Air Pollution as a Major Environmental Issue - Article Example

A Major Environmental Issue-Air Pollution By Student’s Name Code + Course Name Professor’s Name University Name City, State Date Abstract Air pollution refers to the injection of chemical, biological, non-natural, and physical substances into the atmosphere thus altering or changing the air’s structure. Air pollution can be either natural or artificial when it is caused through human activities. There are various environmental issues that are continuing to pose serious threats and challenges to the human population and chief among them is the issue of air pollution. Air pollution occurs in various forms like for instance through smoke emanating from factories, dust left behind from a speeding vehicle and fly ashes generated from thermal power plants. The aggravation of air pollution is based on four major factors, which include growing cities, an increase in traffic, industrialization and rapid development in the economy. Environmental sustainability can well be achieved if relevant measures and strategies are adopted to ensure that air pollution is reduced or minimized. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss and address the issue of air pollution as a major environmental problem and highlight the various best and worst practices that have been put in place with an aim of addressing the whole problem. Given the fact that air pollution is a global problem affecting each and every individual, it is then relevant that all and sundry are involved in doing something with an aim of ensuring that it is fought in totality to reduce its negative impacts on the world. By so doing, the human population will not only be assured of a pollution free environment but also be assured of healthy lifestyles accruing as a result of living in a clean and harmless environment (Horner, 2008). Introduction Air pollution refers to the addition of harmful substances or chemicals to the atmosphere thus leading to the damaging or destruction of human health, the environment and the general quality of life. Air pollution is one of the common forms of known pollution and it occurs in various places like for instances in cities, in schools, homes and even on a worldwide level. Air pollution has various effects like for instance, it makes individuals to become sick, it promotes cancer, it is the cause of breathing problems and it harms not only animals and plants but also the general ecosystem as well. Apart from that, some air pollutants make their way back to the earth through snow and acid rains thus bringing more harm in form of damaging of the plants, corroding of buildings, and destruction of lakes and streams. The earth’s atmosphere is being changed through pollution, which has made it possible for harmful radiation emanating from the sun to reach the earth. Eventually, the polluted atmosphere becomes insulated thus making it impossible for the heat to escape into the space thus resulting in higher global temperatures. According to scientists, it is highly predicted that an increase in temperature, also known as global warming, will have a great impact on the world through alteration of sea levels, the world food supply, more extreme weather and also lead to an increase in the spread of tropical illnesses. It is therefore upon the human population to take all the relevant strategies to ensure that the effects arising from air population are not only minimized but also if possible removed in totality, as this will ensure that the human race enjoys life in plenty with few negative effects of air pollution. What causes air pollution? It can correctly be ascertained that most of the air pollution is as a result various human activities like for example natural gas, burning of fuels, oil and coal in order to power motor vehicles and other industrial machines and processes. The burning of such harmful chemical compounds makes it possible for such chemicals to penetrate the earth’s environment in form of nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur oxide and gasoline additives known as “particulates”. This eventually leads to negative effects, which can have detrimental effects or impacts on the human population and other living organisms. In the past, the use of motor vehicles increased tremendously thus leading to an increase in the emission of the nitrogen oxides which emerged as the most destructive pollutants that were known in the motor-vehicle exhaust and the increase was accounted to be 690%. The burning of the fuel fossils in the environments makes it possible for volatile organic chemicals to penetrate the air. Apart from the above, pollutants also emanate from other different sources like for instance from sites disposing solid wastes, from decomposing garbage and from other household items which emanate volatile organic chemicals and from other natural sources. As opposed to human activity pollutants, natural pollutants actually tend to stick in the atmosphere for a short period of time and do not therefore result into a permanent atmospheric change. Discussion In order to reduce air pollution in the world, then both local and national governments must establish laws and policies aimed at reducing the concentration of some chemicals in the air to a certain percentage/level. For instance, in the US, this was put into practice through the Clean Air Act, 1970 that was amended in both 1977 and 1990. Through this Act, it was a requirement that the air should not contain more than the stated levels of carbon, lead, particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide and other toxic substances. Despite the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA is responsible for both refining and enforcement of the standards, State governments and air-pollution control districts should fight the day-today pollution and ensure that tougher and strict pollution standards are imposed. Indeed, the task of reducing air pollution should not be left to governments and agencies alone but rather, it should be a collecting responsibility of all the human population. Previous efforts aimed at reducing air pollution There have been various vital international records that have been arrived at regarding air pollution since time immemorial. For instance, the US and other 24 countries agreed in 1988 in the “Long-Range Trans-boundary Air-Pollution Agreement” to hold their specific production of the nitrogen oxides, which was the major source of acid rains to current rates or levels. In the adoption of the Montreal Protocol and