Air Pollution

What is air pollution?

Air pollution is particles released in the air. Such as pollen, dust, mold spores, factories, and truck exhaust. There are all examples of aerosols that are suspended in the air. These particles are bad for the planet and for our health.

Why is air pollution bad?

Air pollution does happen naturally, it gets bad when humans start to burn biomass and coal. Pollution creates ground-level ozone. This is really bad for your health and can cause cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, and heart disease. It also linked to making impacts on children affecting their IQ and ability to learn. People in the US are at risk of premature death due to air pollution. Since this was a growing concern the US made the Clean Air Act in 1990. This is a federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary or mobile sources.

Greenhouse Gases

The greenhouse effect is when the Earth’s atmosphere is able to trap the sun’s heat. This allows the earth to stay warm even if the sun is not there. In a greenhouse, the glass is able to trap the sun’s heat, but in Earth’s atmosphere, it’s carbon dioxide. When humans burn fossil fuels they release more carbon dioxide, which is bad. Too much carbon dioxide causes Earth to trap more heat. This creates rising sea level, fires, heat-related deaths, and much more. “ David Doniger, senior strategic director of NRDC’s Climate and Clean Energy program, writes, “NRDC estimates that the agreed HFC phase-down will avoid the equivalent of more than 80 billion tons of CO2 over the next 35 years.” This means that by avoiding carbon dioxide they are helping the environment and prevent more disasters to occur.

How to help

In order to help the environment, people need to be able to understand what's going on. Understanding that air pollution is particles in the air such as pollen or truck exhaust, and that these particles can cause people to have cancer, affect children’s ability to learn, and respiratory problems. Greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide are good because they let Earth stay warm, but if it is too much it causes many disasters to happen. The way people can help is by reducing transportation. Instead of taking your car try walking, buses, trains, or even a bike. Try to use electric lawn mowers instead of gas ones. Avoid using wood stoves or fireplaces. Last, of all, be creative. Try to create or innovate items that can help the environment and the people.

Citations:

- Essick, P. (2019, June 25). Air Pollution Causes, Effects, and Solutions. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/pollution/

- November 01, 2. (2020, August 10). Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution-everything-you-need-know

- Summary of the Clean Air Act. (2020, August 06). Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-air-act

- What Causes Air Pollution? (2020, June 18). Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://climatekids.nasa.gov/air-pollution/