The environments we live and work in affect everything around us, and environmental issues can affect our communities for years. As we’ve learned more about how humans affect the environment, we’ve established laws, policies, and environmental practices to reduce our environmental impact and avoid repeating previous mistakes. Good environmental practices also save us money long-term by maintaining natural resources and avoiding expensive cleanup operations. Learners who successfully complete this course should be able to recognize signs and sources of land, water, and air pollution, the effects pollution has on the environment, and how to protect their communities from environmental harm.