the wood get into the water and can increase oxygen levels in the water to cause issues with the environment. On top of this, logging cuts down the amount of CO2 which can be absorbed from the atmosphere and converted into oxygen.
3. Agriculture
Among the industries the average person wouldn't expect to be in the list of worlds biggest polluters are the agricultural industry. The agricultural industry, however, is one of the largest problem the world has to deal with when it comes to pollution levels. The fertilizer farms use is the largest culprit. Fertilizer has been found to create dead-zones in the ocean as it seeps into nearby streams and rivers. The livestock on farms also cause major problems for the environment. The world's 1.5 billion cows and billions of other animals create eighteen percent of the world's carbon emissions.
2. The Mining Industry
Unlike the agricultural industry, it is no surprise that the mining industry is among the worlds biggest polluters. The methods of extracting the necessary metals or coal can cause massive amounts of problems to the water and the air around the mine. Among these methods are using chemicals to extract the ores and massive amounts of water, the water ending up returning to the rivers and streams full of minerals that pollute. Working with the ores to create the finished product, whether it be energy or a golden ring, also adds to the pollution amounts of this industry.
1. The Oil Industry
The oil industry is by far one of the worlds biggest polluters. Oil makes a profound affect on the environment where it is drilled, and oil has a reputation of being among the largest pollutant because of its wide-spread use. Oil is almost impossible to not use in day-to-day life, despite the amounts of carbon produced through burning it for energy. Cars use oil to bring people to work, school, and on vacation. Airplanes use oil to transport people from one place to another. Oil is often burned to create electricity, and make the plastics used in everyday life.
The oil industry is prone to accidents. A prime example of these accidents is the Gulf oil spill, which dumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico creating dead zones within the ocean and destroying eco systems that exist along the coastline. A massive oil spill has also affected millions of people who live on the northern cost of Scotland.