Water and Air Pollution
Air and Water Pollution
Penny Thompson
ENV 100
12.4.2011
Air and Water Pollution
Pollution is everywhere we look. In everyday activity, humans produce unhealthy pollutants without even a thought. This has been going on for centuries; even as early as the 11th century, people turned to burning coal instead of wood and in the 13th century, England’s King Edward l tried to impose stiff penalties for polluting the air. They could see that burning sea coal was creating hazards (History Channel, 1996-2011). If it was evident back then that pollutants were causing problems, imagine how bad it will be 100 years from now if we continue down this path. Can our environment stand the punishments humans deliver?
Everyday actions cause pollutants; one major contributor to air pollution that humans produce is carbon monoxide. We do this simply by driving our automobiles. This toxic pollutant is considered a primary air pollutant because it enters our air directly from the source; our motor vehicles. Human made pollution is something that we can change by using less fuel, coal and oil in our cars, home and factories. Standards have been set by government agencies to help regulate the levels of pollutants in the air. In many cases it is too late. The air pollution control act of 1955, which established federal grants for research and the Clean Air Act (CAA) that further extended the federal government powers for direct intervention to reduce pollution, were established because of increasing detriments to human’s health and the environment. (Christoforou, 2004) The health hazards that are a result of air pollution have become more common to our elderly and young children. Lung disease, asthma, chest pain or even death, are the results of our careless activities. In the 1930s in Belgium, SO2,(sulfur dioxide), and particulate matter combined with high relative humidity and caused 65 deaths in less than 5 days (Christoforou, 2004).
The emissions from our vehicles
Penny Thompson
ENV 100
12.4.2011
Air and Water Pollution
Pollution is everywhere we look. In everyday activity, humans produce unhealthy pollutants without even a thought. This has been going on for centuries; even as early as the 11th century, people turned to burning coal instead of wood and in the 13th century, England’s King Edward l tried to impose stiff penalties for polluting the air. They could see that burning sea coal was creating hazards (History Channel, 1996-2011). If it was evident back then that pollutants were causing problems, imagine how bad it will be 100 years from now if we continue down this path. Can our environment stand the punishments humans deliver?
Everyday actions cause pollutants; one major contributor to air pollution that humans produce is carbon monoxide. We do this simply by driving our automobiles. This toxic pollutant is considered a primary air pollutant because it enters our air directly from the source; our motor vehicles. Human made pollution is something that we can change by using less fuel, coal and oil in our cars, home and factories. Standards have been set by government agencies to help regulate the levels of pollutants in the air. In many cases it is too late. The air pollution control act of 1955, which established federal grants for research and the Clean Air Act (CAA) that further extended the federal government powers for direct intervention to reduce pollution, were established because of increasing detriments to human’s health and the environment. (Christoforou, 2004) The health hazards that are a result of air pollution have become more common to our elderly and young children. Lung disease, asthma, chest pain or even death, are the results of our careless activities. In the 1930s in Belgium, SO2,(sulfur dioxide), and particulate matter combined with high relative humidity and caused 65 deaths in less than 5 days (Christoforou, 2004).
The emissions from our vehicles