Sample Solution

The Human Condition: Environmental Pollution
Environmental pollution is a human condition that has significant implications for the health of humans and other living beings on earth. It is considered to be a social problem because it affects all aspects of life, including human well-being, economic growth, and natural resources. It also has wide-reaching consequences on our environment which can result in long-term damage to both ecosystems and the planet itself.

Characteristics That Qualify it as a Social Problem
Environmental pollution poses serious threats to humanity and its surroundings due to certain characteristics that make it difficult for individuals or even governments alone to solve this issue. Firstly, environmental pollution is caused by an array of sources; from industrial emissions released into the air or wastewater discharged into rivers and lakes, most pollutants originate from man-made activities (Laux et al., 2009). This means that any attempts made by those responsible are not enough since the amount and diversity of pollutants generated by multiple sources often surpasses what any single group can tackle effectively (OECD/UNEP 2018). Additionally, environmental pollution is driven by globalization; with more countries becoming deeply interconnected through trade liberalization across international borders there arises an increased production rate creating more waste than ever before (Gudasz et al., 2015). Finally, environmental pollution causes irreparable damages if left unchecked due to its hazardous impacts on human health such as respiratory diseases or even mortality rates (Marnay et al., 2014). Therefore these three characteristics clearly demonstrate why environmental pollution must be addressed at a larger scale in order to have any chance of effective mitigation efforts being successful in the future.