Environmental Issue - Air Pollution - Essay Example

Introduction:       Air pollution has become one of the major environmental issues today as it is the factor that is working behind the most talked about environmental disaster of the present day, the global warming. Air pollution is not just a simple natural phenomenon. It’s a man made disaster that has become a major issue of concern of human civilization at the present time. In the last twenty years scientific knowledge has led to the understanding that anthropogenic, human made actions were responsible for the changes on global climate. Those changes are a consequence of the emission and accumulation of greenhouse gases on the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases are the major air pollutants which are not only polluting the air, but also causing the atmospheric temperature to rise.       In this industrial age of human civilization, human activities are increasing the natural levels of those gases, by emitting carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels such coal, oil, and natural gas; methane and nitrous oxide produced by agricultural activities and changes in the use land use; and by some industrial gases that do not occur naturally but are long lived in the atmosphere. If emissions continue to grow at the present levels, the concentration of carbon dioxide will double those from pre-industrial levels during this century. Hence, to save this planet, the time has come to take appropriate measures for controlling air pollution.       Under such increasing problem of air pollution, the time has come to seriously think of this issue and take some vital steps to solve the problem of air pollution and its negative impacts. However, the major problem that arises while planning any solution measure of this problem is that the issue of air pollution is not a problem of any individual country. It’s a global problem as in this industrial age all the countries are suffering from this problem. Hence, this environmental problem can not be solved by any single country. Every country needs to be involved in the measures of controlling air pollution. Several international agencies, like United Nation, European Union, etc. have been making several efforts to control air pollution. Realizing the extent of potential dangers from air pollution lying in near future if the issue is left unaddressed; almost all the countries across the world have become quite conscious regarding the issue of air pollution and have agreed to cooperate with each other in the process of controlling it.       In an effort to obtain a global solution to the problem of air pollution, an international treaty was signed by a huge number of countries in the year of 1997, at meeting conducted by UNFCCC in Kyoto. This environmental treaty is well-known as Kyoto Protocol. In recent time measures of controlling air pollution included in Kyoto Protocol has become one of the most controversial environmental issues.  The present paper will take an in-depth look at the controversial environmental treaty of Kyoto Protocol by examining arguments for and against the pollution control measures incorporated in the protocol. Finally, the paper will try to come to a conclusion on whether the measures included in the treaty should be undertaken.  A brief overview of the controversial Kyoto Protocol  A significantly large number of industrialized countries across the world, in the meeting organized by UNFCCC in Kyoto, Japan, on December, 1997, had decided to cut down the level of greenhouse gas emissions by such an extent that the level of emission would become lower than 1990 levels. All the participating countries had agreed to achieve the targeted level of emission by 2008-2012. An important fact to be considered here is that, this protocol applies only to the industrialized countries. However, developing countries do not require under this protocol to cut down the emission levels as they already have lower levels of emission compared to that of developed nations. This treaty was welcomed and signed by 170 countries. But the United States, which has the highest level of industrialization among all the countries across the world, refused to sign the treaty as it considered the protocol to be harmful for its economy. (Bond, 2003) Major players in the Controversy Among the major players who have supported the Kyoto Protocol are countries of the European Union, Japan, Australia, Canada etc. All these nations along with several international organizations like the United Nation, have advocated the process of controlling of emissions of green house gases as the effective way of dealing with global warming. However, the United States which has highest concentration of industry has kept itself away from ratifying the protocol. (Bond, 2003) Arguments for Kyoto Protocol  A number of nations have welcomed the Kyoto Protocol. The EU (European Union) countries, Japan, Australia, and Canada etc. have extended their full support to the Kyoto Protocol and have considered the protocol as a positive step towards controlling the ongoing climate change. The supporters of the Kyoto protocol argue that reduction in the emission levels of green house gases is the most essential step for slowing down the rate at which the average temperature of the globe is rising. Scientists have estimated that world temperature will rise by 1.5 degree to as high as 5.8 degree Celsius by the year of 2100. The advocates of the protocol claim that unless measures to control the level of emission are undertaken now, the global warming will go out of control (Arguments for the Kyoto Protocol, n.d.). Effective implementation of Kyoto protocol seems to reduce the green house gases’ emission significantly and thereby control global temperature at some desired level.       Scientists have always argued in favor of the reduction of emission of greenhouse gases to control the ongoing global climate change. According to them increased temperature caused by increased level of emissions would cause sea level to rise and would also harm the ecological balance of the earth. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)considers the reduction in emission levels and a switch from fossil fuels to alternative renewable energy sources as the best option to deal with the problem of global warming. According to NOAA, renewable energy sources will automatically help in the process of reduction in emission as no such toxic gases are emitted when they are used for producing energy (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2008; Regulation based on science: lessons of the Kyoto Protocol. 