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What is the effect of air pollution on ecosystem?

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What is the effect of air pollution on ecosystem?

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How to raise awareness of air pollution in the most polluted cities? 

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How to raise awareness of air pollution in the most polluted cities? 

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The increase of pollutants to levels that will adversely affect the health of people and living things and cause material damage is referred to as "Air Pollution".

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People living in areas where air pollution is intense and continuous; the risk of developing various chronic diseases such as cough, bronchitis, heart diseases and cancer also increases.

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Air pollution causes a decrease in oxygen in the air.

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Solid and liquid particles, as well as certain gases suspended in the air, contribute to air pollution. These particles and gases can be emitted by automobiles and trucks, factories, dust, pollen, mold spores, volcanoes, and wildfires. Aerosols are solid and liquid particles suspended in our atmosphere.

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Air pollution happens when solid and liquid particles-called aerosols -and certain gases end up in our air. These particles and gases can be bad for the planet and for our health, so keeping track of them is important.

Where do aerosols come from?

Any particle that gets picked up into the air or is formed from chemical reactions in the air can be an aerosol. Many aerosols enter the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels-such as coal and petroleum-and wood. These particles can come from many sources, including car exhaust, factories and even wildfires. Some of the particles and gases come directly from these sources, but others form through chemical reactions in the air.

Aerosols can come from other places, too, such as ash from an erupting volcano. Dust, pollen from plants and mold spores are also examples of aerosols.

What else causes air pollution?

Certain gases in the atmosphere can cause air pollution. For example, in cities, a gas called ozone is a major cause of air pollution. Ozone is also a greenhouse gas that can be both good and bad for our environment. It all depends where it is in Earth's atmosphere.

Ozone high up in our atmosphere is a good thing. It helps block harmful energy from the Sun, called radiation. But, when ozone is closer to the ground, it can be really bad for our health. Ground level ozone is created when sunlight reacts with certain chemicals that come from sources of burning fossil fuels, such as factories or car exhaust.

When particles in the air combine with ozone, they create smog. Smog is a type of air pollution that looks like smoky fog and makes it difficult to see.

How does air pollution affect Earth's climate?

Aerosols can impact how the Sun's light hits Earth. For example, some aerosols reflect sunlight while others absorb sunlight. It depends on the color of the particle.

Dark surfaces-whether it's a black t-shirt or a dark particle in the atmosphere-absorb the Sun's heat. Lighter-colored surfaces reflect heat from the Sun.

A white t-shirt reflects the Sun on a hot day, making you feel cooler. In the same way, light-colored particles that reflect the Sun's light and heat away from Earth can make the global temperature cooler. Dark-colored particles that absorb the Sun's light can make the global temperature warmer.

How does air pollution affect our health?

Breathing in polluted air can be very bad for our health. Long-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with diseases of the heart and lungs, cancers and other health problems. That's why it's important for us to monitor air pollution.

How is NASA monitoring air pollution?

NASA uses satellites orbiting Earth to keep an eye on air pollution. In fact, air quality forecasters use information about aerosols from NASA's Aqua, Terra and Suomi-NPP satellites.

NASA also is developing a new instrument called the Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols, or MAIA, to fly aboard a future spacecraft mission. MAIA will help scientists understand the size, makeup and quantity of aerosols in our air. Eventually, scientists will be able to compare this information with health records. This can help us better understand the relationship between aerosol pollution and human health.

Related NASA Missions

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Air pollution is caused by solid or liquid particles and certain gases suspended in the air. These particles and gases can come from car and truck exhaust, factories, dust, pollen, mold spores, volcanoes and wildfires.

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What is the effects of air pollution on ecosystem?          

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What is the effects of air pollution on ecosystem?          

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Air pollution can have an impact on entire ecosystems, just like it does on people, animals, and plants. Like smog, haze is a visible form of air pollution that obscures shapes and colors. Sound can be muffled by hazy air pollution.

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Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. It also damages buildings. Pollutants in the air take many forms. They can be gases, solid particles, or liquid droplets.

Sources of Air Pollution

Pollution enters the Earth's atmosphere in many different ways. Most air pollution is created by people, taking the form of emissions from factories, cars, planes, or aerosol cans. Second-hand cigarette smoke is also considered air pollution. These man-made sources of pollution are called anthropogenic sources.

Some types of air pollution, such as smoke from wildfires or ash from volcanoes, occur naturally. These are called natural sources.

Air pollution is most common in large cities where emissions from many different sources are concentrated. Sometimes, mountains or tall buildings prevent air pollution from spreading out. This air pollution often appears as a cloud making the air murky. It is called smog. The word "smog" comes from combining the words "smoke" and "fog."

Large cities in poor and developing nations tend to have more air pollution than cities in developed nations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some of the worlds most polluted cities are Karachi, Pakistan; New Delhi, India; Beijing, China; Lima, Peru; and Cairo, Egypt. However, many developed nations also have air pollution problems. Los Angeles, California, is nicknamed Smog City.

Air pollution is usually thought of as smoke from large factories or exhaust from vehicles. But there are many types of indoor air pollution as well.

Heating a house by burning substances such as kerosene, wood, and coal can contaminate the air inside the house. Ash and smoke make breathing difficult, and they can stick to walls, food, and clothing.

Naturally-occurring radon gas, a cancer-causing material, can also build up in homes. Radon is released through the surface of the Earth. Inexpensive systems installed by professionals can reduce radon levels.

Some construction materials, including insulation, are also dangerous to people's health. In addition, ventilation, or air movement, in homes and rooms can lead to the spread of toxic mold. A single colony of mold may exist in a damp, cool place in a house, such as between walls. The mold's spores enter the air and spread throughout the house. People can become sick from breathing in the spores.
Indoor Air Pollution
Effects On Humans

People experience a wide range of health effects from being exposed to air pollution. Effects can be broken down into short-term effects and long-term effects.

Short-term effects, which are temporary, include illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis. They also include discomfort such as irritation to the nose, throat, eyes, or skin. Air pollution can also cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Bad smells made by factories, garbage, or sewer systems are considered air pollution, too. These odors are less serious but still unpleasant.

Long-term effects of air pollution can last for years or for an entire lifetime. They can even lead to a person's death. Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people's nerves, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. Some scientists suspect air pollutants cause birth defects. Nearly 2.5 million people die worldwide each year from the effects of outdoor or indoor air pollution.

People react differently to different types of air pollution. Young children and older adults, whose immune systems tend to be weaker, are often more sensitive to pollution. Conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and lung disease can be made worse by exposure to air pollution. The length of exposure and amount and type of pollutants are also factors.

Effects On The Environment

Like people, animals, and plants, entire ecosystems can suffer effects from air pollution. Haze, like smog, is a visible type of air pollution that obscures shapes and colors. Hazy air pollution can even muffle sounds.

Air pollution particles eventually fall back to Earth. Air pollution can directly contaminate the surface of bodies of water and soil. This can kill crops or reduce their yield. It can kill young trees and other plants.

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide particles in the air, can create acid rain when they mix with water and oxygen in the atmosphere. These air pollutants come mostly from coal-fired power plants and motor vehicles. When acid rain falls to Earth, it damages plants by changing soil composition; degrades water quality in rivers, lakes and streams; damages crops; and can cause buildings and monuments to decay.

Like humans, animals can suffer health effects from exposure to air pollution. Birth defects, diseases, and lower reproductive rates have all been attributed to air pollution.

