Air pollution can be defined as the act of introducing mixtures of solid particles as well as gases into the environment. Examples of solid molecules or gases entail chemicals, biological materials, as well as particulates. This paper discusses air pollution as an environmental problem within my community. Air pollution affects animals, humans, as well as the environment. Additionally, it affects the health of the environment or that of animals or humans, as well as causes climate change. The paper is set to discuss some mechanisms that can be employed to foster positive environmental actions in curbing air pollution. It covers the positive or negative effects of air pollution that may promote pro-environmental activities. Besides, the paper elucidates how novel technologies can have negative or positive advances, which influence the environment. Additionally, the paper assesses environmental policies that influence or affects the environment.
Evaluating Mechanisms for advancing Positive Environmental Actions
In the opinion of Vallero (2014), air pollution resulting from industries as well as traffic have the potential of increasing cardiovascular burden as well as deaths, particularly among persons suffering from cardiovascular illnesses. To advance beneficial environmental actions as for mitigating the consequences of daily air pollution, many mechanisms can be used. Some of the mechanisms include bringing social awareness to the population of the consequences of polluting the air. Another mechanism is taking remedies against natural and human actions of carelessly polluting the environment. Social awareness as a strategy can be employed to promote positive environmental activities by informing the public some of the consequences of polluting air. Some of the consequences of air pollution that can be discussed in social awareness include health risks, climate change, as well as damages to biodiversity.
Provided the public is informed of the consequences of air pollution, there is a higher probability that positive environmental activities can be promoted r advanced. Additionally, social awareness can help in modifying processes as well as activities, which lead to air pollution. Positive environmental activities can also be advanced through mitigating or working against processes or activities that cause air pollution. Pursuing measures to mitigate air pollution demonstrates consciousness on the environmental problem or challenge, and such mitigation may advance positive environmental actions of other people as far as modification of their behaviours that leads to air pollution.
How positive or Negative Effects may increase Pro-environmental Actions
The effects of air pollution, which can be negative or positive, have the capacity to increase pro-environmental activities in many manners. It seems absurd or impracticable that adverse effects of polluting air may increase pro-environmental actions but for sure, it can happen. The adverse effects of polluting air are causing climate change, negatively affect the health of animals or people, as well as adversely affect the environment (Jacobson, & Jacobson, 2012). Air pollution, particularly for humans can increase cardiovascular burden as well as deaths mainly on individuals suffering from cardiovascular illnesses (Jacobson, & Jacobson, 2012). Some of the adverse effects of air pollution can result in pro-environmental activities concerning the protection of human health as well as conservation of the environment from the consequences of polluting the air or the consequences of climate change (Jacobson, & Jacobson, 2012). The adverse effects of air pollution can lead to sanctions for people or institutions, which never obey regulations to lower production of pollutants.
For that reason, such adverse effects of sanctions result in actions, which lead to halting such adverse consequences of polluting air and contribute to pro-environmental activities to evade such sanctions. Positive effects can increase pro-environmental actions because if people know that curbing the adverse consequences of polluting air results in positive outcomes, for example, decreasing the adverse consequences of polluting air concerning human health as well as the environment. For that reason, the action promotes people to act in ways that are pro-environment, which minimize the harmlessness linked to the negative consequences of polluting the air and as such results in pro-environmental actions. Additionally, such positive effects can continue to promote pro-environmental actions to prevent suffering from extra or future consequences of polluting the air.
Consequences of Technological Advances on the Environment
The technological developments ensure that the processing, advancement, exploration, as well as production of resources are efficient and protect the environment. Additionally, technological development can give people ways of curbing adverse consequences on the surrounding, which results from human activities, human mistakes concerning depletion of non-renewable natural resources. Technological advances can help mitigate adverse consequences on the environment caused by human activities that lead to adverse environmental outcomes. Consequently, technological advances or developments can lead to positive effects on the environment. Nonetheless, technological developments can pose adverse consequences that influence the environment. Many examples of negative and positive outcomes of technological developments exist that influence the environment. One such positive consequence of technological advancement is electric vehicles or hybrid electric cars.
In the opinion of Larminie and Lowry (2013), a hybrid electric car denotes a type of hybrid car that combines a system of electric propulsion with a traditional internal combustion engine. Such type of a car eliminate the consequences of pollutants released in the environment that leads to pollution of air since they use a system of electric propulsion, which does not need consumption of fossil fuels. Nevertheless, technological advances also pose some negative consequences. The limitations associated with some technological development cannot satisfy definite needs or aims of people concerning not influencing the environment adversely. For that reason, hybrid electric cars can act as an adverse consequent of technological advances on the environment. This can be the case because hybrid electric cars use systems of electric propulsion as well as systems of internal combustion engine (Larminie & Lowry, 2013).
It means that hybrid electric cars still need to use fossil fuels that emit pollutants to the environment, which leads to adverse environmental consequences, for example, pollution of the air. Pollution of the air can also pose other negative effects such as health risks, climate change, as well as damage to the biodiversity. Additionally, hybrid electric cars still depend on fuels, for example, oil for lubricating most of the moving joints or parts in the engine; for that reason, the use of fuels that pollutes the air remains. In summary, technological development can pose positive as well as negative effects or consequences on the surrounding.
Assessing or evaluating the effect of set Environmental Policies
In the opinion of Crabbé and Leroy (2008), environmental policies may pose negative as well as positive effects for an entire community and people. Environmental policies can be described as commitments of people or institutions to set regulations, laws, and policies, which regard environmental concerns and environmental sustainability. People can accept as well as modify their actions to obey environmental policies or face the negative consequences of disobeying such environmental regulations. Many environmental regulations can adversely affect an individual due to consequences of disobeying set environmental policies; nevertheless, such environmental regulations have beneficial outcomes for the entire community or most people (Crabbé & Leroy, 2008). Institutions and people can influence or affect the execution of environmental regulations based on how an institution or a person affect their environment or how what takes place within as well as to the environment influences occupants and people in that environment.
The implementation or execution of environmental laws takes place at varying categories concerning the protection, safeguarding, targeting, as well as impacting people or institutions to safeguard the environment as well as its occupants (Crabbé & Leroy, 2008). The environmental laws have beneficial effects for the environment since they help in the conservation of the ecosystem, people, animals, as well as environment from the adverse actions of institutions or people. As such, the environmental laws should continually adjust and improve to conserve, safeguard, as well as protect the occupants of the environment or the environment.
In conclusion, the pollution of the environment or air is a challenge, which affects the health of people, animals, as well as the environment. Additionally, air pollution causes climate change that causes other adverse consequences to people and the environment. Mechanisms, for example, social awareness on the consequences or effects of polluting the air as well as mitigating against actions of emitting pollutants into the environment are helpful in advancing positive environmental activities. Some of the consequences or effects of polluting the air, which is positive or negative, can increase pro-environmental actions. A hybrid electric car is discussed as an illustration of how advances in technology can affect the environment adversely or positively. Additionally, the environmental regulations can pose a beneficial consequence on the environment if prudently executed.
References
Crabbé, A., & Leroy, P. (2008). The handbook of environmental policy evaluation. London: Earthscan.
Jacobson, M. Z., & Jacobson, M. Z. (2012). Air pollution and global warming: History, science, and solutions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Larminie, J., & Lowry, J. (2013). Electric vehicle technology explained. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
Vallero, D. A. (2014). Fundamentals of air pollution. Amsterdam: Academic Press.
