Iran Pollution
Comparative Literature
September 10, 2013 The Islamic Republic of Iran is a country rich in history, culture, and beautiful landscapes. All of these wonderful characteristics are in jeopardy of being destroyed. Not by wars, riots, or naturals disasters, but by air pollution. The volume of pollution in Iran is commonly associated with their domestic fuel production. This production of fuel increased when sanctions were imposed by the United States and European Union several years ago. These sanctions caused a reduction in the amount of imported refined fuel. With the manufacturing and consumption of national fuel rising in Iran, the chemicals released into the atmosphere are multiplying at an alarming rate. However, contaminated air is not a new issue amongst Iranians. Even when Iran converted back from a “pro-western” society, this did not stall the climb of air pollution. Starting in the 1950’s and 60’s, rapid growth into urban areas along with the introduction of cars, constructed Iran’s pollution dilemma. For example, Tehran is one of the world’s largest cities with over 13 million residents. With subpar public transportation, individuals of Tehran (and other cities in Iran) often result to using their own car for transport. Keep in mind these cars are not tailored to meet the same emission standards as the vehicles driven in the United States. Moreover, in Tehran’s case, their geographical location is also to blame. The wonderful views of the mountains frequently aid in the rise of air pollution, by not allowing the smog to escape the city. Paired along with the entrapped city, Tehran has a very dry climate with little precipitation. Rain helps clean the air to an extent, however the wind that accompanies the rain helps push the smog out of the city. With the lack of rain and wind, Tehran is a virtual snow globe encompassed with smog.
In 2011, studies by CNBC discovered out of the top ten cities in the world with the worst air quality, four of those
September 10, 2013 The Islamic Republic of Iran is a country rich in history, culture, and beautiful landscapes. All of these wonderful characteristics are in jeopardy of being destroyed. Not by wars, riots, or naturals disasters, but by air pollution. The volume of pollution in Iran is commonly associated with their domestic fuel production. This production of fuel increased when sanctions were imposed by the United States and European Union several years ago. These sanctions caused a reduction in the amount of imported refined fuel. With the manufacturing and consumption of national fuel rising in Iran, the chemicals released into the atmosphere are multiplying at an alarming rate. However, contaminated air is not a new issue amongst Iranians. Even when Iran converted back from a “pro-western” society, this did not stall the climb of air pollution. Starting in the 1950’s and 60’s, rapid growth into urban areas along with the introduction of cars, constructed Iran’s pollution dilemma. For example, Tehran is one of the world’s largest cities with over 13 million residents. With subpar public transportation, individuals of Tehran (and other cities in Iran) often result to using their own car for transport. Keep in mind these cars are not tailored to meet the same emission standards as the vehicles driven in the United States. Moreover, in Tehran’s case, their geographical location is also to blame. The wonderful views of the mountains frequently aid in the rise of air pollution, by not allowing the smog to escape the city. Paired along with the entrapped city, Tehran has a very dry climate with little precipitation. Rain helps clean the air to an extent, however the wind that accompanies the rain helps push the smog out of the city. With the lack of rain and wind, Tehran is a virtual snow globe encompassed with smog.
In 2011, studies by CNBC discovered out of the top ten cities in the world with the worst air quality, four of those