Global warming is an environmental phenomenon caused by natural and anthropogenic air pollution. It refers to rising air and ocean temperatures around the world. This temperature rise is at least partially caused by an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat energy in the Earths atmosphere. (Usually, more of Earths heat escapes into space.)

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that has had the biggest effect on global warming. Carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (coal, gasoline, and natural gas). Humans have come to rely on fossil fuels to power cars and planes, heat homes, and run factories. Doing these things pollutes the air with carbon dioxide.

Other greenhouse gases emitted by natural and artificial sources also include methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Methane is a major emission from coal plants and agricultural processes. Nitrous oxide is a common emission from industrial factories, agriculture, and the burning of fossil fuels in cars. Fluorinated gases, such as hydrofluorocarbons, are emitted by industry. Fluorinated gases are often used instead of gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs have been outlawed in many places because they deplete the ozone layer.

Worldwide, many countries have taken steps to reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming. The Kyoto Protocol, first adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, is an agreement between 183 countries that they will work to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. The United States has not signed that treaty.

Regulation

In addition to the international Kyoto Protocol, most developed nations have adopted laws to regulate emissions and reduce air pollution. In the United States, debate is under way about a system called cap and trade to limit emissions. This system would cap, or place a limit, on the amount of pollution a company is allowed. Companies that exceeded their cap would have to pay. Companies that polluted less than their cap could trade or sell their remaining pollution allowance to other companies. Cap and trade would essentially pay companies to limit pollution.

In 2006 the World Health Organization issued new Air Quality Guidelines. The WHOs guidelines are tougher than most individual countries existing guidelines. The WHO guidelines aim to reduce air pollution-related deaths by 15 percent a year.

Reduction

Anybody can take steps to reduce air pollution. Millions of people every day make simple changes in their lives to do this. Taking public transportation instead of driving a car, or riding a bike instead of traveling in carbon dioxide-emitting vehicles are a couple of ways to reduce air pollution. Avoiding aerosol cans, recycling yard trimmings instead of burning them, and not smoking cigarettes are others. Global Warming

Fast Fact

Downwinders
The United States conducted tests of nuclear weapons at the Nevada Test Site in southern Nevada in the 1950s. These tests sent invisible radioactive particles into the atmosphere. These air pollution particles traveled with wind currents, eventually falling to Earth, sometimes hundreds of miles away in states including Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Washington. These areas were considered to be "downwind" from the Nevada Test Site.

Decades later, people living in those downwind areascalled "downwinders"began developing cancer at above-normal rates. In 1990, the U.S. government passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. This law entitles some downwinders to payments of $50,000.

Fast Fact

London Smog
What has come to be known as the London Smog of 1952, or the Great Smog of 1952, was a four-day incident that sickened 100,000 people and caused as many as 12,000 deaths. Very cold weather in December 1952 led residents of London, England, to burn more coal to keep warm. Smoke and other pollutants became trapped by a thick fog that settled over the city. The polluted fog became so thick that people could only see a few meters in front of them.

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Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. It also damages buildings.

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How to raise awareness of air pollution in the most polluted cities? 

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How to raise awareness of air pollution in the most polluted cities? 

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1. Check air quality data on a regular basis.
2. If pollution levels are high, wear anti-air pollution masks when going outside.
3. When air pollution levels are high, try to stay indoors, especially if you are particularly vulnerable.
4. Use air purifiers with HEPA filters

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An enormous 87% of the overall air pollution in Mongolia comes from the coal that is being used to heat households during the freezing cold winters when temperatures often dip below -40°C, as well as from sturdier buildings with chimneys. Additional air pollution comes from transportation, power plants and water heater plants.

In part due to a series of harsh winters, or dzud, climate change and social issues that have made life harder in rural areas, more and more Mongolians have migrated to the capital in recent years. Consequently, the city's ger district has greatly expanded. Gers - also known as "yurts" - are portable, circular nomadic homes made out of wood, canvas and felt. Most have a traditional stove for heating, with a chimney leading upwards through the roof.

Gers are now estimated to house over 60% of Ulaanbaatar's population in settlements around the city. However, due to limited infrastructure, funding and cultural tradition, it has not been feasible to connect all households in the ger areas to a central heating system, offer electric heating solutions or enable everyone to move into apartments.

Air pollution is 50 times greater than the WHO recommended level

Households burn raw coal, the most available fuel, to heat their homes during the winter. Coal combustion produces high amounts of a common pollutant known as PM2.5: tiny airborne particles that measure <2.5 microns in diameter. PM2.5 is considered the most hazardous pollutant to human health, since these particles are so small that, once inhaled, they can travel deep into the human body, potentially causing a range of short- and long-term health effects.

This coal-combustion results and alarming air pollution levels not only present in Ulaanbaatar, but also in other urban areas. At times, the air pollution is 50 times greater than the WHO recommended level. During 2018, IQAir AirVisual recorded Ulaanbaatar as being the 5th most polluted capital city, with an annual average PM2.5 pollution level 6 times the recommended level.

People in Need's "Right to Breathe" project

Since 2018, People in Need began to address the urgent air quality crisis and launched the Right to Breath (R2B) project the funded by the European Union and the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar and partnering local NGOs: Mongolian Environmental Civil Council, Mongolian Women Lawyers' Association and Ger Community Mapping Center. The project aims to strengthen access to information, awareness, situational monitoring and corresponding actions addressing air pollution in Mongolia. It also aims to empower civil society organizations to share information and increase transparency together with the parliament, audit institutions, and the media.

One of the most crucial parts of the awareness raising is to deliver the message that Mongolians can protect themselves from the health risks of air pollution when levels are high. They can greatly reduce their own exposure to air pollution by following simple steps. Below you can see what our public awareness campaign looks like in Mongolia. Take a look at the animations created for public awareness in Mongolia you never know when these tips could come in handy:

