Air pollution: the adversary of the Earth

You could go days without food and hours without water, but you’d only last a few minutes without air (if that’s the case). As human beings, on average, we breathe more than 3,000 gallons of air each day. In addition to consuming so much air in 24 hours, over the course of 365 days, humans manage to inhale precisely 4,095,000 gallons of air throughout the year. That’s a lot of air that humans not only need but demand as a means of survival in everyday life, if you ask me. Better yet, wouldn’t it be to our benefit as human beings if we lived in an unpolluted environment/economy? The only possible logical answer to that question would have to be a solid and powerful “Yes!” But, the popular “oh so” question remains the same, why should you care about air pollution? When all is said and done, it’s only common sense to realize that you must have air to live.

Air pollution comes from many different sources including: factories, power plants, dry cleaners, cars, buses, trucks, and even windblown dust and wildfires. Today, motor vehicles are responsible for nearly half of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that make up smog. Additionally, motor vehicles are responsible for more than half of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and about half of toxic air pollutant emissions in the United States. Motorized vehicles, as well as non-road vehicles, are now responsible for 75 percent of carbon monoxide emissions nationwide. Between the years 1970 and 2005, total vehicle miles traveled in the United States increased 178 percent and continues to gradually increase at a rate of two to three percent each year. As a result of America’s evolution from driving simple cars in the 1970s to overly modern trucks, SUVs, and pickup trucks, these oversized vehicles typically use more gas per mile, and many of them are three to five times more polluting. more than cars. .

Breathing polluted air can make your eyes and nose burn. Due to the inhalation of polluted air, it can irritate the throat and make breathing difficult. In fact, pollutants such as small particles in the air can trigger breathing problems, especially in people with asthma. In today’s society, only about 30 million adults and children in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma. People with asthma can be severely affected by air pollution. In contrast, air pollution can also exacerbate health problems for the elderly and others with heart or respiratory conditions. In a broader look, some toxic chemicals released into the air, such as benzene or vinyl chloride, can cause cancer, birth defects, long-term damage to the lungs, as well as brain and nerve damage. And in some cases, breathing in these highly toxic chemicals can even cause the fatal attraction of death. The health, environmental, and economic impacts of air pollution are significant. Every day, air pollution causes thousands of illnesses that result in days missed from work and school. Air pollution also reduces agricultural crops and commercial forest yields by billions of dollars each year.

Air pollution is not only a threat to our health, it also harms our environment. Toxic air pollutants and chemicals that form acid rain and ground-level ozone can harm trees, crops, other plants, wildlife, lakes, and other bodies of water. Additionally, those pollutants can also harm fish and other aquatic life. In addition to damaging the natural environment, air pollution also damages buildings, monuments, and statues. It not only reduces the distance that can be seen in national parks and cities, but even interferes with aviation.

Although national air quality has improved over the past 20 years, many challenges remain in protecting public health and the environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protects human health and the environment through the regulatory process and voluntary programs such as Energy Star and Commuter Choice. (The Clean Air Act is a federal law that covers the entire country.) Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA sets limits on the amount of a pollutant that is allowed in the air anywhere in the United States. This helps ensure basic health and environmental protection from air pollution for all Americans. In addition, the Clean Air Act gives the EPA the authority to limit emissions of air pollutants from sources such as steel mills, utilities, and chemical plants. Individual states or tribes may have more stringent air pollution laws, but may not have weaker pollution limits than those set by the EPA. EPA’s main goal is to have clean air to breathe for this generation and those to come. Over time, the Clean Air Act will continue to reduce air pollution, but it will take time for some of the Act’s provisions to have full impact.

There are many ways that we as the people of the United States can help reduce the earth’s adversary, air pollution. At home we can conserve energy by turning off lights and appliances when you leave the room. Buy Energy Star products, including energy efficient lighting and appliances. Keep wood stoves and fireplaces in good repair at all times. Recycling paper, plastic, glass bottles, cardboard, and aluminum cans are also productive ways we can reduce air pollution. By doing this, we will conserve energy and reduce production emissions. When buying a car, truck or van, choose efficient and low-polluting vehicle models. Choose products that have less packaging and are reusable. Buy rechargeable batteries for devices that are used frequently. When it comes to driving your vehicles, keep your tires properly aligned and inflated. In summer, fill gas tanks during the coolest hours of the night to reduce evaporation. Avoid spilling gasoline. When possible, use public transportation, walk, or ride a bike. Perform periodic engine tune-ups and car maintenance checks (especially for spark plugs). Use energy conservation grade motor oil. Report vehicles that smoke to your local airline. Last but not least, join a carpool or vanpool to get to work. All of these suggestions can and will help reduce air pollution. In doing so, we have to come together and resolve to put in place a steep decline to limit the amount of air pollution caused by (in any significant part) we, the people of the United States of America.