Gevre kirliliki insanlzk tarihi kndnr eskidir, endiistriye1 fanliyet ve keza ozel lii$ileri,z fanliyetleri pure kirliliEine neden olmal~tadzr. 0rne&n kigiler araqlarz siirdiiklerinde pure kirlili&ne yo1 acinalztadzrlar. Kirlilik bir dzssalllliltrr. Bir fabrika du~nan ilzrq ettigi znman, bu durzrrn. pureyi lilirletir ue fabrikalarda qallqmnyan ve onun iiriiderini satrn alinaynn ki~ilerin so&- lz&n.a znrnr uerebilir. 0 halde, kirletnzenin kontrolu serbestpiyasayn bzrakzlnzainalzdIr. Kirlilik goniillii. progranzlarla, do.@udan. kontrollerle ue atzk vergileriyle ya da di&rparasnl tepiklerle kontrol edilebilir. 

Pollution is as old as h~iinan 17.istoi-y. Ind~~strialctivity causes environinental dninage, as does tlze activity ofprivate individuals. For instance, tlteyproducepo11tion during car driving.Pollution is an externalitiy. Wlzen a factory discards smoke, it results in pollzltion an.d nzay damage the health of people zulzo neitlzer work for this srn.oking factory nor buy itsproducts. Hence, pollrrtion. con.trol cannot be left to the pee inarket. Pollution ca12 be controlled by voolun.tnry programs, direct controls, taxes or other inonetniy incentives for the reduction of e~~viroizrn.entalpoll~i.tio