Air Pollution In North Carolina Essay

Air pollution is a huge problem in North Carolina. We know this is a problem because “in 2012, North Carolina ranked 8th in the country for our high levels of toxic air pollution from coal-fired power plants” (“NC’s Air Quality”). Besides coal-fired power plants, transportation, paper mills, and industrial facilities also play a part in our air pollution (“NC’s Air Quality”). “North Carolina was a leader in protecting public health by establishing air toxics rules in the early 1980’s prior to federal oversight, but NC legislators in 2012 severely weakened those rules” (“NC’s Air Quality”). Since the legislators weakened the air toxics rules in 2012, North Carolina’s air pollution has increased greatly. Air pollution impacts earths systems. For example, when acidic air pollutants combine with water droplets, the water becomes acidic. When the acidic water droplets fall to the ground, it is called acid rain. Acid rain kills trees, harms animals, and other other wildlife (Randy Russell). Another example is an air pollutant called chlorofluorocarbons, it destroys the
With the excess nitrogen on the earth, it could cause a major problem in the nitrogen cycle. Future air pollution effects do not look good for North Carolina. According to Clean Air Carolina, “as the region grows and climate change increases the number of hot summer days, ground-level ozone problems are expected to worsen” (“NC’s Air Quality”). Even though the Clean Air Act is in place to monitor air pollution levels, that is not enough to stop the possible damage of air pollution to our earth. Turning off the light switch after leaving a room can save a lot of energy (Rinkesh). Since most of our energy comes from coal-fired power plants, we can minimize air pollution by burning less coal for energy. Use a public mode of transportation to reduce pollution (Rinkesh). Lastly, try using clean energy resources, like solar panels