Top 10 recommendations to protect yourself against air pollution
1. Continually check air quality information
Our eyes alone are unreliable tools in understanding air pollution. Check reliable air quality information using the free AirVisual air quality app in English and Mongolian, which reports real-time and forecast measurements from both state-run monitors and PIN's Right to Breathe air quality monitoring network. The app reports air quality levels using color-coded icons, which indicate how serious they are to your health. It also provides recommendations as to how you can protect yourself.
2. Wear anti air pollution masks when outdoors if pollution levels are high
An important step to protecting yourself against air pollution is to wear a PM2.5 filtering mask. Note that many dust and surgical masks don't protect you from air pollution. When choosing a mask, take care to check that the filter fabric itself has a high PM2.5 filtration rate. For example, ratings such as KN95 and N99 offer high protection (filtering >95% or >99% of PM2.5 respectively). Also, check that the mask seals well against your face, preferably with a nose clip, so that polluted air cannot enter around the sides.
3. Try to stay indoors when air pollution levels are high, especially if you are particularly at risk
Pregnant women, children, elders and people at risk of illnesses are highly vulnerable to air pollution and its impacts. Therefore, these groups are particularly encouraged to stay indoors and limit outdoor activities when the air pollution levels are high. When it is necessary to go outside, they should always wear PM2.5 filtering masks.
4. Use air purifiers with HEPA filters
Indoor air quality is usually affected by the outdoor air quality, since most buildings naturally have gaps in walls and windows through which air can enter. In addition to this, there are many factors that affect indoor air quality including coal burning, smoking, cleaning detergents and low-quality construction materials. We don't always notice when the indoor air quality of our home or office is worse than outdoors. To clean indoor air, you can either ventilate your space when the air outdoors is clean or, if the outdoor air is not clean, use an air purifier. The purifier should have a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, which is able to filter out over 99.9% of PM2.5.
5. Reduce air leakage which usually occurs through doors and windows
Pollution can penetrate indoor spaces through cracks or gaps found around windows or door edges. For this reason, it is crucial to fill or insulate the gaps and use window filters in order to prevent outdoor air pollution from entering.
6. Use standardized improved stoves
The difference between ordinary stoves and improved stoves is that the order in which you add the coal. In ordinary stoves, you add the wood first before burning the coal. However, in an improved stove you add the coal first before adding the wood. An improved stove is much better as it allows the coal to burn completely and results in fewer particle emissions. It also keeps things warmer for a longer period of time. Not only can improved stoves help you save 30% of fuel, but they can also reduce the amount of released toxic particles by 20-80%.
7. Use improved fuels
Improved fuel is a mixture of compressed crushed coal pieces and additional flammable chemicals. While still not as efficient as electricity, compared to raw coal, improved coal is more energy efficient and emits less smog, ash and moisture.
8. Use more energy efficient technologies for heating
Most air pollution comes from ordinary household stoves. For this reason, the best solution for heating houses and gers is to use more energy-efficient technologies. By using electric heating, you can reduce air pollution indoors, as well as outdoors.
9. Reduce heat loss by insulating your ger or house
Air pollution will decrease significantly as people insulate their houses in order to reduce heat loss, which in turn reduces the amount of fuel required for indoor heating. Certain areas can get moldy due to the mist that occurs during heat loss, which in turn reduces the quality of the indoor air. By insulating your house or ger with standardized construction materials such as basalt wool and sheep wool, you can decrease your coal consumption for heating by up to 50%.
10. In addition to using air purifiers, grow plants to improve indoor air quality
Coal dust, particulate matter, fungi, and household cleaning products can all be sources of pollutants that are harmful to the environment and human health. In addition to air filters and purifiers, it is also important to grow plants indoors to improve air quality. Leafy green plants can absorb carbon and neutralize different types of air pollutants.

By following the simple steps listed above, everyday individuals can minimize their contribution to air pollution and dramatically improve their personal health. The air quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is among the worst in the world. Air quality is everyone's responsibility.

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Raising Awareness about Air Pollution in One of the Most Polluted Cities in the World

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An enormous 87% of the overall air pollution in Mongolia comes from the coal that is being used to heat households during the freezing cold winters when temperatures often dip below -40°C, as well as from sturdier buildings with chimneys. Additional air pollution comes from transportation, power plants and water heater plants.

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Air pollution is one of the most essential reason for global warming.

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Air pollution is caused by certain gases that suspended in the air.

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Our forests, water resources, nature is dying because of air pollution's effects.

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How is air pollution affecting global warming?

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How is air pollution affecting global warming?

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With the use of fossil fuel, the gaseous waste coming out of these fuels gets stuck in the atmosphere and is trapped in the air, just like in greenhouses, and it returns to us, the planet, as heat.

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How does the greenhouse effect work?

As you might expect from the name, the greenhouse effect works ... like a greenhouse! A greenhouse is a building with glass walls and a glass roof. Greenhouses are used to grow plants, such as tomatoes and tropical flowers.

A greenhouse stays warm inside, even during the winter. In the daytime, sunlight shines into the greenhouse and warms the plants and air inside. At nighttime, it's colder outside, but the greenhouse stays pretty warm inside. That's because the glass walls of the greenhouse trap the Sun's heat.

The greenhouse effect works much the same way on Earth. Gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, trap heat similar to the glass roof of a greenhouse. These heat-trapping gases are called greenhouse gases.

During the day, the Sun shines through the atmosphere. Earth's surface warms up in the sunlight. At night, Earth's surface cools, releasing heat back into the air. But some of the heat is trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. That's what keeps our Earth a warm and cozy 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius), on average.

How are humans impacting the greenhouse effect?

Human activities are changing Earth's natural greenhouse effect. Burning fossil fuels like coal and oil puts more carbon dioxide into our atmosphere.

NASA has observed increases in the amount of carbon dioxide and some other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Too much of these greenhouse gases can cause Earth's atmosphere to trap more and more heat. This causes Earth to warm up.

What reduces the greenhouse effect on Earth?

Just like a glass greenhouse, Earth's greenhouse is also full of plants! Plants can help to balance the greenhouse effect on Earth. All plants - from giant trees to tiny phytoplankton in the ocean - take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.

The ocean also absorbs a lot of excess carbon dioxide in the air. Unfortunately, the increased carbon dioxide in the ocean changes the water, making it more acidic. This is called ocean acidification.

More acidic water can be harmful to many ocean creatures, such as certain shellfish and coral. Warming oceans - from too many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere - can also be harmful to these organisms. Warmer waters are a main cause of coral bleaching.

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Learn more about this process that occurs when gases in Earth's atmosphere trap the Sun's heat.

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How is air pollution affecting global warming?

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How is air pollution affecting global warming?

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Greenhouse gases are the major cause of global warming. Amount of these gases increasing warming. Day by day our planet is getting warmer because of greenhouse gases. The increase of carbon dioxide in atmosphere causes to deplete ozone layer. So with the depleting of ozone layer, Sun ray going towards to our planet.

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Air pollutants have an impact on our planet's climate, but not all pollutants have the same effect. Some types of air pollution cause the climate to warm, while others have a temporary cooling effect that lasts a few days or weeks.

Some Air Pollutants Cause the Climate to Warm

Energy from the Sun reaches Earth's surface and is radiated back into the atmosphere as heat. Greenhouse gases prevent some of that heat from leaving the atmosphere. The recent increase in greenhouse gas pollution is trapping excess heat and causing the climate to warm.
Koshland Science Museum
Air pollution includes greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Greenhouse gases cause the climate to warm by trapping heat from the Sun in the Earth's atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are a natural part of Earth's atmosphere, but their increasing amounts in our atmosphere since the early 1900s are causing the climate to warm. The increase comes from vehicle exhaust, pollutants released from smokestacks at factories and power plants, emissions from agriculture, and other sources. Scientists predict that Earth will warm more this century than it did in the 20th century.

According to a NASA study, an increase in ozone pollution, or smog, is causing warming in the Arctic regions. Ozone in the troposphere is a greenhouse gas and also a health hazard. Ozone pollution created in the Northern Hemisphere is transported toward the Arctic during winter and spring months, which leads to warming. Ozone pollution has the greatest impact on the region where it originates, which means some areas are warming more than others. The Arctic is currently warming faster than any other region on Earth, partly because of ozone pollution, but also because of positive feedback loops, where warming melts snow and ice, which changes the Earth's surface and leads to more warming. The warming climate is causing drastic changes to Arctic ecosystems.

Some Air Pollutants Cause Cooling

Burning fossil fuels releases tiny particles into the atmosphere called aerosols. Most of these particles naturally get into the atmosphere through volcanoes, dust, or sea spray, while others enter the atmosphere as air pollution from cars, vehicles, and smokestacks. Aerosols have an impact on climate. While not all aerosols affect the atmosphere in the same way, they have a cooling effect overall.

Visible particulate pollution over Beijing, China can increase cloud cover and deflect energy from the Sun back into space.

