Could the Walrus and the Carpenter have been talking about our earth? And is the situation really this grim? Is it time to start shedding bitter tears, or is there something we can do to control environmental pollution? The objective of this book is to at least begin to answer these questions. As the title suggests, this book focuses first on the problems of environmental pollution, but then concentrates on methods of control--what we humans can do to prevent and control the pollution of our planet. We define environmental pollution as the contamination of air, water, or food in such a manner as to cause real or potential harm to human health or well-being, or to damage or harm non human nature without justification. The question of when harm to nonhuman nature is justified is a sticky one and is addressed below in the discussion on ethics. In this first chapter we begin by asking why we seem to have such problems with environmental pollution. Where do these problems originate, and what or who is to blame for what many consider to be the sorry state of the world? Next we discuss our environmental problems within the framework of ethics.