Who_Cares_About_Air_Pollution_

Who cares about air pollution' Mrs. Hynes Soc. 120 Instructor January 10, 2010 Who cares about air pollution' Earth is a unique planet that differs from other planets. It has all the requirements necessary to sustain life, such as water and air. It has been known for centuries that those two elements were requirements to sustain life. However, it was not until a half century ago that it became evident that those necessary elements to sustain life were not of an “endless supply” and that those necessities needed maintained just like most other things on earth. Today’s environment has many issues. The nature we once knew is no longer the same. It has been polluted by human activity for decades now. In the beginning of the technology industry, filled with factories and automotives, society was unaware of any damage being caused to the environment. These things seemed to be such positive investments for the future of the human species; after all, these things did make our lives easier. For example, being able to commute to work in 5 minutes by automobile is a lot better than a walking commute of 45 minutes. Also, having a machine put things together is more profitable for a business than hiring people to put things together. Looking beyond these positives, we are now in a decade realizing the negative effects these great ideas have caused us. Life as we know it depends on air and water, yet, despite that very fact, our lifestyles today take these necessities for granted. For example, some people strive to have the biggest automobile or the biggest swimming pool. It is the biggest automobile that requires the most gasoline to power itself with and it is the biggest swimming pool that is the one that requires the most water to be filled with. Both instances are abusing our necessary resources. I like the old phrase “bigger is not always better”. In these instances, the phrase speaks a high level of truth. In recognizing that these two elements are taken for granted and are continuing to lead into the endangered mode, meaning that life as we know it is also endangered; I’d like to further discuss the issue that human activities today are polluting the air outside and the fact that air pollution is arguably the most overlooked threat to human health and life. For those that are unfamiliar with what air pollution is, it is what occurs when the air contains gases, dust, fumes or odor in amounts that are harmful to the health or comfort of humans and animals or that could cause damage to plants and materials. Air pollution is caused by substances called pollutants. Before the time of big cities street packed with cars and factories on every corner, nature’s own systems could clean up the air. Nature cleaned the air by using wind to mix and disperse the gases, rain to wash the dust and other easily dissolved substances to the ground and plants to absorb carbon dioxide and replaced it with oxygen. When big cities evolved, nature’s system could no longer keep up with the amount of pollution that was being dispensed. In the 20th century, factories and automobiles became the latest advancements toward improving the lives of humans, or so we all thought. For example, the invention of an automobile made commuting more time efficient and the invention of factories allowed products to be manufactured faster, thus, keeping up with demand. Although, behind those benefits underlies the inevitable negative, the simple fact that what makes today easier is the same thing that is making tomorrow harder. At one time it may have been okay to pollute the air. At that time we had an innocence factor, the fact that we were not aware of the effects. Today however, we have the knowledge we once lacked, and therefore, have no innocence factor. We have a moral responsibility to take action to reduce and stop air pollution. Dr. Ernest Partridge a consultant, writer and lecturer in the field of Environmental Ethics and Public Policy wrote: “When the ecosystem was not understood, or even recognized or appreciated as a system; when the earth and its wilderness were believed to be too vast to be damaged by voluntary human choice; at such a time, there was no environmental ethics. But in our own time we have revalidated the myth of Genesis, for in our own time, with knowledge has come power, and with both knowledge and power, we have lost our innocence” (Partridge, 1980). The knowledge we have today about air pollution is enormous compared to a century ago. As also, the technology we have today is enormous compared to a century ago. Partridge’s words “when the earth and its wilderness were believed to be too vast to be damaged by voluntary human choice”, tell as though that is all a past tense. As though miraculously, just because we became aware of our damage we immediately came to a halt. These words were published in 1980. It is 2010 now, and we are still acting as though the earth and its wilderness are too vast to be damaged by human choice. It would seem true that as the old saying says “nothing is for free”, most definitely applies to our technological advances that we have today. The environmental issue of air pollution became an issue first recognized nationally in 1955, when congress passed the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955. This act was "An Act to provide research and technical assistance relating to air pollution control" to make the nation more aware of the environmental hazard (Legislation). There are many causes of air pollution due to human activities and the effects are all negative in regards to human health and life. In fact, “according to the National Resources Defense Council, some 64,000 people in the USA may be dying prematurely each year from cardiopulmonary causes linked to air pollution". Upon acknowledging these causes and effects, the U.S. government decided to establish an organization to construct guidelines for the cities and states to abide by to help minimize the damage caused by these polluting activities. This organization is known as The EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) and they have set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for 188 air pollutants. Of the 188 air pollutants, there are 6 common pollutants, which are called "criteria" pollutants that are included in many of today’s daily human activities. These six principal pollutants are: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, ozone, and sulfur dioxide. The three main causes for air pollutions that these particular pollutants can be associated with from human activities are: exhaust gases from vehicles, uncontrolled factory releases, and the burning of low-quality coal for heating. The exhaust gases from vehicles account for a majority of air pollution. People are constantly idling their cars, making numerous trips instead of consolidating or car pooling, and neglecting the option to ride a bicycle or walk. Vehicles emit two of the six criteria pollutants monitored by the EPA. Those two pollutants are carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, with carbon monoxide being the more dominant of the two. