 |
 |
 |
| Mercury Shrunken Fish, IJC |
 |
Humans are not the only species that suffer the ill effects of environmental degradation. Pollutants are pervasive; even in the Arctic , high levels of DDT are found in marine mammals, affecting their ability to reproduce. Ozone pollution from the Ohio Valley is damaging trees in the southern Appalachian Mountains, while acid rain (and now "mercury rain") continues to plague the lakes and forests of the upper Midwest, the Adirondacks, Ontario , and New England.
Weakened immune systems and failure to reproduce are common effects of toxic pollution on a wide array of species. In some cases, pollution from silt and nutrients chokes the life out of aquatic ecosystems, while in other cases physical barriers, such as dams, prevent native fish species from reproducing.
Our very survival depends on the grand and infinitely complex community of plants, animals, and other living organisms that share the Earth with us. We must act individually and collectively to prevent the continued destruction of species, habitats, and ecosystems. |
