Winning the war against air pollution is one the objective every government is trying to achieve. It is essential to understand that the effects of air pollution are devastating especially their contribution to the development of respiratory diseases. The government needs to partner with the citizens in fighting this war. Also environmentalist needs to establish the best possible long-term solutions for controlling air pollution and encourage people to observe measures if they want to win the fight against the menace.
It is difficult for anyone to escape air pollution, every living thing needs to breathe and when the air is contaminated everyone’s health is at risk. Sometimes people believe because they consume healthy food and avoid situations which might risk their health, they remain immune to all diseases. However, current circumstances of air pollution place everyone at increased risk of chronic respiratory illnesses due to air pollution.
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It is necessary to understand what pollution is before focusing on air pollution. Pollution occurs when adverse substances especially chemical and energy are introduced into the environment and which have tremendous harmful effects on the planet (Schmale et al., 2014). Pollution interferes with the balance of the ecosystem and affects the healthy lifestyle of every living organism. Lately, air pollution is at its peak due to technological advancement and massive industrial development making people become prisoners of their creations.
Air pollution is a common term that everyone hears continuously and has been recognized all through the world for a long time. It is contamination of air through the introduction or discharge of harmful chemical substances into the air; the elements have unsafe impacts to the earth’s atmosphere and the wellbeing of people (Williams et al., 2012). Individuals who live in an area with a high concentration of air pollution elements are at a greater risk of contracting chronic respiratory conditions. Moreover, it results in the development of attention deficit disorder (ADD) in unborn children and often results in the death of more than 1 million seabirds and warm-blooded ocean animals every year.
Every country is on the war against air pollution, and China appears to be at the foremost in winning the war. By making such progress, Chinese life expectancy may improve by more than two years if they succeed in fighting air pollution. The government of China has been waging war to clean its skies from smog and frost that has reduced life expectancy in some part of the country. The smog has forced the citizens to buy nose masks and air purifiers to protect their health during the peak season of air pollution (Zhang & Li, 2014).
Research conducted by the energy policy institute at the University of Chicago analyzed daily data from over 200 monitors across China. The study stipulated that the country is winning the war against air pollution from 2013-2017. The analysis found that the cities in China have cut down the levels of tiny airborne fine particle matters also known as PM 2.5 which are harmful to people’s health in just four years by an average of 32 percent. If China maintains this balance on fine particle reduction, the life expectancy of Chinese people will increase by 2.4 years comparative to 2013. PM 2.5 is one of the main contributors to heart, stroke and respiratory diseases such as asthma and cancers.
In today's complex world, everything on sale has dangerous chemicals in it; waste material is present everywhere both on land and water. Increase on gasoline combustion from automobiles on roads, industrial wastes and emissions mean that the process of controlling air pollution is not easy and that air pollution is more than just smog in the air. The quality of the air people breath is linked to numerous disasters, from childhood cancer, asthma to global warming. Turning a blind eye to the air pollution challenge, and it risks not only the health of citizens but also the health of future generations. However, there is still time to make a change toward air pollution environment by practicing the following air pollution control methods.
Reducing the use of automobiles; gasoline engines do more than just contributing to ground-level ozone. Production of gasoline requires the burning of fossil fuels such as black coal and oil which produce sulfur dioxide which causes air pollution. Environmental protection agencies have stated that petroleum refineries are the critical producer of sulfur dioxide and the more a vehicle stay on the road, the more the polluted air that people breathe (Ringquist, 2016). While it is not entirely possible to eliminate automobiles, since people depend on them for transit from one location to another, car owners should make sure they use the car efficiently by driving within the set speed limit recommended by the manufacturer and the government. They should also turn the engine off while on traffic, and maintain the vehicle regularly according to the environmental protection agency. All of these measures will help to minimize the hazardous gasses emitted into the atmosphere.
Buying fuel efficient automobiles is also another option that helps reduce air pollution. Currently, car manufacturers are embarking in producing cars with low fuel consumption which help to minimize emission of harmful gasses to the environment. The government should advocate for more eco-friendly modes of transportation, by urging assembly plants to manufacture the electric and solar vehicles which produce no emission, it should also pass a law which encourages the use of public transport and carpooling to help to curb air pollution (Vallero, 2014).
