Although it is easy for people to forget about this issue, air pollution is a very real problem that threatens the environment as well as ourselves, each and every day. However, this not a problem that will go away on its own. The smog, factories, and millions of cars we see on the road are a constant reminder.
That being said, no matter how hard we may subconsciously desire to, there are times where we cannot ignore this problem. For example, when we smell the exhaust of cars when standing next to a road, or when we see factories pumping smoke high into the sky, it is hard not to think of the damage that is being constantly created.
What is air pollution? Air pollution consists of various types of chemicals and gases being passed into our atmosphere. The main cause of this unwanted pollution is vehicles. Second to to that are industrial factories that release dirty and dangerous fumes into the atmosphere.
Why is air pollution dangerous?
1. Health reasons: it has been scientifically demonstrated that air pollution is associated with countless types of illnesses, including: strokes, breathing problems and heart issues.
2. Global warming: air pollution is responsible for global warming. This phenomena leads to the gradual but persistent increase of the temperature of our planet. It has already started affecting entire ecosystems, and unless it is stopped, it will melt the polar ice caps which will raise sea levels. This will cause flooding in coastal cities such as New York and London.
3. Ozone layer: air pollution causes the ozone layer to shrink, thus, reducing its ability to shield us from ultraviolet radiation. This not only causes skin cancer, but also damages wildlife and plants.
4. Acid rain: certain chemical that are air pollution is made of can cause acid rain. This has an enormous impact on fish, animals and plants, and also affects the ground, making the soil toxic to countless plants and animals.
How can we fight air pollution?
1. Hybrid vehicles: hybrid vehicles produce only about a fourth of the pollution of an average vehicle. Consequently, if everyone started driving hybrid vehicles, you can imagine the effect this would have on air pollution (particularly considering vehicles are the number one cause of air pollution, as mentioned).
2. Using green energy, such as wind power, solar power, hydro electricity, geothermal power and biomass energy, rather than using fossil fuels for energy, would also have a large impact on air pollution.
Unfortunately, air pollution only appears to be getting worse. A scary - and likely - scenario is that we eventually reach a point where the damage to the environment is irreversible. Consequently, the only logical course of action is for everybody to actively start incorporating ways into their lifestyle that reduce air pollution.
In this author's opinion, the only way to truly solve this problem is through education. Most people are aware of the dangers of air pollution and the severe repercussions these hold, and yet many ignore them. Perhaps by educating our children - from birth - to live a green and environmentally friendly lifestyle, and by teaching them of the folly of our mistakes, there may still be hope for our planet - and ourselves.
That being said, no matter how hard we may subconsciously desire to, there are times where we cannot ignore this problem. For example, when we smell the exhaust of cars when standing next to a road, or when we see factories pumping smoke high into the sky, it is hard not to think of the damage that is being constantly created.
What is air pollution? Air pollution consists of various types of chemicals and gases being passed into our atmosphere. The main cause of this unwanted pollution is vehicles. Second to to that are industrial factories that release dirty and dangerous fumes into the atmosphere.
Why is air pollution dangerous?
1. Health reasons: it has been scientifically demonstrated that air pollution is associated with countless types of illnesses, including: strokes, breathing problems and heart issues.
2. Global warming: air pollution is responsible for global warming. This phenomena leads to the gradual but persistent increase of the temperature of our planet. It has already started affecting entire ecosystems, and unless it is stopped, it will melt the polar ice caps which will raise sea levels. This will cause flooding in coastal cities such as New York and London.
3. Ozone layer: air pollution causes the ozone layer to shrink, thus, reducing its ability to shield us from ultraviolet radiation. This not only causes skin cancer, but also damages wildlife and plants.
4. Acid rain: certain chemical that are air pollution is made of can cause acid rain. This has an enormous impact on fish, animals and plants, and also affects the ground, making the soil toxic to countless plants and animals.
How can we fight air pollution?
1. Hybrid vehicles: hybrid vehicles produce only about a fourth of the pollution of an average vehicle. Consequently, if everyone started driving hybrid vehicles, you can imagine the effect this would have on air pollution (particularly considering vehicles are the number one cause of air pollution, as mentioned).
2. Using green energy, such as wind power, solar power, hydro electricity, geothermal power and biomass energy, rather than using fossil fuels for energy, would also have a large impact on air pollution.
Unfortunately, air pollution only appears to be getting worse. A scary - and likely - scenario is that we eventually reach a point where the damage to the environment is irreversible. Consequently, the only logical course of action is for everybody to actively start incorporating ways into their lifestyle that reduce air pollution.
In this author's opinion, the only way to truly solve this problem is through education. Most people are aware of the dangers of air pollution and the severe repercussions these hold, and yet many ignore them. Perhaps by educating our children - from birth - to live a green and environmentally friendly lifestyle, and by teaching them of the folly of our mistakes, there may still be hope for our planet - and ourselves.
About the Author:
Tyler Hodger has been researching and applying the utilization of green energy sources for many years. In this article he elaborated on the effect of air pollution on our environment and its risks. To read more of his articles that describe green and environmentally friendly issues, visit his website: Green Planet and Me.
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