2002). Once Kyoto protocol is implemented, it would be possible to move towards renewable energy sources at a faster rate as the countries will be under the pressure of reducing emissions of toxic gases and adoption of renewable energy sources in the place of fossil fuel. Arguments against Kyoto Protocol   U.S.A. has kept its distance from signing the Protocol arguing that entering into the treaty will hurt its economy. The economic progress of the United States is dependent on the performance of its industrial sector and the protocol is supposed to directly hurt the nation’s industrial sector. The U.S. administration thinks that to meet the target of reduction in the emission level would require reduced use of fossil fuel in the country. But the whole industrial sector of the country is dependent on this fossil fuel as the major source of energy (Bond, 2003) . Hence, according to U.S., reduction in the use of fossil fuel would automatically get translated into reduction of industrial production which would ultimately give a blow to the economic development of the country. Apart from the developmental Issue, some other factors also kept U.S.A. away from participating in the Protocol. The Kyoto protocol provides an exemption to the developing countries in case of meeting the target. But Bush had argued that without active participation of the developing nations, air pollutions can not be controlled fully (Schelling, 2002). The developing countries, however, have expressed no intention of doing so. Bush administration’s reluctance on the acceptance of the treaty had, therefore, also stemmed from prevailing immense uncertainty regarding the extent of impact of the pollution control measures included in the protocol on the environment as well as on society as a huge number of countries have been exempted. Some critics are also of the opinion that as with the implementation of Kyoto protocol developed nation will reduce use of fossil fuel, prices of coal, oil and natural gases will decline which in turn increase the demand of these fossil fuel in developing nations and therefore will ultimately lead to increase in emissions of hazardous gases rather than reducing them. Very often, critics of Kyoto protocol treat this protocol as an anti-industrial agenda rather than a step towards reducing global temperature. Rational behind the Kyoto Protocol: Reviewing all the arguments for and against the measures suggested by Kyoto Protocol to save the world from the negative impacts of the climate change, I feel that Kyoto Protocol is a right step towards controlling the process of global warming. Today, we don’t have the luxury to ignore the problem of global warming which is a result of increasing air pollution.       It is true that for economic development of a country industrialization is a necessary condition and to maintain the productive power of then industries, sufficient amount of energy is needed to be supplied to the industrial sector of a country. Today, the most important source of energy in most of the country is fossil fuels. While we can’t ignore the process of industrialization, at the same time we can not neglect the fact that the production of fossil fuel involves huge emissions of toxic gas which cause air pollution.       Air pollution is responsible for causing huge damages to living organism of the earth as well as for changing the climate. It is the air pollution which is responsible for creating harmful photochemical smog in industrial cities like Mexico City, California etc. apart from photochemical smog; the acid rain is another outcome of air pollution. Acid rain is extremely harmful animals as well as plants. It also causes severe health problems among human beings. Finally the worst outcome of the air pollution is the global warming which has been causing by continuous depletion of the Ozone layer through constant emission of greenhouse gases. The depletion of Ozone Layers allows the ultra violate sunrays to directly come to earth’s surface. This Ultra violate sunrays are harmful for skins. It causes malignant skin cancer. According to some estimate, in last 40 years, there have a dramatic increase in the incidence of skin cancer across the whole world. (Acid Rain FAQs, 2003; The National Academies Press, 2009)      Conclusion   Given this facts, I believe that Kyoto protocol will serve as an effective measure for controlling air pollution by controlling emissions of greenhouse gases. But for this every country should actively participate in achieving the target set by the protocol. And as far as the stand of U.S. is concerned, I feel that U.S. should also take active part in achieving the targeted emission level set by the protocol. In this context it should be mentioned that this target level can well be reached without making any comprise on economic development. Instead of fossil fuel, countries should place their focus on alternative renewable energy sources. Increased use of renewable energy will automatically help in reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases without making any reduction in the level of transportation and industrial production.   References: 1. Acid Rain FAQs. (2003) Available at: http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/msc/as/acidfaq.html (accessed on 15th April). 2. Arguments for the Kyoto Protocol. (n.d.) Available at http://www.peaktopeak.org/Content/Homework/weatherbee/Arguments%20For%20The%20Kyoto%20Protocol.doc (accessed on 15th April) 3. Bond, E. (2003) The Kyoto Protocol. Available at http://climatechange.sea.ca/kyoto_protocol.html (accessed on 15th April). 4. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2008). ‘Global Warming Frequently Asked Questions’. Available at http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html (accessed on 15th April) 5. Regulation based on science: lessons of the Kyoto Protocol. (Sallie Baliunas address) (Transcript) (2002) Vital Speeches of the Day April 15, v68 i13 p390(6). 6. Schelling, T. C. (2002). What Makes Greenhouse Sense? Time to Rethink the Kyoto Protocol. Foreign affairs, Vol 81(3):2-9 7. The National Academies Press, (2009) THE OZONE DEPLETION PHENOMENON. Available at http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9042 (accessed on 15th April) 8. West, L. Should the United States Ratify the Kyoto Protocol? Available at http://environment.about.com/od/kyotoprotocol/i/kyotoprotocol_2.htm(accessed on 1st June) Read More