Aerosols in the atmosphere can change the amount of solar energy reflected away from Earth. Some types of aerosols, such as sea salt particles from the ocean, reflect sunlight back out into space, which can help to cool the climate. Others, such as black carbon particles from burning wood or fossil fuels, absorb most of the sunlight that hits them, which leads to warming.

Aerosols also help clouds form, which has an impact on climate. The millions of tiny water droplets that make up a cloud each need a particle, like an aerosol, for the water to condense upon. Air pollutants that increase the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere can also cause more clouds to form. Scientists are still exploring the impacts of different kinds of clouds on climate, but in general low clouds reflect incoming solar radiation back out to space, which has a cooling effect, and high clouds trap heat within the atmosphere, which has a warming effect.

Greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for years, much longer than aerosols can stay in the atmosphere. Thus, the warming effect of greenhouse gases is larger than the cooling effect of aerosols. Computer models indicate that, worldwide, the tiny aerosols cause about half as much cooling as greenhouse gases cause warming.

Warming Affects Air Quality, Too

Air pollution is causing the climate to change, and climate change is also causing air quality to change. Because of climate warming, the Earth experiences more extreme weather, such as heat waves and drought, which can negatively impact air quality. Heat waves cause an increase in ground-level ozone pollution because the chemical reactions that create ozone in the atmosphere occur more often in hot temperatures.

Higher pollen concentrations and longer pollen seasons are influenced by the changing climate. Airborne allergens, like pollen, decrease air quality and cause health problems.

During heat waves, areas of high pressure create stagnant air that concentrates air pollutants in one area. Prolonged high temperatures due to climate warming often lead to drought conditions where forest fires, which release carbon monoxide and particulates, become more common. Dry, dusty air during periods of hot weather also increases the amount of particulate pollution.

On a related note, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that causes the climate to warm also causes plants to grow. Increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide leads to an increase in the plants that cause allergies, which increases the amount of airborne allergen pollutants. The warming climate also extends the growing season in some areas, which increases the number of days with high pollen concentrations. Airborne allergens degrade both outdoor and indoor air quality and cause respiratory problems such as asthma and allergies. This establishes an unhealthy cycle where air pollution leads to climate warming, which then leads to more air pollution.

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Air pollutants have an impact on our planet's climate. Some pollutants cause the climate to warm, while others cause a temporary cooling effect.

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- Using public transportation more than driving.
- Buying an electric car.
- Buying things that not use fossil fuels.
- If we do not use, turning the lights off.
- Using alternative energies.

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Lesson Objectives

Describe the major ways that energy use can be reduced.

Discuss new technologies that are being developed to reduce air pollutants, including greenhouse gases.

Describe the difference between placing caps on emissions and reducing emissions.

Vocabulary

biofuel

cap-and-trade

carbon sequestration

carbon tax

catalyst

catalytic converter

fuel cell

gasification

hybrid vehicle

Introduction

The Clean Air Act of 1970 and the amendments since then have done a great job in requiring people to clean up the air over the United States. Emissions of the six major pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrous oxides, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulates, have decreased by more than 50%. Cars, power plants, and factories individually release less pollution than they did in the mid-20th century. But there are many more cars, power plants, and factories. Many pollutants are still being released and some substances have been found to be pollutants that were not known to be pollutants in the past. There is still much work to be done to continue to clean up the air.

Ways to Reduce Air Pollution

How can air pollution be reduced? Using less fossil fuel is one way to lessen pollution. Some examples of ways to conserve fossil fuels are:

Riding a bike or walking instead of driving.

Taking a bus or carpooling.

Buying a car that has greater fuel efficiency.

Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use.

Using energy efficient light bulbs and appliances.

Buying fewer things that are manufactured using fossil fuels.

All these actions reduce the amount of energy that power plants need to produce.

Developing alternative energy sources is important. Think back to the chapter, Earth's Energy. What are some of the problems facing wider adoption of alternative energy sources?

The technologies for several sources of alternative energy, including solar and wind, are still being developed.

Solar and wind are still expensive relative to using fossil fuels. The technology needs to advance so that the price falls.

Some areas get low amounts of sunlight and are not suited for solar. Others do not have much wind. It is important that regions develop what best suits them. While the desert Southwest will need to develop solar, the Great Plains can use wind energy as its energy source. Perhaps some locations will rely on nuclear power plants, although current nuclear power plants have major problems with safety and waste disposal.

Sometimes technological approaches are what is needed.

National Geographic videos exploring energy conservation are found in Environment Videos, Energy: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/.

What you can do to your home to help reduce energy use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h8QjZvcp0I. A very simple thing you can do to conserve energy is discussed in "This Bulb," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvOBHMb6Cqc.

Reducing Air Pollution from Vehicles

Reducing air pollution from vehicles can be done in a number of ways.

Breaking down pollutants before they are released into the atmosphere. Motor vehicles emit less pollution than they once did because of catalytic converters (Figure below). Catalytic converters contain a catalyst that speeds up chemical reactions and breaks down nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide, and VOCs. Catalytic converters only work when they are hot, so a lot of exhaust escapes as the car is warming up.

Catalytic converters are placed on modern cars in the United States.

Making a vehicle more fuel efficient. Lighter more streamlined vehicles need less energy. Hybrid vehicles have an electric motor and a rechargeable battery. The energy that would be lost during braking is funneled into charging the battery, which then can power the car. The internal combustion engine only takes over when power in the battery has run out. Hybrids can reduce auto emissions by 90% or more, but many models do not maximize the possible fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

A plug-in hybrid is plugged into an electricity source when it is not in use, perhaps in a garage, to make sure that the battery is charged. Plug-in hybrids run for a longer time on electricity and so are less polluting than regular hybrids. Plug-in hybrids are beginning to become available in 2010.

Developing new technologies that do not use fossil fuels. Fueling a car with something other than a liquid organic-based fuel is difficult. A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Hydrogen fuel cells harness the energy released when hydrogen and oxygen come together to create water (Figure below). Fuel cells are extremely efficient and they produce no pollutants. But developing fuel-cell technology has had many problems and no one knows when or if they will become practical.

A hydrogen fuel-cell car looks like a gasoline-powered car.

Reducing Industrial Air Pollution

Pollutants are removed from the exhaust streams of power plants and industrial plants before they enter the atmosphere. Particulates can be filtered out, and sulfur and nitric oxides can be broken down by catalysts. Removing these oxides reduces the pollutants that cause acid rain.

Particles are relatively easy to remove from emissions by using motion or electricity to separate particles from the gases. Scrubbers remove particles and waste gases from exhaust using liquids or neutralizing materials ( Figure below). Gases, such as nitrogen oxides, can be broken down at very high temperatures.

Scrubbers remove particles and waste gases from exhaust.

Gasification is a developing technology. In gasification, coal (rarely is another organic material used) is heated to extremely high temperatures to create syngas, which is then filtered and the energy goes on to drive a generator. Syngas releases about 80% less pollution than regular coal plants, and greenhouse gases are also lower. Clean coal plants do not need scrubbers or other pollution control devices. Although the technology is ready, clean coal plants are more expensive to construct and operate. Also, heating the coal to high enough temperatures uses a great deal of energy, so the technology is not energy efficient. In addition, large amounts of the greenhouse gas CO ₂ are still released with clean coal technology. Nonetheless, a few of these plants are operating in the United States and around the world.

