What steps can we as individuals take to reduce the pollution levels in our country?

None is needed since there is not very much pollution in the U.S. even though the U.S. has the world's largest economy. Thanks to President George H.W. Bush, the U.S. is one least polluted countries on the planet. President George H.W. Bush signed the Clean Air Act of 1993.

There are localized problems with "trash" which is different than "pollution". Littering trash is what bothers people the most. Littering is caused by people who lack proper education or who are not bothered by trash (like in Los Angeles).

The biggest thing individuals could do to reduce pollution would be to support the use of nuclear energy and support having a "hydrogen economy" in the U.S.. (The nuclear waste issue has pretty much been resolved by scientists and thorium reactors look very promising.)

Also, because the Kyoto Treaty is seriously flawed, India and China have already replaced the U.S. as the most polluted countries. Studies show that toxic air from China is already entering Western United States each year. Those pollution particles include lead, mercury, and arsenic.

China even has areas that are named "cancer villages" because they have the highest cancer rates in the world. The majority of people in China live in small villages. There they are constantly exposed to toxic chemicals that are not allowed in the big cities. Shockingly, many Chinese plastic products shipped to America have been found to contain dangerous chemicals that are banned in the U.S.. Several major cities in the U.S. are working at banning the selling of children's toys containing those chemicals. Those cities are setting up product testing programs to help make sure small children do not later develop cancer or neurological disorders.

About "CO2 pollution", there is no need to reduce CO2. It was recently proven that temperatures dropped around the world while CO2 was increasing. Something other than CO2 is causing warming. Most non-biased scientists are starting to think it is the sun that is causing the changes in temperature. (Also, NASA studies done last decade show that changes in the sun caused the Earth to leave the Great Ice Age in less than 20 years) And, the data from the 'Inconvenient Truth' was proven wrong by expert paleoclimatologists. The historic CO2 charts presented in the movie are highly inaccurate. Ice core samples show that CO2 increases came AFTER increases in temperature.

"The "CO2" Global Warming Theory Officially Proven Wrong"

"If liberals really care about Americans then they will announce the corrections to prevent further job losses caused by their flawed theory.

"The hottest year since 1880 becomes 1934 instead of 1998, which is now just second; 1921 is third."

"Last week, NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies -- whose temperature records are a key component of the global-warming claim (and whose director, James Hansen, is a sort of godfather of global-warming alarmism) -- quietly corrected an error in its data set that had made recent temperatures seem warmer than they really were"

Also, the highest temperatures recorded in Asia were in the 1930's according to Asian records.

Steps Taken To Control Pollution

As an individual we can take various steps:

1] To Reduce Air Pollution:

First of all,the use of large vehicles like cars etc. should be

reduced.People should try to use [solar-powered] cycles or should walk if the distance to be traveled is less. Citizens n especially school students should be made aware about the increasing pollution.People should turn off the engine when they are waiting on the signal.So that they don't ADD to the pollution of air.People should form a group n travel in one single vehicle instead of taking everyone's car.We should plant more and more trees in the environment.

2] To Reduce Water Pollution.

Some people have a habit of throwing the waste in the water.

If they stop doing this,it will really help to keep the water clean.

During festivals like Ganesh Chathurthi,we should keep eco-friendly idols made up of only mud.And during the visarjan time,these idols should be submerged in running water so that the mud or clay is separated quickly.

We can use the automobiles only when most needed. We should not tend to make furniture out of wood as this involves cutting of trees in large scale. We should switch off the automobiles when at rest, instead we can use the vehicles which runs on mechanical force such as cycle which also increases the physical strength. We should stop constructing the multi purpose river valley projects which involves deforestation on a large extent. We should also stop scattering the wastes and the plastics all round the society, instead use the trashbins. By these small and ignorant ones , we as individuals can reduce the pollution levels in our country.China even has areas that are named "cancer villages" because they have the highest cancer rates in the world. The majority of people in China live in small villages. There they are constantly exposed to toxic chemicals that are not allowed in the big cities. Shockingly, many Chinese plastic products shipped to America have been found to contain dangerous chemicals that are banned in the U.S.. Several major cities in the U.S. are working at banning the selling of children's toys containing those chemicals. Those cities are setting up product testing programs to help make sure small children do not later develop cancer or neurological disorders.

We can use the automobiles only when most needed. We should not tend to make furniture out of wood as this involves cutting of trees in large scale. We should switch off the automobiles when at rest, instead we can use the vehicles which runs on mechanical force such as cycle which also increases the physical strength. We should stop constructing the multi purpose river valley projects which involves deforestation on a large extent. We should also stop scattering the wastes and the plastics all round the society, instead use the trashbins. By these small and ignorant ones , we as individuals can reduce the pollution levels in our country.