its subsequent strengthening in the years 1990 and 1992, most of the countries agreed to either reduce or stop the manufacture of harmful substances, which could poison the environment. The “United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change” negotiated a treaty in 1992, which outlined or put forward cooperative efforts that were aimed at curbing global warming. This is actually a treaty that was legally accepted by one hundred and sixty (160) out of the 165 nations that participated upon being effected in March 1994. In the year 1997 in December, in the “Third Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change” the Kyoto Protocol was formally accepted by more than 160 countries. The Kyoto Protocol called on member countries, which were industrialized to reduce or minimize the emission of green house gases to 5% and below the 1990 emissions between the years 2008 and 2012. It is really through such antipollution strategies that increase in global pollution rates has been dramatically stemmed. Between the year 1970 and 199 when the “Clean Air Act” was passed, there was a reduction in the total emissions in the key air pollutants in the US by approximately 30%. It is through such literature that it can be ascertained that the control of air pollution is indeed a race between the minimization of pollution from various sources and the rapid increase and multiplication of such sources. There is need for establishment of new efforts aimed at controlling air pollution given the fact that there are continuing changes in the world atmosphere. How pollution standards can be enforced In order to enforce best pollution standards, pollution control bodies should measure the amounts of pollutants that are available in the environment and also ascertain the amount of pollutants that are entering from various sources. In order to achieve this, the stakeholders, scientists or the relevant people should sample the air in order to test it for the presence or absence of the particular pollutants. Measurements should also be taken at various automobile tail pipes and at the industrial smokestacks. Pollution can then be controlled through two ways or methods, first by using the end of pipe tools, which capture the already crated pollutants, and secondly by limiting or reducing the amount of pollutants, which are produced at first. In order to reduce pollution, industries should use end of pipe tools, which include among others catalytic converters in the automobiles, scrubbers, and filters as this will reduce the rate of pollution. The initial use of the end of pipe tools or devices led to a dramatic reduction of pollution at very low costs. To lower general pollution rates, industrial polluters should be forced to enter into cooperative deals like for instance through investments in pollution controls at other factories or plants in which the accomplishment of air pollution control can be implemented at lower costs. As pollution efforts continue to evolve, the keeping of the environment cleaner will actually depend on prevention of pollution rather than the curing of pollution. Gasoline should therefore continue being reformulated severally in order to obtain cleaner burning thus reducing air pollution. In addition, manufacturing processes should be enhanced and redesigned in order to ensure that there is less production of wastes since this will lead to less pollution. Apart from that, various strategies are being implemented in various parts of the world to ensure that there is less pollution in the environment. For instance, car manufacturers are designing automobiles that run either on clean burning fuels or on electricity. In addition to that, architects all over the world should aim at designing buildings, which take advantage of the breezes, and shades experienced in summer and the sun in winter in order reduce the requirement of artificial cooling and heating which are normally powered through the burning of the fossil fuels. Individuals should also make relevant and useful choices, which are aimed at having a positive impact on air and thus leading to reduction of pollution like for example opting to use public transport as opposed to driving (Schwartz, 2003). The reduction of air pollution in the environment is not the responsibility of the government and environment agencies alone, but rather, it should be a collective responsibility of all the people in the world. Indoor pollution can be minimized by ensuring that there is proper ventilation in the houses and also making sure that there is minimization of the indoor air pollutants through the continued circulation of fresh air. In addition to this, smoking in public rooms should be totally banned while the use of asbestos should either be concealed behind sheathes or completely removed so that it does not shred and move into the air. On the international scene, pollution control standards are due to complex negotiations among various countries. Truly speaking, developed nations which have already undergone periods of dirty and industrialization have already made it clear that need to have cleaner technologies while on the other hand, less developed countries expect rapid economic growth while they are actually less enthusiastic about controlling air pollution. Such countries often seek financial help and lenient deadlines from developed nations in order to create expensive changes, which are needed in order to reduce harmful emissions that pollute the air (Cox, 2007). Conclusion Given the fact that air pollution has affected many individuals and the world in general in different ways, it is important that awareness be created among them so that they understand how air pollution can affect them negatively. It is a fact that indeed, many people do not even know what air pollution is and how it occurs and for the few, who know or are aware of it, they seem to be ignorant and they care less. There are various things that individuals can do to reduce the negative effects arising from air pollution but yet, most people have ignored such things and continue with their day today activities. People should therefore be informed on what to do in order to reduce air pollution. Works Cited Cox, Wendell, 2007. Housing From In Australia and Its Impact on Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Canberra: AU. Horner, Christopher, 2008. The Centre for Climate Strategies. New York: Organization Trends. Schwartz, Joel, 2003. No Way Back: Why Air Pollution Will Continue to Decline. New York: American Enterprise Institute. Read More