Reducing Ozone Destruction

One success story in reducing pollutants that harm the atmosphere concerns ozone-destroying chemicals. In 1973, scientists calculated that CFCs could reach the stratosphere and break apart. This would release chlorine atoms, which would then destroy ozone. Based only on their calculations, the United States and most Scandinavian countries banned CFCs in spray cans in 1978.

More confirmation that CFCs break down ozone was needed before more was done to reduce production of ozone-destroying chemicals. In 1985, members of the British Antarctic Survey reported that a 50% reduction in the ozone layer had been found over Antarctica in the previous three springs. Two years later, the "Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer" was ratified by nations all over the world.

The Montreal Protocol controls the production and consumption of 96 chemicals that damage the ozone layer ( Figure below). Hazardous substances are phased out first by developed nations and one decade later by developing nations. More hazardous substances are phased out more quickly. CFCs have been mostly phased out since 1995, although were used in developing nations until 2010. Some of the less hazardous substances will not be phased out until 2030. The Protocol also requires that wealthier nations donate money to develop technologies that will replace these chemicals.

Ozone levels over North America decreased between 1974 and 2009. Models of the future predict what ozone levels would have been if CFCs were not being phased out. Warmer colors indicate more ozone.

Had CFCs not been phased out, by 2050 there would have been 10 times more skin cancer cases than in 1980. The result would have been about 20 million more cases of skin cancer in the United States and 130 million cases globally.

Since CFCs take many years to reach the stratosphere and they can survive there a long time before they break down, the ozone hole will probably continue to grow for some time before it begins to shrink. The ozone layer will reach the same levels it had before 1980 around 2068 and 1950 levels in one or two centuries.

Reducing Greenhouse Gases

Climate scientists agree that climate change is a global problem that must be attacked by a unified world with a single goal. All nations must come together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, getting nations to agree on anything has proven to be difficult. A few ideas have been proposed and in some nations are being enacted.

International Agreements

The first attempt to cap greenhouse gas emissions was the Kyoto Protocol, which climate scientists agree did not do enough in terms of cutting emissions or in getting nations to participate. The Kyoto Protocol set up a cap-and-trade system. Cap-and-trade provides a monetary incentive for nations to develop technologies that will reduce emissions and to conserve energy. Some states and cities within the United States have begun their own cap-and-trade systems.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference meets in a different location annually. Although recommendations are made each year, the group has not gotten the nations to sign on to a binding agreement. By doing nothing we are doing something - continuing to raise greenhouse gas levels and failing to prepare for the coming environmental changes.

How bad could a few degrees be? National Geographic has a set of videos about what to expect if temperature rises by each of these amounts by degree Celsius.

Carbon Tax

The easiest and quickest way is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to increase energy efficiency. One effective way to encourage efficiency is financial. A carbon tax can be placed on CO ₂ emissions to encourage conservation. The tax would be placed on gasoline, carbon dioxide emitted by factories, and home energy bills so people or businesses that emit more carbon would pay more money. This would encourage conservation since when people purchase a new car, for example, they would be more likely to purchase an energy efficient model. The money from the carbon tax would be used for research into alternative energy sources. All plans for a carbon tax allow a tax credit for people who cannot afford to pay more for energy so that they do not suffer unfairly.

New technologies can be developed, such as renewable sources that were discussed in the chapter,Earth's Energy. Biofuels can replace gasoline in vehicles, but they must be developed sensibly ( Figure below). So far much of the biofuel is produced from crops such as corn. But when food crops are used for fuel, the price of food goes up. Modern agriculture is also extremely reliant on fossil fuels for pesticides, fertilizers, and the work of farming. This means that not much energy is gained from using a biofuel over using the fossil fuels directly. More promising crops for biofuels are now being researched. Surprisingly, algae is being investigated as a source of fuel! The algae can be grown in areas that are not useful for agriculture, and it also contains much more usable oil than crops such as corn.

A bus that runs on soybean oil shows the potential of biofuels.

Carbon Capture and Sequestration

If climate change becomes bad enough, people can attempt to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere after they are emitted. Carbon sequestration occurs naturally when carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere by trees in a forest. One way to remove carbon would be to plant more trees, but unfortunately, more forest land is currently being lost than gained.

Carbon can also be artificially sequestered. For example, carbon can be captured from the emissions from gasification plants and then stored underground in salt layers or coal seams. While some small sequestration projects are in development, large-scale sequestration has not yet been attempted.

This type of carbon capture and sequestration comes under the heading of geoengineering. There are many other fascinating ideas in geoengineering that people have proposed that are worth looking at. One wild example is to shadow the planet with large orbiting objects. A large mirror in orbit could reflect about 2% of incoming solar radiation back into space. These sorts of solutions would be expensive in cost and energy.

Just as individuals can diminish other types of air pollution, people can fight global warming by conserving energy. Also, people can become involved in local, regional, and national efforts to make sound choices on energy policy.

Lesson Summary

Air pollutants can be reduced in many ways. The best method is to not use energy that produces the pollutants through conservation or increasing energy efficiency.

Alternative energy sources are another good way to reduce pollution. Most of these alternate energy technologies are still being refined (solar, wind) and some have other problems associated with them (nuclear, biofuels).

Pollutants can be removed from an exhaust stream by being filtered out or broken down. Some pollutants, such as CFCs, are best not released at all.

Review Questions

1. Since the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, why is the air still not clean?

2. What are some ways that you can conserve energy?

3. How does reducing air pollutants, as described in the Clean Air Act of 1970, affect greenhouse gas emissions?

4. What has to be done before alternative energy sources can replace fossil fuels?

5. What are catalytic converters?

6. Why are hybrid vehicles more energy efficient than regular vehicles powered by internal combustion engines?

7. Why aren't fuel-cell vehicles widely available yet?

8. How does a cyclone reduce particulate pollution?

9. How can coal power be made so that it has nearly zero carbon contribution to the atmosphere?

10. Why is it that the ozone hole will not be healed for several decades?

11. Many people think that biofuels are the solution to a lot of the problems of climate change, but others disagree. What requirements would biofuels have to meet if they were to be really effective at replacing gasoline in motor vehicles?

Points to Consider

Why is it important to reduce air pollution?

What can you do in your own life to reduce your impact on the atmosphere?

Why is a worldwide effort needed to reduce the threat of global climate change?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Describe the major ways that energy use can be reduced. Discuss new technologies that are being developed to reduce air pollutants, including greenhouse gases. Describe the difference between placing caps on emissions and reducing emissions.

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Cars, toxic fumes and gases are the major causes of air pollution.

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The problem of air pollution is especially serious in urban areas.

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People are trying to expand awareness about air pollution because if it is not controlled, it will put pour future in a great risk.

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How long has air pollution been a problem?

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How long has air pollution been a problem?

# data[].attributes.headline
How long has air pollution been a problem?

# data[].attributes.subject
How long has air pollution been a problem?

# data[].attributes.body
Air pollution has been associated with people for centuries, starting with the use of fire for cooking and warmth. Dangerously high levels of outdoor air pollution became an issue amid the industrial revolution, where the too much use of coal gave rise to numerous scenes of serious urban air pollution.

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Air Pollution Has Been a Problem Since the Days of Ancient Rome

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By testing ice cores in Greenland, scientists can look back at environmental data from millennia past

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What actions can goverments take to improve air quaility?

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What actions can goverments take to improve air quaility?

# data[].attributes.body
Governments ought to contribute in capacity to measure and monitor air pollution by building up checking systems; and ensuring that such systems are appropriately operated, maintained, and subjected to methods that ensure the quality and reliability of air quality measurements.

