The greatest misfortune in the modern generation is that humans, whom according to the biblical world view are supposed to be earth’s stewards are literally destroying the earth. Available research and expert commentary reveal that air pollution is one of the biggest threats to life on earth, both flora and fauna, as currently constituted (Steg, 2018). A simple definition of air pollution can be any act or omission whether or not by human beings, which adversely affects the quality of air. The definition of air in the instant context is expanded to mean all the air that has been trapped in the earth’s ozone. Whereas it is possible for air to be polluted by non-human activities such as the eruption of volcanoes, the vast amount of modern air pollution is caused by human activity (Steg, 2018). The level of air pollution in the modern world is getting out of hand and humans are doubly responsible for it, first as failing stewards and secondly as perpetrators of air pollution.
Air pollution can be defined as an activity that substantively reduces the quality of air within the earth’s atmosphere. Air pollution involves simple activities such as a smoker releasing tobacco smoke into the air or combustion of waste which releases toxic fumes into the air (Steg, 2018). It is also as complex as the release of massive industrial waste in the air which has the ability to substantively change the atmosphere. Under the Biblical principles of environmental stewardship, humans are supposed to take care of the earth just as God takes care of humans as outlined in several portions of scripture (DeWitt, 2016). Humans have a duty to protect the earth from the kind of damage occasioned by air pollution.
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There are three critical bearing factors for air pollution over and above the tens of other minor factors. The first primary factor is population explosion with the earth’s population has being in a rapid increase in the last century (Steg, 2018). Every human life on earth contributes to air pollution in one way or the other hence a high population means higher environmental pollution. The second factor is the lack of political goodwill (Hopper, 2019). For example, individuals as powerful as the current US president had shown disdain for scientific evidence on climate change. The final bearing factor is economic in nature (Seinfeld & Pandis, 2016). For example, fossil fuels are responsible for most of the modern air pollution yet for economic reasons, it is almost impossible to do away with fossil fuels.
Air pollution not only adversely affects every human being on earth but also almost every form of life. From a direct perspective, the impact of air pollution depends on what kind of pollution individuals are exposed to. For example, a child who lives in the same home as a smoker has increased chances of developing lung cancer (Nollen et al., 2017). On a grander scale, air pollution affects everyone as all life shares atmospheric air. It is important to note that the nature of the earth’s atmospheric air is key to the survival of most of the flora and fauna in the earth today. Further, the constitution of air in the atmosphere controls how the rays of the sun affect life on the surface of the earth and also how warm the atmosphere is (Seinfeld & Pandis, 2016). A high level of change in atmospheric air will make it impossible for most life to be sustained on earth. Further, the release of too much greenhouse gasses can contribute to a gradual increase in temperature and the resultant concept of climate change.
The strategies for the mitigation and prevention of air pollution vary exponentially from place to place and are layered from the local level through the state level to the federal level. US politics is primarily divided into conservatives and liberal and in the instant issue, liberals support protection from air pollution while conservatives seek to protect the economy from the extremities of environmental conservation measures (Hopper, 2019). Despite the differences, several strategies have been put in place to mitigate pollution. Among the key one is to reduce the overall use of fossil fuels through energy efficiency and use of cleaner sources of energy such as solar, wind and hydro energy (Steg, 2018). At local levels, efforts to reduce air pollution include the designation of smoking areas and development of by-laws to control waste management.
The most viable means of reducing the current runaway levels of air pollution is to limit all combustion of mineral oil to controlled industrial-level use only. Most of the other forms of air pollution such as combustion of waste and cigarette smoking can easily be controlled at local levels. However, the overall destruction of atmospheric air can only be prevented through converted efforts stemming from a federal and global level. Currently, combustion of mineral oil is localized with individuals controlling their own vehicles, motorcycles, small power generators, and other gadgets (Seinfeld & Pandis, 2016). Despite laws, rules, and regulations, the ability to control air pollution by the hundreds of millions of small engines spread across the USA is difficult. As a solution, all local energy usage should be electric in nature in the long run. Transports, manufacturing and all other local energy usage should be based on electricity (Seinfeld & Pandis, 2016). Mineral oil would then be combusted together in a well-controlled environment to produce electricity.
The instant proposal would be extremely expensive to launch electric vehicle programs would need to be expanded and combustion engine programs eliminated. However, the massive cost would be covered by the ease of usage, improvement in hygiene and the exponential reduction in air pollution that would result. Further, the US shares atmospheric air with the rest of the world (Seinfeld & Pandis, 2016). The instant long-term strategy would only attain its objective at least the 20 largest economies in the world also adopted it hence it would require both global support and global adoption. The plan would also require political goodwill of all Americans as it would involve a change in laws and public policy.
There are many forms of pollution but as outlined above, it is air pollution that has the actual potential for world ending ramifications. Conversely, there are many causes of air pollution but in the current dispensation, human activity in general, including the combustion of mineral fuel is the main source of air pollution. Due to the extreme nature of the problem, reasonable solutions must be extreme. As elimination of mineral oil is currently not feasible, a long-term solution for the centralization of all combustion of mineral oil would be a good start for the mitigation of air pollution.
References
DeWitt, C. B. (2016). III. Earth Stewardship and Laudato Si’. The Quarterly review of biology , 91 (3), 271-284.
Hopper, J. S. (2019). Having it all? The implications of public health and environmental protection partnerships in the American states. Environmental Policy and Governance , 29 (1), 35-45.
Nollen, N. L., Mayo, M. S., Clark, L., Cox, L. S., Khariwala, S. S., Pulvers, K., ... & Ahluwalia, J. S. (2017). Tobacco toxicant exposure in cigarette smokers who use or do not use other tobacco products. Drug and alcohol dependence , 179 , 330-336.
Seinfeld, J. H., & Pandis, S. N. (2016). Atmospheric chemistry and physics: from air pollution to climate change . Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Steg, L. (2018). Environmental psychology: An introduction . Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell.