We should stop constructing the multi purpose river valley projects which involves deforestation on a large extent. We should also stop scattering the wastes and the plastics all round the society, instead use the trashbins. By these small and ignorant ones , we as individuals can reduce the pollution levels in our country.China even has areas that are named "cancer villages" because they have the highest cancer rates in the world. The majority of people in China live in small villages. There they are constantly exposed to toxic chemicals that are not allowed in the big cities. Shockingly, many Chinese plastic products shipped to America have been found to contain dangerous chemicals that are banned in the U.S.. Several major cities in the U.S. are working at banning the selling of children's toys containing those chemicals. Those cities are setting up product testing programs to help make sure small children do not later develop cancer or neurological disorders.

Since everyone will pretty much be hunting you at that point youd best take over a central European country and go to an industrial scale. Stalin and Hitler were big environmentalists. A complete extinction of man kind will really get things going in the right direction. This solution only applies if you feel that Paris Hilton is the embodiment of pollution. Trash like that spreading around the world should be stopped. Everyone just keeps watching her like a train wreck. We'll have to remove the audience.

Very cool about the hunt. You have to think outside the box nowadays to get children truly involved in learning and caring about our environment.

I'm sure you've received a few silly or derogatory answers, but I'm also positive that you've gotten some wonderful suggestions to help individuals reduce pollution levels in our country. One hopes that we'll expand that ideal to other nations as well, because it's a small world in a big universe, and we have to stick together.

For my part, I drive a small car with above average gas mileage and try to consolidate errands. I keep the gas well serviced to avoid depositing harmful fluids on the pavement that end up in our waterways, and to keep emissions to a minimum. I participate in a yearly coastal cleanup at a site where I've been trained as a volunteer since 1990. And I use an electric mower on what's left off our lawn, which is full of trees that enrich our air and absorb harmful chemicals.

Many thanks to National Geographic Channel and all the people in Yahoo who took the time to answer this question!

Reduce the population as fast as possible. As an individual killing yourself is not efficient enough. You'd need to kill about 3 people just to counter the natural birth rate. For everyone you know that doesn't also go out and kill 3 people you have to kill 3 more. Since everyone will pretty much be hunting you at that point youd best take over a central European country and go to an industrial scale. Stalin and Hitler were big environmentalists. A complete extinction of man kind will really get things going in the right direction. This solution only applies if you feel that Paris Hilton is the embodiment of pollution. Trash like that spreading around the world should be stopped. Everyone just keeps watching her like a train wreck. We'll have to remove the audience.

In order to reduce the pollution level, the following steps has to be taken on a war-footing.

a) Ban use of plastics in the country, that include plastic plates, cups, spoons as well.

b) Every individual should plant at least 10 trees per head and make an oath to look after the plants as their kids. Just planting trees and letting them die is no a solution.

c) Travelling for a short distance? Walk. Further down? Cycle. But stop using cars for every reason as silly as going for a morning walk!

d) One day every week should be car free day. With no cars on road the air pollution level will surely go down.

e) Teach every child the importance of nature and help them to identify and learn more about the plants and birds and animals all around them, like they know and learn about the members of their family. They will grow a bond with the nature this way.

f) Try not to use pesticides and harmful chemicals in the house, small things go a long way.

There are lot more ways to do this but these are all for now. If we can follow at least two of these rules in our daily life, the tomorrow's world is sure to be different.

China even has areas that are named "cancer villages" because they have the highest cancer rates in the world. The majority of people in China live in small villages. There they are constantly exposed to toxic chemicals that are not allowed in the big cities. Shockingly, many Chinese plastic products shipped to America have been found to contain dangerous chemicals that are banned in the U.S.. Several major cities in the U.S. are working at banning the selling of children's toys containing those chemicals. Those cities are setting up product testing programs to help make sure small children do not later develop cancer or neurological disorders. About "CO2 pollution", there is no need to reduce CO2. It was recently proven that temperatures dropped around the world while CO2 was increasing. Something other than CO2 is causing warming. Most non-biased scientists are starting to think it is the sun that is causing the changes in temperature. (Also, NASA studies done last decade show that changes in the sun caused the Earth to leave the Great Ice Age in less than 20 years) And, the data from the 'Inconvenient Truth' was proven wrong by expert paleoclimatologists. The historic CO2 charts presented in the movie are highly inaccurate. Ice core samples show that CO2 increases came AFTER increases in temperature.