According to scientists, it is highly predicted that an increase in temperature, also known as global warming, will have a great impact on the world through alteration of sea levels, the world food supply, more extreme weather and also lead to an increase in the spread of tropical illnesses. It is therefore upon the human population to take all the relevant strategies to ensure that the effects arising from air population are not only minimized but also if possible removed in totality, as this will ensure that the human race enjoys life in plenty with few negative effects of air pollution.

What causes air pollution? It can correctly be ascertained that most of the air pollution is as a result various human activities like for example natural gas, burning of fuels, oil and coal in order to power motor vehicles and other industrial machines and processes. The burning of such harmful chemical compounds makes it possible for such chemicals to penetrate the earth’s environment in form of nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur oxide and gasoline additives known as “particulates”.

This eventually leads to negative effects, which can have detrimental effects or impacts on the human population and other living organisms. In the past, the use of motor vehicles increased tremendously thus leading to an increase in the emission of the nitrogen oxides which emerged as the most destructive pollutants that were known in the motor-vehicle exhaust and the increase was accounted to be 690%. The burning of the fuel fossils in the environments makes it possible for volatile organic chemicals to penetrate the air.

Apart from the above, pollutants also emanate from other different sources like for instance from sites disposing solid wastes, from decomposing garbage and from other household items which emanate volatile organic chemicals and from other natural sources. As opposed to human activity pollutants, natural pollutants actually tend to stick in the atmosphere for a short period of time and do not therefore result into a permanent atmospheric change. Discussion In order to reduce air pollution in the world, then both local and national governments must establish laws and policies aimed at reducing the concentration of some chemicals in the air to a certain percentage/level.

For instance, in the US, this was put into practice through the Clean Air Act, 1970 that was amended in both 1977 and 1990. Through this Act, it was a requirement that the air should not contain more than the stated levels of carbon, lead, particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide and other toxic substances. Despite the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA is responsible for both refining and enforcement of the standards, State governments and air-pollution control districts should fight the day-today pollution and ensure that tougher and strict pollution standards are imposed.

Indeed, the task of reducing air pollution should not be left to governments and agencies alone but rather, it should be a collecting responsibility of all the human population. Previous efforts aimed at reducing air pollution There have been various vital international records that have been arrived at regarding air pollution since time immemorial. For instance, the US and other 24 countries agreed in 1988 in the “Long-Range Trans-boundary Air-Pollution Agreement” to hold their specific production of the nitrogen oxides, which was the major source of acid rains to current rates or levels.

In the adoption of the Montreal Protocol and its subsequent strengthening in the years 1990 and 1992, most of the countries agreed to either reduce or stop the manufacture of harmful substances, which could poison the environment. The “United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change” negotiated a treaty in 1992, which outlined or put forward cooperative efforts that were aimed at curbing global warming. This is actually a treaty that was legally accepted by one hundred and sixty (160) out of the 165 nations that participated upon being effected in March 1994.

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