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Best policies to reduce air pollution

Most air pollution is produced by the burning of fossil fuels and waste, and this is the focus of the World Health Organization's global recommendations:

Moving from coal and gas power stations and diesel generators to solar, wind and hydropower

Prioritise walking, cycling and public transport over cars in urban areas and shift to electric cars

Improve the energy efficiency of homes to reduce heating needs and avoid coal and wood burning inside

Promoting waste reduction and use incineration only when unavoidable and when emissions controls are in place

Reduce the burning of stubble in fields upwind of cities

Create green spaces in cities to help remove some pollutants

In the UK, the government's extensive research shows deterring polluting vehicles from city and town centres is by far the quickest, most cost-effective way to cut levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution, which are at illegal levels in most urban areas.

Other policies include:

Retrofitting of buses, heavy goods vehicles and black cabs, which is the next most effective option

Scrappage schemes for older, polluting vehicles and subsidies for electric vehicles can also help reduce pollution, although ministers have cut the latter

Policies such as cutting speed limits on polluted motorway sections, labelling pollution levels clearly on new cars and training people to drive more cleanly all had minimal impact

Best ways to avoid air pollution

The solution to air pollution is stopping it at source but until that happens, experts including the British Lung Foundation (BLF) suggest the following:

Avoid spending long periods of time in places where pollution builds up, such as busy roads

If you travel on foot or a bike, using backstreet routes away from congested roads can cut exposure by half. Even on busy streets, cyclists experience less pollution than drivers

Some scientists recommend parents use covers on their buggies to protect infants

Go to work earlier, before the rush hour has begun and levels of pollution have built up

When air pollution is high and if you have lung condition such as asthma, reduce or avoid strenuous outdoor exercise, or do your exercise inside

There is very little evidence to recommend the use of face masks, according to the BLF

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How you and your government can tackle air pollution

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From walking more to reducing waste, here's what you can do to make a difference

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What actions can goverments take to improve air quaility?

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What actions can goverments take to improve air quaility?

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What actions can businesses and industry take to improve air quaility? 

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What actions can businesses and industry take to improve air quaility? 

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1. Switch to renewable energy
2. Use wet scrubbers and other mitigation technologies
3. Switch to electric vehicles in the supply chain
4. Choose cleaner, non-toxic raw materials
5. Use predictive analytics for more efficient enterprise planning

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5 Easy Ways Manufacturers Can Reduce Air Pollution

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Around the world businesses and producers are taking climate action and implmenting sustainability practices. Here are five things that manufacturers can do to reduce air pollution and play their part in minimizing environmental impact to help the future of humanity...

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What actions can businesses and industry take to improve air quaility? 

# data[].attributes.subject
What actions can businesses and industry take to improve air quaility? 

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As citizens, what we can do to prevent air pollution?

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As citizens, what we can do to prevent air pollution?

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As citizens, how we can raise awareness among other uninformed citizens?

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As citizens, how we can raise awareness among other uninformed citizens?

# data[].attributes.headline
Which organizations are suitable for partnering about air pollution?

# data[].attributes.subject
Which organizations are suitable for partnering about air pollution?

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Air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.

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Air pollution is known to cause irritation in the eyes, lungs, nose, and throat which leads to respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchititis.

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Bangladesh is the most polluted country in the world while Finland is the cleanest.

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As citizens, what can we do to prevent air pollution?

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As citizens, what can we do to prevent air pollution?

# data[].attributes.body
Even with small changes, we can contribute to prevent air pollution. Riding a bike, walking instead of driving or buying a car that has greater fuel efficiency is just some of them. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use and using energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances are also some of the easiest ones to help that.

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Lesson Objectives

Describe the major ways that energy use can be reduced.

Discuss new technologies that are being developed to reduce air pollutants, including greenhouse gases.

Describe the difference between placing caps on emissions and reducing emissions.

Vocabulary

biofuel

cap-and-trade

carbon sequestration

carbon tax

catalyst

catalytic converter

fuel cell

gasification

hybrid vehicle

Introduction

The Clean Air Act of 1970 and the amendments since then have done a great job in requiring people to clean up the air over the United States. Emissions of the six major pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrous oxides, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulates, have decreased by more than 50%. Cars, power plants, and factories individually release less pollution than they did in the mid-20th century. But there are many more cars, power plants, and factories. Many pollutants are still being released and some substances have been found to be pollutants that were not known to be pollutants in the past. There is still much work to be done to continue to clean up the air.

Ways to Reduce Air Pollution

How can air pollution be reduced? Using less fossil fuel is one way to lessen pollution. Some examples of ways to conserve fossil fuels are:

Riding a bike or walking instead of driving.

Taking a bus or carpooling.

Buying a car that has greater fuel efficiency.

Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use.

Using energy efficient light bulbs and appliances.

Buying fewer things that are manufactured using fossil fuels.

All these actions reduce the amount of energy that power plants need to produce.

Developing alternative energy sources is important. Think back to the chapter, Earth's Energy. What are some of the problems facing wider adoption of alternative energy sources?

The technologies for several sources of alternative energy, including solar and wind, are still being developed.

Solar and wind are still expensive relative to using fossil fuels. The technology needs to advance so that the price falls.

Some areas get low amounts of sunlight and are not suited for solar. Others do not have much wind. It is important that regions develop what best suits them. While the desert Southwest will need to develop solar, the Great Plains can use wind energy as its energy source. Perhaps some locations will rely on nuclear power plants, although current nuclear power plants have major problems with safety and waste disposal.

Sometimes technological approaches are what is needed.

National Geographic videos exploring energy conservation are found in Environment Videos, Energy: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/.

What you can do to your home to help reduce energy use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h8QjZvcp0I. A very simple thing you can do to conserve energy is discussed in "This Bulb," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvOBHMb6Cqc.

Reducing Air Pollution from Vehicles

Reducing air pollution from vehicles can be done in a number of ways.

Breaking down pollutants before they are released into the atmosphere. Motor vehicles emit less pollution than they once did because of catalytic converters (Figure below). Catalytic converters contain a catalyst that speeds up chemical reactions and breaks down nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide, and VOCs. Catalytic converters only work when they are hot, so a lot of exhaust escapes as the car is warming up.

Catalytic converters are placed on modern cars in the United States.

Making a vehicle more fuel efficient. Lighter more streamlined vehicles need less energy. Hybrid vehicles have an electric motor and a rechargeable battery. The energy that would be lost during braking is funneled into charging the battery, which then can power the car. The internal combustion engine only takes over when power in the battery has run out. Hybrids can reduce auto emissions by 90% or more, but many models do not maximize the possible fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

A plug-in hybrid is plugged into an electricity source when it is not in use, perhaps in a garage, to make sure that the battery is charged. Plug-in hybrids run for a longer time on electricity and so are less polluting than regular hybrids. Plug-in hybrids are beginning to become available in 2010.

Developing new technologies that do not use fossil fuels. Fueling a car with something other than a liquid organic-based fuel is difficult. A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Hydrogen fuel cells harness the energy released when hydrogen and oxygen come together to create water (Figure below). Fuel cells are extremely efficient and they produce no pollutants. But developing fuel-cell technology has had many problems and no one knows when or if they will become practical.

A hydrogen fuel-cell car looks like a gasoline-powered car.

