A Problem of Air Pollution

I’m sure that at some point through the course of your life you have heard the term “air pollution.” What is air pollution? Why is it important? Am I causing air pollution myself? These all might be questions you ask yourself. Air pollution consists invasive gases or particles that is harmful and introduced to a new environment. Air pollution can be introduced both directly and indirectly by people every day.

Air pollution is one of the main types of pollution. Air pollution is harmful to everyone and everything. Air pollution can cause lung cancer, lung disease, stroke, heart disease, and can even lead to death in some cases. Most air pollution can be solved and can even be reversed. Like our main air pollutants, agricultural, industrial, and our use of gas.

We hear about air pollution on a daily, whether it be on social media, television, or you hear someone talking about it. Air pollution can be described in many different forms, physical, biological, or chemical alteration to the air. Pollution occurs when dust, smoke, and chemicals enter the air. This can affect our ozone layer, and our ozone layer is our most crucial for survival. It is important for all life and ecosystems on the planet.

Smog standards are important. Smog is caused from emissions from factories, and the chemicals that are being burned react to the heat in the air. Smog can irritate airways, causing lung disease and premature death. Smog is also causing burning of the eyes and could cause coughing and wheezing. Reducing our smog levels could save up to 660 lives, prevent 230,000 asthma attacks on young kids, and reduce airborne illnesses.

Another huge contributor may be one that’s a little unexpected, agricultural air pollution caused by raising cattle. These cattle require large amounts of food, and large amounts of food means large amounts of waste. Cattle’s waste produces nitrogen and phosphorus and they can can cause serious damage when it is leaked in to rivers or streams. They can acidify the water and there are very few species that can survive. It also effects humans directly by polluting our waterways.

The world has over 1.5 billion cows, all being fed every single day. These cattle get fed all day long, and they belch (burp) methane gas. Methane gas will heat the world 20 times faster than CO2 will. Cows produce tons of waste that pollutes the environment as well emitting more than one third of the world’s methane gas.

Most of our air pollution comes from burning fossils fuels, and they release large amounts of Co2. Co2 (Carbon dioxide) is our best indicator to measure the amounts of fossil fuels that are being burned. These gas emissions could cause serious damage to our bodies, and it can lead to sulfur dioxide, lead, and mercury poisoning. These compounds cause brain damage, lung damage, and could result in death. Coal, oils, and natural gas are the biggest contributors to the gas emissions.

We cause air pollution as humans by using fossil fuels that burn off chemicals that are unnatural. We release Carbon monoxide from our cars. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an unnatural, odorless, colorless gas that is poisonous and can block oxygen from getting into our lungs. We use cars every day, and that may never change.

To prevent the amounts of carbon monoxide released we need to reduce the amount that we use cars daily. In larger areas where cars are needed to get from place to place, we need a form of mass transit to haul more people, while using less gasoline. Preventing the amounts of carbon monoxide gas and carbon dioxide released.

Industrialization as well leads to high levels of Co2 emissions. The industrial levels of smoke, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. Industries also face a large problem relating to combustion, while natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel it also causes no combustion. Coal and oil on the other hand combust, and when combusted release varieties of harmful air polluters.

Coal powerplants are used for producing power. How exactly does one work? Coal powerplants work by burning coal to produce steam. This steam is high pressured and is used to spin a turbine. After the steam has been used it is then cooled down to start this whole process again another time.

Big cities contribute the most to our costs of pollution. These big cities have factories that produce large amounts of emissions from gas, factories, and large amounts of cars. Big cities mean more people, and more people means more polluters. People pollute themselves from the amounts of sewage they produce. Factories release large amounts of gases just as well as car exhausts, and sewage. These are some of the things we do every day in big cities that pollute the environment.

Rural areas pollute the air by using agricultural products such as fertilizers and burning trash in our backyards as well as burning in big fields, forest fires and blowing dust. Rural areas like to burn garbage, and large amounts of wood. In rural areas we also like to cut down large amounts of trees, which is like getting rid of our natural cleaner for the earth.

People like to use different kinds of paint, hairsprays, and bug sprays. These chemicals all release a foreign sort of chemical into the air, which in no way can be good for the environment. In rural areas people also need to field dust their crops as well which is releasing dust into the air.

Humans aren’t the only things polluting the earth. Volcanic eruptions release gases, dying or dead plants release gases as well. Volcanoes release dust and smoke, as well as keeping light from reaching the earth. The world also has forms of decaying rocks, and forest fires where the smoke can travel for miles at a time.

Traffic leads in the highest contributor to combustion. Farming chemicals and household products can also pollute the air. Air pollution affects agriculture by burning coal and petroleum creates sulfur dioxides, high levels of ammonia, ethylene, etc. all into the air. This causes a high concentration in chemicals in the area, and it can cause serious problems.

Some actions we can take as polluters would be to stop using fire or wooden stoves. We can reduce the number of times we take our car out. We can take the bus or take a form of public tranzit to get from place to place without using as much gasoline. We can make our houses more energy efficient by not using heating and cooling just to make ourselves more comfortable. Just use a blanket or put on more clothes when you start to get cold. We need to avoid trying to maximize comfort while reducing the amount of effort to try to warm up.

Mexico City is among one of the top polluting cities in the world. Mexico City has been known as one of the most polluting cities since 1992. Mexico City is located just above the Mexico-American border. Many factors contributing to the city’s major causes of pollution are the amounts of gases released, and the amount of industrial factories located in the area.

Mexico City has seen a massive boom in population in the past 60 years as well. Since 1950 the population has jumped from about 3 million to 20 million people living there today. Since the population is high, it means there is a lot of cars for all those people. 30% of all the cars in Mexico City are over 20 years old. Mexico City has a disadvantage as well geographically. Mexico City gets extremely hot in the summer, causing incomplete combustion. The heat gets crazy enough that people have to stay indoors because of the warnings from ozone concentrations levels.

Although Mexico City has a terrible reputation of air pollution, they have tried to make an effort to fix of their problems. Mexico has set pollution control measure to help their city. They have set restrictions on factories and industries. Mexico has been struggling for years trying to fix their pollution problems.

In conclusion, Air pollution is a major problem today, and may efforts have been made to fix it. Gas emissions from factories, dust from coal mines, industrial agriculture all play a major role in air pollution. We as humans have done so many harmful things to the world. Industries are being regulated, and big cities are trying to fix themselves.

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