Environmental History - Essay Example

College: Environmental History History of air pollution The contamination of atmosphere by the harmful gases isknown as air pollution. There are two main agents of air pollution, nature and man. Although natural factors, like the volcanoes, have been known to contribute to air pollution, human activities like industrialization, mining among others, have by far contributed to extreme and devastating pollution situation. The effect of environmental pollution normally varies from time to time and in each period, specific terms have been used to refer to pollution. Initially, pollution was caused by vapor that comprised of particles discharged from decaying matter. This vapor was referred to as “miasma” and was characterized by awful smell and was believed to be the main cause of diseases such as cholera and malaria. The hypothesis of miasma was derived in the middle ages and continued for hundreds of years. In an effort to control the stinking smell, building structures were cleaned, swamps drained and polluted soil be removed and damped far from the reach of the people. The effect of miasma was rampant in hot weather conditions, because higher temperatures increase decomposition. However, in cold seasons, low temperatures inhibited the decomposition and thus reducing the cases of miasma. As a result, people became environmentally irresponsible by ignoring the basic sanitation standards. Despite the fact that the theory received a lot of criticism, it created awareness on the relationship between untidiness and diseases hence it ensured sanitation and smoothened way for physical condition changes. The cloudy gas produced when a material is burned is known as smoke. Research reveals that smoke has been the major source of air pollution to the atmosphere. Some of the gases that are produced when materials get burned include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides among others. Smoke is generated from various sources, from the generators and fires lit in homes to heavy machines in the industries. Other sources include photocopying and printing machines, cigarettes, electrical and telephone cables among others. The intensity and toxicity of the emitted smoke is determined by the component and state of the burnt elements. Its concentration in the atmosphere is thought as one of the major causes of air pollution especially during industrial revolution. According to the study conducted by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1985, it was exposed that pollution from American homes was thrice as much as that produced from alternative sources in rural areas. The study further indicated that most of the buildings and offices in the U.S were contaminated due to insufficient aeration. In rural areas, most people burns coal to provide heat for cooking. Moreover most of the people depend on electricity to prepare food, lighting and watching television. Electricity is generated by burning fossils fuels (oil, coal and gas) and in the process emitting harmful gases. The major cause of air pollutant in urban areas is transportation. The continuous increase in the number of vehicles leads to an increase in the quantity of petroleum usage resulting to production of high quantity of fumes. Among the gases produced, carbon dioxide stands out as major environmental pollutant. The high concentration of CO2 has been mainly attributed to deforestation and burning of fossil fuels in the industries. Smog has been another notable form of air pollution in the history of environmental pollution. It may be defined as the fog which is generated when nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons undergo a photochemical reaction with the sunlight. This kind of pollution usually intensifies when abundant smoke particles are released into the atmosphere. During industrial revolution, a lot of smoke was produced leading to immense air pollution. So far, the worst kind of air pollution in the entire environmental history is the global warming. It may be described as the rise in the average temperature of the air on the oceans and on the surface near the earth. The rise in temperature has been observed from about 1950BC and is believed to be caused by human activity like deforestation and combustion of the fossil fuel. Its effects are devastating including changes in precipitation patterns, rise in sea level, glaciers retreat, and extinctions of species among others. To manage this menace, measures have stepped up to ensure that the concentration of the greenhouse gas is stabilized. From the history of air pollution, it may be deduced that, man always reacts to crisis at hand but he is less concerned with possible future environmental effects of his present activity. 2 A number of Americans view wilderness as that place on earth where civilization has not yet reached. It is likened to an island in a contaminated sea of modern urban industrialization and the only place we may run to from our extremities. With this kind of perception, wilderness seems to be the only remedy to our existence and an asylum we ought to recover in our quest to protect the earth. However, William Cronon argued that wilderness gradually reproduces and expresses values the environmentalists try to reject. He stated that wilderness is, in essence, a human establishment thus discrediting the view that it is a separate entity from humanity. He added that wilderness has been shaped by the specific human cultures at specific instants in human history. He mentioned that approaches that motivate us to view nature as a separate entity from humanity, as wilderness attempts to do, are likely to instill environmentally reckless conducts. Conversely, the perceptions that remind us that human interests are not essentially equivalent to other living things, as wilderness as well attempts to do, are likely to nature environmentally healthy conducts. B. Natural forests and natural landscapes are some of the typical natural places. A cover of indigenous trees managed by a government is known as a natural forest, whereas the landscape comprises the physical objects like the land forms, flora and fauna, weather and lighting and human activity. Cronon argued that people, who lives and work in wooden houses, seemed to have no significant attachment to the forests wherein trees grow up and die. According to him, only people who have been detached from the land could visualize wilderness as a representation of human life naturally. Cronon added that people who fantasized on natural landscape are those that have never worked the land for their livelihood. C. One of the major uses of water, in America, in 19th century was in steam engines, whereby boiling water was used to generate mechanical motion. In canals, water was used for delivery and conveyance of water for consumption and navigable transportation. It is important to note that during this period, industrial revolution took place, thus water was being used excessively. Consequently, water and air pollution intensified. However, the current usage of water at a personal level is mainly determined by the user’s needs. Statistics shows that, in America today, the average usage of water per person in a single day is approximately 165 gallons. This implies that if this excessive usage of water is not managed promptly, global warming will be enhanced further. D. In early 19th century, Americans used ships, trains, horses, and steam boats among others. The main source of fuel was steam which had insignificant effects on the environment. Nonetheless, the uses of motor vehicles, electric trains and airplanes have increasingly become more popular in the modern America. The combustion of fuel to release energy used in these machines, emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere leading to global warming. Contemporary America is characterized by high population, increased petroleum usage and a reduced forest cover. Considering that control of these agents of pollution is unlikely, it is logical to state that, as opposed to earlier period, Americans today face more challenges as they attempt to get attuned to the impacts of the environmental pollution resulting from the transport and water procurement, storage and transmission systems. Work Cited Cronon, William.”Rethinking the Human Place in Nature” New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1995 Read More