Reducing Industrial Air Pollution

Pollutants are removed from the exhaust streams of power plants and industrial plants before they enter the atmosphere. Particulates can be filtered out, and sulfur and nitric oxides can be broken down by catalysts. Removing these oxides reduces the pollutants that cause acid rain.

Particles are relatively easy to remove from emissions by using motion or electricity to separate particles from the gases. Scrubbers remove particles and waste gases from exhaust using liquids or neutralizing materials ( Figure below). Gases, such as nitrogen oxides, can be broken down at very high temperatures.

Scrubbers remove particles and waste gases from exhaust.

Gasification is a developing technology. In gasification, coal (rarely is another organic material used) is heated to extremely high temperatures to create syngas, which is then filtered and the energy goes on to drive a generator. Syngas releases about 80% less pollution than regular coal plants, and greenhouse gases are also lower. Clean coal plants do not need scrubbers or other pollution control devices. Although the technology is ready, clean coal plants are more expensive to construct and operate. Also, heating the coal to high enough temperatures uses a great deal of energy, so the technology is not energy efficient. In addition, large amounts of the greenhouse gas CO ₂ are still released with clean coal technology. Nonetheless, a few of these plants are operating in the United States and around the world.

Reducing Ozone Destruction

One success story in reducing pollutants that harm the atmosphere concerns ozone-destroying chemicals. In 1973, scientists calculated that CFCs could reach the stratosphere and break apart. This would release chlorine atoms, which would then destroy ozone. Based only on their calculations, the United States and most Scandinavian countries banned CFCs in spray cans in 1978.

More confirmation that CFCs break down ozone was needed before more was done to reduce production of ozone-destroying chemicals. In 1985, members of the British Antarctic Survey reported that a 50% reduction in the ozone layer had been found over Antarctica in the previous three springs. Two years later, the "Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer" was ratified by nations all over the world.

The Montreal Protocol controls the production and consumption of 96 chemicals that damage the ozone layer ( Figure below). Hazardous substances are phased out first by developed nations and one decade later by developing nations. More hazardous substances are phased out more quickly. CFCs have been mostly phased out since 1995, although were used in developing nations until 2010. Some of the less hazardous substances will not be phased out until 2030. The Protocol also requires that wealthier nations donate money to develop technologies that will replace these chemicals.

Ozone levels over North America decreased between 1974 and 2009. Models of the future predict what ozone levels would have been if CFCs were not being phased out. Warmer colors indicate more ozone.

Had CFCs not been phased out, by 2050 there would have been 10 times more skin cancer cases than in 1980. The result would have been about 20 million more cases of skin cancer in the United States and 130 million cases globally.

Since CFCs take many years to reach the stratosphere and they can survive there a long time before they break down, the ozone hole will probably continue to grow for some time before it begins to shrink. The ozone layer will reach the same levels it had before 1980 around 2068 and 1950 levels in one or two centuries.

Reducing Greenhouse Gases

Climate scientists agree that climate change is a global problem that must be attacked by a unified world with a single goal. All nations must come together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, getting nations to agree on anything has proven to be difficult. A few ideas have been proposed and in some nations are being enacted.

International Agreements

The first attempt to cap greenhouse gas emissions was the Kyoto Protocol, which climate scientists agree did not do enough in terms of cutting emissions or in getting nations to participate. The Kyoto Protocol set up a cap-and-trade system. Cap-and-trade provides a monetary incentive for nations to develop technologies that will reduce emissions and to conserve energy. Some states and cities within the United States have begun their own cap-and-trade systems.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference meets in a different location annually. Although recommendations are made each year, the group has not gotten the nations to sign on to a binding agreement. By doing nothing we are doing something - continuing to raise greenhouse gas levels and failing to prepare for the coming environmental changes.

How bad could a few degrees be? National Geographic has a set of videos about what to expect if temperature rises by each of these amounts by degree Celsius.

Carbon Tax

The easiest and quickest way is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to increase energy efficiency. One effective way to encourage efficiency is financial. A carbon tax can be placed on CO ₂ emissions to encourage conservation. The tax would be placed on gasoline, carbon dioxide emitted by factories, and home energy bills so people or businesses that emit more carbon would pay more money. This would encourage conservation since when people purchase a new car, for example, they would be more likely to purchase an energy efficient model. The money from the carbon tax would be used for research into alternative energy sources. All plans for a carbon tax allow a tax credit for people who cannot afford to pay more for energy so that they do not suffer unfairly.

New technologies can be developed, such as renewable sources that were discussed in the chapter,Earth's Energy. Biofuels can replace gasoline in vehicles, but they must be developed sensibly ( Figure below). So far much of the biofuel is produced from crops such as corn. But when food crops are used for fuel, the price of food goes up. Modern agriculture is also extremely reliant on fossil fuels for pesticides, fertilizers, and the work of farming. This means that not much energy is gained from using a biofuel over using the fossil fuels directly. More promising crops for biofuels are now being researched. Surprisingly, algae is being investigated as a source of fuel! The algae can be grown in areas that are not useful for agriculture, and it also contains much more usable oil than crops such as corn.

A bus that runs on soybean oil shows the potential of biofuels.

Carbon Capture and Sequestration

If climate change becomes bad enough, people can attempt to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere after they are emitted. Carbon sequestration occurs naturally when carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere by trees in a forest. One way to remove carbon would be to plant more trees, but unfortunately, more forest land is currently being lost than gained.

Carbon can also be artificially sequestered. For example, carbon can be captured from the emissions from gasification plants and then stored underground in salt layers or coal seams. While some small sequestration projects are in development, large-scale sequestration has not yet been attempted.

This type of carbon capture and sequestration comes under the heading of geoengineering. There are many other fascinating ideas in geoengineering that people have proposed that are worth looking at. One wild example is to shadow the planet with large orbiting objects. A large mirror in orbit could reflect about 2% of incoming solar radiation back into space. These sorts of solutions would be expensive in cost and energy.

Just as individuals can diminish other types of air pollution, people can fight global warming by conserving energy. Also, people can become involved in local, regional, and national efforts to make sound choices on energy policy.

Lesson Summary

Air pollutants can be reduced in many ways. The best method is to not use energy that produces the pollutants through conservation or increasing energy efficiency.

Alternative energy sources are another good way to reduce pollution. Most of these alternate energy technologies are still being refined (solar, wind) and some have other problems associated with them (nuclear, biofuels).

Pollutants can be removed from an exhaust stream by being filtered out or broken down. Some pollutants, such as CFCs, are best not released at all.

Review Questions

1. Since the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, why is the air still not clean?

2. What are some ways that you can conserve energy?

3. How does reducing air pollutants, as described in the Clean Air Act of 1970, affect greenhouse gas emissions?

4. What has to be done before alternative energy sources can replace fossil fuels?

5. What are catalytic converters?

6. Why are hybrid vehicles more energy efficient than regular vehicles powered by internal combustion engines?

7. Why aren't fuel-cell vehicles widely available yet?

8. How does a cyclone reduce particulate pollution?

9. How can coal power be made so that it has nearly zero carbon contribution to the atmosphere?

10. Why is it that the ozone hole will not be healed for several decades?

11. Many people think that biofuels are the solution to a lot of the problems of climate change, but others disagree. What requirements would biofuels have to meet if they were to be really effective at replacing gasoline in motor vehicles?

Points to Consider

Why is it important to reduce air pollution?

What can you do in your own life to reduce your impact on the atmosphere?

