The globe is facing a severe environmental crisis of its kind in this 21st century. The major environmental hazard that has shaken the world at the moment is air pollution. All over the world, everybody thinks that this crisis is most likely to affect or have a catastrophic impact on humans in the future. However, even nowadays, the negative impacts of this environmental crisis are evident in all forms. These impacts range from growing deserts due to lack of enough rainfall, increased cases of cancer, majorly lung cancer as a result of unclean fresh air and lastly the loss of numerous plant species that could have been of help in curing grave diseases such as AIDS (McKinney&Yonavjak,2012).
Many environmentalists blame the crisis on modern technology of machines and production. These include the numerous dangerous environmentally damaging substances and technologies such as coal power stations which emit enormous amounts of smoke into the atmosphere. In addition, air pollution can be caused by a wide variety of things. The world is great at cleansing the air without human help. Nevertheless, air pollution has risen so much, to an extent that the earth has no control of cleaning in on its own (Jacobson,2012).
One of the major causes of air pollution is combustion of engine exhaust. Trucks, cars, jet planes and any other combustion engine automobiles cause air pollution. The exhaust arising from these emissions contain dangerous gases such as nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide and gaseous oxide. Such kind of air pollution causes smog (as seen in major cities in the world) which in turn leads to respiratory health conditions as well as holes in the ozone layer, thus increasing the direct exposure to the harmful sun rays(Jacobson,2012).
Another major cause of air pollution is factories. The factories as well as office buildings, power-generating stations and homes burn fossil fuels which is a major cause of air pollution. Such kind of coal and oil burning formerly known as fossil burning also leads to smog. This air pollution is a destruction to plants, and it also damages buildings and as well as creating an oxidized layer of iron (McKinney&Yonavjak, 2012).
Another unbelievable pollutant of air is dust. To most individuals, dust may sound somehow strange, but indeed it is the number one cause of particulate substances in the air. This dust arises from construction sites and driving on either unpaved or paved roads. Similarly, Volatile organic compounds can enter the clean atmosphere due to certain agricultural processes, such as dust from livestock and crops and the application of fertilizers (Gorham& United Nations, 2002).
Radioactive sources produce a lot of energy, and harmful quantities of sulfur dioxide as well. For instance, in highly-industrialized towns, air pollution arising from radioactive fallouts have been confirmed to generate numerous environmental worries, such as deformation, defoliation as well as undergrowth damage to trees. Apart from just its effect on the environment, these radioactive released into the atmosphere also endanger human life. The most infamous known case of the radioactive fallout was that of Chernobyl in the state of Ukraine, where the survivors of the fallout later developed cancers and varieties of respiratory diseases after inhaling these emissions which came from the nuclear plant (McKinney&Yonavjak, 2012).
Apart from its helpful nature to farmers as they always keep bacteria and fungi that destroy plants at bay, pesticide, especially those that are made from pure chemicals lead to air pollution. Air pollution that is caused by these pesticides is very fatal to animal, marine life and even birds, especially if these emissions already intrude their food sources (Jacobson,2012).
Another minor air pollution which at the long last contributes much to air pollution is indoor air pollution. The special term that is used to refer to this famous practice is Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)(McKinney&Yonavjak,2012). The condition happens when there is no enough ventilations in a room to disburse these toxic fumes from the room.
Smoking can as well cause air pollution. Tobacco smoke has about 40 carcinogens which make smoking a deadly form of air pollution as it affects other people (non-smokers) directly. Natural Processes can also contribute to air pollution (Shah &Nagpal, 2007).These events include volcanoes and tornadoes which can stir up debris and lead to widespread air pollution. Uninterrupted or natural erosion of soils also generates toxins like radon into the atmosphere (Gorham& United Nations, 2002). Radon is one of the leading causes of diseases such as lung cancer in the world.
Reduction of pollution is quite an important step for any country in going green. Many solutions have been attempted in order to curb air pollution across the globe. These solutions are either individual decisions or a combined effort by the society to maintain an air pollution free atmosphere. For instance, while transportation can be the most palpable generator of air pollution, some other aspects of our lifestyles also impact the amount of emissions we generate. Everything, ranging from the products we buy, our behaviors when at home and the way we handle household wastes. Just a few changes in different random areas of our life can stir a great difference. And the observable results will dawn when each and every member is making such a sacrifice (McKinney&Yonavjak, 2012).
Among the solutions suggested include saving energy while around the house. Saving energy can greatly reduce the emissions of carbon monoxide and other gases. This is because almost all energy sources need burning fossil fuels, hence, the less energy one uses, and the greener you advance. Individuals are also advised to set their lights and appliance son a timer to just go off after a given period of inactivity (Gorham& United Nations, 2002). They are further encouraged to use compact fluorescent bulbs in place of standard light bulbs, and they should as well use microwaves instead of ovens to heat small items.
Another attempted solution is cutting down the amount of packaging one purchases as well as the amount of household wastes one produces. This is because the process of manufacturing packaging bags releases very harmful emissions into the air. Similarly, an emphasis is placed on recycling everything one can: aluminum, glass, paper, cardboard and plastic are actually easy to recycle (Harrison& Royal Society of Chemistry, 2001). Also, when one is disposing of substances which are chemical-based such as paint, pesticides, batteries, or solvents, make sure you check with your local waste management offices for a safe, environmental-friendly method.
Even though the solutions of air pollution are loudly pronounced, it has not been easy to effectively implement them. This is due to the nature of human existence, where everybody assumes things and no one is ready to be forced to adhere to certain rules which are said to be beneficial in the future(Jacobson,2012). For instance, it has been really difficult to convince someone of what to use at home, such as using his microwave instead of the oven in heating small substances. It also becomes a losing war trying to convince someone about the attached advantages of walking for short distances instead of driving to reduce air pollution as a result of fumes emerging from their vehicles (Harrison& Royal Society of Chemistry, 2001).
As the inhabitants of this modern world, we seem to poses a rather shortsighted perspective of life, but the results of our convenient, comfortable lives have quite long-term environmental impacts. If we honestly desire the world to be a better place for generations to come after us, then we need to learn ways of becoming long-term planners (McKinney&Yonavjak,2012).
There is more efficient response to this menace facing our lovely world at the moment. The sooner an individual understands the importance of leaving the world a safer place than he found it, then, they target of going green will be halfway achieved. For instance, consider advancing to an energy efficient car as well as going green with a solar power in your house. Take maximum care of the cars you use so they run more efficiently and release as little environmental pollutants as possible. Better still, get rid of your vehicles altogether and consider biking, or even taking a public transport (McKinney&Yonavjak, 2012). By doing so, we would be a step ahead in our fight to maintain a safer environment for populations to come.
References
Harrison, R. M., & Royal Society of Chemistry. (2001). Pollution: Causes, effects and control. Cambridge: Royal Soc. of Chemistry.
Gorham, R., & United Nations. (2002). Air pollution from ground transportation: An assessment of causes, strategies and tactics, and proposed actions for the International Community. New York: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development.
Jacobson, M. Z. (2012). Air pollution and global warming: History, science, and solutions. Cambridge [etc.: Cambridge University Press.
Shah, J. J., &Nagpal, T. (2007). Urban air quality management strategy in Asia: Greater Mumbai report. Washington, DC: World bank.
McKinney, M. L., &Yonavjak, L. (2012). Environmental science: Systems and solutions. Boston: Jones and Barlett Publishers.
