Air Pollution Essays (2011 words) - Natural Environment, Pollution

Air Pollution (name, title) Executive Summary An evaluation of the implications of environmental air pollution on human life and the macro, meso and micro level steps being taken to change the current status of air pollution is the purpose of this site. The method of analysis used involved researching the actual hazards of air pollution on humans, what solutions government agencies have proposed/implemented (macro), what steps cities across the United States have taken (meso) and how you (micro) can take a ?step toward? solving the air pollution problem. The conclusion I have drawn from this research is that with the abundance of evidence supporting the idea that air pollution has become a serious problem, our society (individuals and businesses together) needs to adopt a holistic pro-active stance against air pollution. (picture and quote) Introduction In order to maintain a concise, yet informative evaluation of my research, I have categorized my findings in to four parts: Part 1: The effect of air pollution on human health. Part 2: Actions taken at the macro level. Part 3: Actions taken at the meso level. Part 4: Actions to take at the micro level. I will discuss each part listed above and I will argue for a more holistic, pro- active and more connected approach to tackling the problem of air pollution. My final thoughts will probe you to think about the role you do play in our society's future and ask you to act on incorporating new thoughts. Part 1: The effect of air pollution on human health. Garrett's quote above is from an eye opening book about the ?Human Factor? and emerging infectious diseases. Although the book describes exotic places like the Amazon jungle and Saharan Africa, an often overlooked place for emerging illnesses is right where the majority of humans live ... the city. The city is the center for modern life as we know it. Yet, the city is also becoming a center for death and illness. Air pollution is a popular environmental problem that people rally around. As a society, what are we actually doing to solve this problem and help prevent an epidemic that is quietly arising out of the inner city? The disease that is becoming a quiet killer in the inner city is asthma. Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that causes tightening of the chest and difficulty breathing. Asthma has no single cause, but episodes can be brought on by a variety of factors working alone or in combination. Environmental epidemiologists are currently studying the most recent outbreaks of this disease and why inner city children are suffering most from this illness. According to the American Lung Association, asthma afflicts over 15 million Americans. The frightening aspect of this statistic is that the largest group of people represented by this number is children. The United States has an overall asthma rate of about 5 percent. However, the rate in New York City is 8.4 percent and it can reach 25 percent among children in the poorest urban neighborhoods. (statistic, picture) Air pollutants such as ozone, diesel fumes and exhaust particles seem to be the main source of the problem. Hospital admissions for asthma often rise to 20 - 30 percent during periods of severe air pollution. Clearly, it is not illegal to be admitted to the hospital, but it seems only humane that air pollution caused by human acts (i.e. driving cars) making people sick enough to have to go to the hospital should be illegal. Clearly then, there is a correlation between human acts of convenience and causing human illness. The question we must ask now is: If asthma is a disease of civilization, what aspects of modern life can we change to help our fellow humans? Part 2: Actions taken at the macro level. For the purpose of this site, the macro level is defined as an entity larger than a business and more powerful than the city in which the business presides. The discussion that follows then, is an example of an effort made by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ?clean our air? and human reactions to the EPA's efforts. In July of 1997, the EPA issued new clean air rules designed to cut levels of smog and soot in the air. Ever since the rules were proposed back in November 1996, the agency has