Why is a worldwide effort needed to reduce the threat of global climate change?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Describe the major ways that energy use can be reduced. Discuss new technologies that are being developed to reduce air pollutants, including greenhouse gases. Describe the difference between placing caps on emissions and reducing emissions.

# data[].attributes.headline
As citizens, how can raise awareness about air pollution among other uninformed citizens?    

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As citizens, how can raise awareness about air pollution among other uninformed citizens?    

# data[].attributes.body
1. Attend a Rally or March

2. Use Social Media

3. Contact Elected Officials

4. Recommend Books and Movies

5. Be More Accommodating

6. Write Articles and Create Videos

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There's no way around it. We can only protect our planet through action. This effort can't happen without educating the greater public and raising awareness about environmental issues - and that includes everyone, from parents to neighbors to strangers. How do we effectively and efficiently get the word out about the environment? Here are six ways to raise awareness about environmental issues.

1. Attend a Rally or March

A strike can be an effective way to draw attention. Consider movements like 2017's People's Climate March in Washington, D.C. The same thing happened in 2019 when millions of people worldwide gathered in their respective countries before the United Nations Climate Action Summit, and again in 2022 when Fridays for Future carried out global strikes in protest of global heating. These events received significant news coverage.

If you can't find a rally or march to attend, you should talk to like-minded individuals to organize your own. There are climate change activists everywhere, so you won't have to look very hard to find people who want to help. Be sure to promote your event early and often so that you can achieve a high turnout.

Rallies and marches can be especially effective when you have local issues related to climate that you could rally around. If you want to learn more about creating a successful rally or march, look no further than learning from many young climate activists who have both organized and attended rallies or marches to help our planet.

2. Use Social Media

We all know social media has power. Online platforms can work as tools to help you educate more people. It might not seem like much to share, like, and comment on posts, but you'd be surprised at how much influence those actions have. You only need to see one tweet to change your perspective.

Try using your online presence to the planet's advantage. An easily-digestible post with accurate information can do wonders. If you don't have time to create that content, you should look for social media accounts that promote sustainable living and discuss environmental topics. From there, you can follow these accounts and share their content.

Be careful what you share on social media, however. Some people have promoted sustainability while also taking tourist trips that are anything but sustainable and end up sending mixed messages to their followers. Spreading public awareness can also sometimes backfire, as in the case of slow lorises having an increasing demand for them as pets, which has put this animal in danger of extinction.

Research each topic and craft your messages carefully to have the greatest chance of making a positive change.

3. Contact Elected Officials

Our elected officials have more authority than anyone else. After all, they write and sign legislation that becomes law. It's vital to put people in office who want to protect our planet. By contacting them, you can do your best as a constituent to raise awareness about environmental issues.

If you have an issue you want to address, you should contact local and state legislators via email or phone. They might already have a solution, but you need to hold them accountable either way. It's also smart to learn about their backgrounds so you know whether to vote for them during the next election.

Tips for contacting elected officials include:

Identify yourself: The first paragraph of your letter or email should identify you as a constituent. It should also briefly explain why you're writing to the legislator.

Keep it brief: Ideally, a letter or email should be one page long or less.

Be original: There are plenty of pre-written letters you can simply sign and send to a legislator, but original correspondence helps you stand out from the crowd. Consider using a pre-written letter as a template to write your own unique message.

Be succinct: Sometimes, less is more. Choose a maximum of three main points to address in your correspondence.

Get personal: Does the legislation you're writing about affect your life personally? If so, tell the legislator about it. Include a short story about how the legislation will affect you and your community.

Be respectful: It's fine to take a firm stance on an issue, but always keep your message respectful - even if you disagree with a legislator politically.

Include your address: Many legislators are too busy to send a response. However, including your address gives them a chance to reply if they have time. It also solidifies the fact that you are a constituent.

4. Recommend Books and Movies

It's not always easy to conceptualize climate change. This phenomenon doesn't affect us in ways we can immediately see, hear or feel. The world might be getting warmer - but that's not necessarily remarkable to the average person. As a result, you should try recommending media that helps your friends and family learn about climate change more tangibly.

Watch something like Our Planet or Before the Flood for your next movie night. You can also lend reads such as The Uninhabitable Earth and How to Prepare for Climate Change: A Practical Guide to Surviving the Chaos to your loved ones. These resources offer a more accessible and intriguing way for people to learn about climate change.

Reading is also a great way to help people of all ages challenge their thinking and learn from other opinions. Whether it's encouraging your children to read about nature and wildlife or starting a book club in which you tackle the latest non-fiction books on climate and the environment, reading helps us all understand more about our place in the world.

5. Be Accommodating

There are times when activists can seem unapproachable. If you're using buzzwords like "net zero" and "carbon footprint" without explaining them, you can't expect everyone to listen to what you have to say. Your message won't seem relatable. A person who adjusts their vocabulary accordingly will reach more people.

This method isn't "dumbing down" specific concepts. It's simply speaking to people in a language they understand. Try to incorporate more straightforward phrases into your vocabulary.

For example, instead of mentioning a company's carbon footprint, you could talk about how much greenhouse gas - especially carbon dioxide - the business emits when manufacturing and shipping its products. Rather than saying a corporation is carbon neutral, explain that it removes just as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it emits. These small changes can accommodate people who aren't as well versed in climate policy as you are.

You can even share stories and anecdotes as a way to make things personal. These tactics will make a difference.

6. Write Articles and Create Videos

Do you have a creative streak? If so, you should consider putting out content to raise awareness about environmental issues. This method will be especially useful when you want to inspire hope or shine a light on unknown topics. There's always room for more articles and videos about how people can make a difference.

You can use online platforms like blogs and YouTube to publish your content. Eventually, you should have a repository of content that helps raise awareness. We can never have too much information surrounding climate change.

Be sure to use your social media presence to promote your content. There's a higher chance people will see everything that way. You can also reach out to publications to see whether you can be featured.

The Importance of Action

Even though we all know the importance of taking action for the environment, how many of us do anything about it? Knowing what to do is just the first step - we need to take that knowledge and turn it into action.

According to Yale's 2021 climate opinions map, 72% of American adults believe global warming is happening. Yet how many Americans are taking steps based on these beliefs? We conducted a survey of the American public to find out how many are taking action to raise awareness for the environment. Here are the results.

According to our survey, nearly 50% of Americans have taken zero action to raise environmental awareness. This indicates that even though many might recognize, in theory, the importance of protecting the environment, far fewer are going out of their way to support the idea. But if we want real change to happen, we need to start living out our beliefs today.

Ways to Raise Awareness About Environmental Issues

It's essential for people who care for the planet to raise awareness about climate change. If we want to protect the Earth, we need everyone's participation. Consider exploring these ideas to help you speak up and educate others. Your efforts can not only help inspire others to act but also change the future of our world and everyone in it.

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6 Surprising Ways You Can Raise Awareness About Environmental Issues - Environment Co

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If you're looking to more actively participate in helping the planet, learn how to raise awareness about environmental issues.

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Which organizations are suitable for partnering about air pollution?

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Which organizations are suitable for partnering about air pollution?

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OECD environment

WHO (World Health Organisation)

WHO - Air quality management

UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe)

UNECE - Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution

UNECE - VOC Protocol

IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis)

IIASA - Air quality

European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau

United States Environmental Protection Agency

International Maritime Organisation

European Maritime Safety Agency

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Useful Links - Air - Environment - European Commission

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A list of usefull links, projects, initiatives and national contact details related to EU air policy.

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Peed edit by Cumali Kaz