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that is emitted directly from vehicle tailpipes. The negative effects of carbon dioxide in regards to human health are that it reduces the flow of oxygen in the bloodstream and is particularly dangerous to persons with heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that heart disease is the “leading cause of death in the United States [and that] people of all ages and background can get the condition”. If so many Americans are vulnerable and susceptible to the disease, why do the citizens in the United States continue to be so ignorant' Why do people continue to make the choice to use a drive-thru service versus to park and go inside' Why do people choose to let their car warm up unnecessarily for 10-15 minutes (until the air from the heater is warm)' It is these very choices that negatively affect the environment and ultimately that affect the healthiness of all forms of life on earth. It has been reported by the EPA that, “Nationwide, two-thirds of the carbon monoxide emissions comes from vehicles, with the largest contribution coming from highway motor vehicles. In urban areas, carbon monoxide pollution from cars and trucks exceed 90 percent”. The EPA also concludes that driving a private vehicle is most likely a typical citizen’s most “polluting” daily activity. Take a look at Fig. 1 below. In the State of Maine, tt is clear to see that regular citizens, driving regular commutes are mostly responsible for the air pollution caused by vehicles; together the light duty gasoline truck, SUV, Minivan with the Light-duty gasoline car account for 74% of the air toxic emissions from on-road mobile sources in 2005. Fig. 1. Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Air Quality State of Maine These statistics speak for themselves. Don’t we have a moral obligation to change our dangerous lifestyles' Do people really believe that just because millions of other people still choose to drive, that they too are justified if they choose to continue to drive' Aside from vehicle pollution, there is also the human activity of factory businesses. These businesses emit uncontrollable amounts of polluting gasses. Factory pollution includes pollutants such as mercury, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. It is these pollutants that are responsible for the smog that can easily be seen in heavily industrialized city areas. They cause a serious threat to human health, as they are what create the smog that has been linked as a cause for many lung and respiratory problems that many people have. As also, these pollutants can cause harmful cosmic radiations. Cosmic radiation causes damage to the earth’s ozone layer. The ozone layer plays a vital role for humans and other life forms. Basically, the ozone layer acts as a barrier for humans and other life forms on earth by shielding them from harmful ultraviolet rays given off from the sun. Without the ozone layer, life as we know it would not exist. The issue of low quality burning coal is a problem caused by humans all over the world, just as vehicle pollution and factory pollution is. In the U.S. it is estimated that coal burning is responsible for generating 54% of our electricity and is the single biggest air polluter (Union, 2009). These human activities just discussed are only a few methods done on a daily basis to damage the earth’s air. There are other small activities, such as cigarette smoking, gas powered lawn mowers, and charcoal grills that also contribute to the pollution in the air. Today, despite these known issues, some people are still just living their lives without a care regards to the damage they are causing. They don’t think about the choices they are making, the choices that seem small, but add up to one huge problem. It is almost frightening to know that the choices of one person can have an influence on all people. Why do you care if someone is smoking a cigarette' It is just their lungs they are polluting, right' Wrong. This is another issue that is health related for all people, smokers and non-smokers. This is an issue still somewhat new and is also arguable. It is true that smoking a cigarette is nothing compared to driving a gasoline powered SUV, but they are one more thing humans have control over and can stop that will help the world’s fight to prevent, reduce, and stop the damage to our planet. Keep in mind that without a healthy environment, there cannot be healthy humans. As humans we are said to be masters of the planet. We have control over our environment. What we choose to do with that control will either make the human species extinct or it will continue to evolve. “I cannot change the future – by anything I have done, am doing, or will do – from what is going to be. But, I can change the future from what it might have been…. We can change the world from what it might have been; but in doing that we contribute to making the world the way it was, is, and will be. We cannot – on pain of logical contradiction – change the world from the way it was, is, or will be (Lecture, 2004).” These words have a meaning of depth. It is true we do not know what the future will bring, therefore, we do not have control to change it. But, we can change the future from what it might have been. As the air pollution effects have been acknowledged, there are actions being taken in the right direction with the attempt to control the levels of pollutants being emitted into the earth’s atmosphere. We are setting standards, enforcing those standards, and even developing other methods to obtain same results but while being less pollutant. Cars are being developed as hybrid; some are energy efficient with solar power while others are able to run on recycled vegetable oil. We are making great strides to improve the quality of our environment. However, we are also still depleting our resources faster than we can fix the damages already done. So with that known, these efforts are great, but not great enough. Ron Hammerschmidt, a KDHE Division of Environment Director once said, "Many people think that poor air quality only affects large cities like New York and Los Angeles. This is not true….Air quality is something that's easily taken for granted… we should not become complacent. It is much easier to preserve such a resource today than it is to neglect it and try to improve it later” (Kansas, 2006). So I ask, who cares about air pollution' References Air Pollution. (2010). History.com. Retrieved Jan. 24, 2010 from http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do'articleId=200466. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). Retrieved February 2, 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/heartDisease/statistics.htm Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Air Quality State of Maine. (2005). Retrieved on February 4, 2010 from http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/lev4me/effects.htm Kansas Department of Health and Environment. (2006). Kansans can take steps to improve air quality,lower health risks of pollution. Retrieved February 2, 2010 from http://www.kdheks.gov/news/web_archives/2006/05172006.htm Lecture Notes on Free Will and Determinism. (2004). Retrieved February 3, 2010, from http://www.sfu.ca/philosophy/swartz/freewill1.htm Legislation a look at U.S. air pollution laws and their amendments. Retrieved Jan. 19, 2010, from http://www.ametsoc.org/sloan/cleanair/cleanairlegisl.html Partridge, E. (1980). Environmental ethics: an introduction Retrieved January 14, 2010, from University of California, Riverside Web site: http://gadfly.igc.org/e-ethics/Intro-ee.htm Union of concerned scientists citizens and scientist for environmental solutions. (2009). Retrieved February 4, 2010, from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c01.html United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2009). Air and Radiation. Retrieved February 2, 2010 from http://www.epa.gov/air/criteria.html