Shifting to an alternative power source such as solar power, geothermal power, and wind power which produce less carbon emission and it is safe to say they are environmentally friendly and efficient. Today's solar panels are exceptional in design and installation. Some are colorful and easy to install directly into the roof. Solar panels produce clean and renewable energy, and the power generated is enough light and heat homes. The power utility company should shift to geothermal and wind power which is eco-friendly with no effect on air pollution.
Turning to energy efficient appliances; when households fully comply with using energy saving appliances in their homes, it will help to minimize electricity wastage and curb air pollution. When the power consumption reduces, the energy production by power utility plants will perpetually come down which aids in reducing the amount of air pollution caused by power plants. Refrain from burning waste produced in homes; recycling is one of the methods every household should implement to get rid of waste product or sell them to recycling companies, which help to minimize air pollution. This same rule should also apply when disposing of garden waste (Jacobson, 2010). A much efficient way is choosing traditional methods like composting. Compositing will help in improving soil nutrients. These two methods of getting rid of waste will aid in saving money and resources, and at the same time minimizing air pollution.
Industrial companies should use technologically advanced air pollution control equipment, such as fabric filters Fabric which helps in removing dust components in the air by a process called bag filtration making the air clean and safe. The other equipment is wet scrubbers which are installed in smoke chimneys to help remove acidic gasses from fumes and smoke released into the atmosphere. Adhering to the rules and regulations set to prevent air pollution. Launch campaigns from spreading awareness on existing health and environmental hazard associated with air pollution, this process may be seen as not an effective method of controlling air pollution, but in the long run, the desired objective will be realized in the betterment of the environment.
Practice afforestation, continuous planting of trees will help control air pollution. Trees have the capability of converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, purifying the air every day, sawmilling should be restricted, and environmentalist should focus on educating citizens on the importance of tree to the ecosystem and urge them to plant more trees, tree and plant leaves absorbs or intercept air pollutant substances such as fine particles and the components of smog . Another advantage of trees is they help to cool households and to create less need for air conditioning (Lee & Sarran, 2015).
Green building; house contractors should practice green building commencing from design to the destruction of the building. The green building construction objective is to create an ecological friendly environment and a structure which uses resources efficiently to help lower the carbon footprint in the environment. Use of natural products and non-Toxicant cleaners, every household should opt to use greenest and cleanest products that do not contain harmful air pollutant. Most of the air freshener, detergent, cleaners and paints on the market contain toxic elements; the concoction contains volatile organic compounds that vaporize to pollute the air, to minimize air pollution, it's essential to choose products manufactured with natural organic material which do not produce fumes (Simioni, 2004).
In conclusion, peoples should not overlook the quality of the air which gets in your body and should take actions to keep it clean; the only way possible to win the war against air pollution is through adhering to the following control measure explained above.
References
Jacobson, M. Z. (2010). Short ‐ term effects of controlling fossil ‐ fuel soot, biofuel soot and gases, and methane on climate, Arctic ice, and air pollution health. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 115(D14).
Lee, D., & Sarran, C. (2015). Controlling for unmeasured confounding and spatial misalignment in long ‐ term air pollution and health studies. Environmetrics, 26(7), 477-487.
Ringquist, E. J. (2016). Environmental Protection at the State Level: Politics and Progress in Controlling Pollution: Politics and Progress in Controlling Pollution. Routledge.
Schmale, J., Shindell, D., von Schneidemesser, E., Chabay, I., & Lawrence, M. (2014). Air pollution: clean up our skies. Nature News, 515(7527), 335.
Simioni, D. (2004). Air pollution and citizen awareness (No. 73). United Nations Publications.
Vallero, D. A. (2014). Fundamentals of air pollution. Academic press.
Williams Jr, J. A., Podeschi, C., Palmer, N., Schwadel, P., & Meyler, D. (2012). The Human ‐ Environment Dialog in Award ‐ winning Children’s Picture Books. Sociological Inquiry, 82(1), 145-159
Zhang, D., Liu, J., & Li, B. (2014). Tackling air pollution in China—What do we learn from the great smog of 1950s in London. Sustainability, 6(8), 5322-5338.
