In addition to reducing the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere, we also fill our air with pollution that make it hard to breathe. Smog is a combination of fog and smoke. Sometimes the movement of air traps the pollution near the ground and many people have died from the toxic chemicals in the air.

Air pollution, especially from automobiles, also causes rain to be full of toxic chemicals. This is called acid rain. The chemicals fall into our lakes, rivers, and soil.

Carbon dioxide, produced when we burn fossil fuel, prevents the atmosphere from being able to release some of its heat energy. This causes something called the "greenhouse effect" in which the earth is slowly getting warmer.

Some types of pollution damage the ozone layer which protects us from the sun's ultraviolet rays. This causes the earth to slowly get warmer. It also increases the chances of skin cancer and hurts many types of plants and animals.

Not only are we polluting the air, we are also polluting the oceans. All types of waste are dumped into the ocean, killing most of the food chain. Acid rain contaminates lakes and rivers.

If we want to continue to live on this planet, we need to start taking better care of it!

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Last modified: Tue May 12 17:17:00 PDT 1998

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