Air Pollution Issues in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example

Air pollution Institute Air pollution Summary Riyadh is the capital and one of the major cities of SaudiArabia. It is rapidly progressing, but it is in the jaws of air pollution, which is constantly clawing at its environment. Air pollution causes many diseases such as cardiovascular and breathing problems. But by promoting positive environmental behavior this problem can be overcome. Opting for public transport, carpooling, switching to energy-efficient devices will greatly help reduce air pollution. Human beings are creatures of habit. They operator on cause-and-effect principle. They can be conditioned based on positive and negative consequences model. If the government rewards environment-friendly businesses and actions, it will be an example of positive consequence. On the opposite, instilling habits through adverse effects would be imposing financial penalty on an industry that is exceeding the limit of emitting pollutants in the air. Where technology has given so much to life, it has also been the source of many predicaments. Technology has given human beings too many machines that they constantly engage with and consume energy. In the end, environmental policies and their proper application can significantly contribute towards a healthier greener planet. Introduction Climate change and environmental pollution are the most crucial issues in the world. One needs to study them carefully and understand their magnitude. Recently, international attention has shifted towards studying this relationship of rapid development and the resulting environmental problems. In the last few decades, an immense development has been observed around the world but this development comes at the cost of diminishing natural resources and negative impact on the ecosystem. One of the many problems facing Saudi Arabia is air pollution. Air pollution means the introduction of different gases and solid fumes into the atmosphere. These gases and particles are composed of biological, chemical and other dangerous components. Air pollution is becoming a major concern for the citizens of Riyadh. It is one of the largest developing metropolitan areas in Saudi Arabia. The smog of this area has a severe impact on its environment and impacts its residents. According to the United Nations report Riyadh is ranked among the most polluted cities in the world. Exposure to air pollution results from several types of relationships and interactions between human systems and environment, which makes the assessment process a bit difficult (Steinle, Reisa, & Sabel, 2013). Some harmful effects of air pollution on humans include; increased severity and frequency of respiratory symptoms, increased susceptibility to breathing infections, damage to the nervous system, cancer and premature death (Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). Air pollution can affect the health of living beings in more than one ways. Different scientific studies link a variety of health problems such as aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases with air pollution. Two strategies for promoting positive environmental behavior The globalization has led to an increased income as well as increase in different types of environment stress. Environmental problems are the frequent result of shortcomings in the planning and management process. It also questions the competency and goals of the institutional frameworks and governance. The policymakers have come to the conclusion that information campaigns alone have been unsuccessful in promoting behavioral change. Studies suggest that a combination of regulations, rules, social marketing and tax incentives are far more effective in achieving behavioral change in comparison with information campaigns. Behavioral change is supposed to occur among different groups, such as; businesses, consumers, policymakers and politicians. The strategies for inducing positive environmental behavior are triggered by reducing the ecological footprint. It requires promoting a lifestyle for individuals that has less impact on the environment. The strategies for coping with air pollution are not very complicated. The right frame of mind and an urge to solving this problem are sufficient to take the first step. The two strategies to deal with air pollution are using public transport instead of cars, and conserving energy. These strategies are at minuscule levels therefore they are pragmatic. No one is left with the excuse that the government is not cooperating. These strategies work because an individual is in full control of implementing them. Using public transport and the strategy of carpooling can save a lot of fuel. Similarly conserving energy by turning off fans and lights when people leave houses, and by switching to energy-efficient devices that consume less power can significantly contribute to solving the problem of air pollution. Electricity is produced by burning a lot of fuels like coal or oil. By reducing the demand for electricity companies will have to use less fuel to meet the reduced demand. Positive and negative consequences and pro-environmental behavior Human beings are creatures of habit who operate on cause and effect. A highly recognized study in policymaking is the rational choice model (Elster, 1986). The primary hypothesis of this theory suggests that humans behave in such a way that maximizes net expected benefit to themselves. For instance, a typical policy approach rooted in the rational choice would be to increase tax for a product. This increased costs would lead to a decrease in net expected benefit. Therefore, it will reduce the demand of that product. This cause-and-effect relationship can be used to teach certain behaviors and habits. The positive and negative consequences can increase pro-environmental behavior. For instance, if the government starts rewarding people and businesses that are actively practicing the environmentally-friendly guidelines, it will be a positive outcome. It will encourage people to take a proactive approach towards making the environment safer for everyone. On the other hand, negative consequence can also help instill behaviors in people. For example, a monetary penalty on businesses that generate air pollution that is above the allowed volume of gas pollutants, can achieve this. The adverse outcomes like these add to pro-environmental behavior regarding the protection of the environment and human health from the harmful influences of air pollution and climate change (Liao, Amar, Tagaris, & Russell, 2012). At smaller levels if a personal car gives off too much smoke then a person being find on driving such a car can also have the same impact. Positive and one negative example of technological advances Technology can affect the environment both negatively and positively. Technology itself is not good or bad its use decides its consequences. For instance, a positive impact of technology is that many companies have become fuel efficient. Similarly, a vast portion of the paper at the global level is facing reduced demand because of electronic versions of books, journals and magazines. Solar energy is a huge achievement that opens doors for researchers and businesses to make a shift towards this environmental friendly energy source. Hybrid cars are also another example on how to save energy and make environment healthier. A hybrid electric car combines conventional internal combustion engine with electric propulsion (Kazmi, 2012). On the contrary, technology has also provided different machines that people drastically use and consume a lot of energy in running them. This excessive consumption significantly impacts the environment. Most of the energy production in the world uses water as its primary source. Influence of environmental policies In air pollution the chemical composition complicates pinpointing causal relationship between exposure to air pollutants and adverse human health effects (Heal, Kumar and Harrison, 2012). Generally speaking, environmental policies can significantly enhance the environment if they are correctly applied. There are policies that limit the amount of smoke a car can release into the air. Moreover, there is also a check that limits the amount of pollutant factories can release into the atmosphere. But it appears that the problem does not lie in crafting the policies but in the proper application. Companies and individuals find loopholes in environmental policies, so they get away with a punishable crime. But when awareness is created among citizens, when they see why such policies are designed and how it can benefit their environment, a significant change becomes imperative. Conclusion Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is a major city. The weather is hot here, and the summers are long. The people here are friendly, and they deserve an environment that is fit for them and their coming generations. It appears that with better policies, their implementation and increased awareness about air pollution this city can change its atmosphere. There is a great need for improving the infrastructure supporting the environmental behavior in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This includes promoting suitable public transport, energy efficient devices and stricter industrial policies. There is a need for a deeper change in the lifestyle of the society. Positive and negative consequences can lead to higher scores for better environmental behavior. References Elster, J., (1986). Rational Choice. Oxford Environmental Protection Agency (2010) Air Pollution. Our Nation’s Air. pp. 3-7. Accessed October 5, 2014 http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/2010/report/airpollution.pdf Heal M. R, Kumar, P.and Harrison, R.M. (2012) Particles, air quality, policy and health. Chemical Society reviews. Issue 19 (41) pp. 6606-6630. Kazmi, S. K. (2012). Hybrid Electric Vehicle. Pakistan & Gulf Economist, 31(39), 40-42. Liao, K., Amar, P., Tagaris, E., & Russell, A. G. (2012). Development of risk-based air quality management strategies under impacts of climate change. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 62(5), 557-565. Steinle, S., Reisa, S. & Sabel, C. E. (2013) Quantifying human exposure to air pollution—Moving from static monitoring to spatio-temporally resolved personal exposure assessment. Science of The Total Environment. 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