Let's Talk Environmental Pollution Ahead of Climate Change !

Air Pollution - The Deadly Results Including Climate Change

Let’s talk environmental pollution ahead of climate change !
 
The article attached "Air Pollution is Now More Deadly Than War, Smoking and TB" started me thinking about pollution, the loss of focus from pollution in general as we seem distracted by global warming or climate change, is it occurring, or what is at fault.  These are the results of environmental pollution.  Pollution is the root cause.   
Old fashioned Pollution, been around for a very long time. 
There are many types of environmental pollutants defined as: the presence of or introduction into the environment which has harmful or poisonous effects, pretty simple, and these pollutants come from a variety of sources some with much higher levels.   Air Pollution, Water Pollution, Soil/Land Pollution, Noise Pollution, yes even Light Pollution, Solid Waste Pollution, All Environmental Pollutants.  The world needs to tackle them all, it affects us all ultimately.  And we’ll talk about them all in future posts but today in honor of the attached article let’s talk Air Pollution.

Air pollutants can be classified with primary pollutants and secondary pollutants.  There are many types of primary pollutants like the burning of fossil fuels which release sulfur dioxide emitted from factories or carbon monoxide from your car. (we’ll talk more about this later).  Secondary pollutants are the co-mingling in the air of the primary pollutants, some incredibly scary chemical reactions happen when these things mix.  Smog is a result of the interaction of some primary pollutants.  Smog that creates respiratory distress for millions.  People who rely every day on air quality reports to tell them whether or not they can go outside.  But so not to digress, on to what causes of these primary pollutants.

1. The burning of fossil fuels.   From sulfur dioxide emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels like coal and petroleum, to the pollutants released from cars, planes, trucks etc., including the incomplete combustion releasing carbon monoxide coming mainly from motorized vehicles, and to nitrogen oxides both from natural and man-made processes.  The burning of fossil fuels is the number one pollutant of which our transportation system is a part.

2.  Agriculture.  Ammonia is one of the most hazardous gases in the atmosphere.  Common in agricultural practices.  Insecticides, pesticides and fertilizers all emit many hazards including ammonia into our air.  The practice of growing our food by poisons seems irrational to me.  As Jane Goodall said, something like, someday we’ll look upon this dark time of agriculture and shake our heads.  How could we ever have believed that it would be a good idea to grow our food with poisons.

3. Exhaust from Factories and Industry.  Large amounts of carbon monoxide, hydro carbons, chemicals and organic compounds are released.  Petroleum factories release an incredible amount of hydro carbons.

4. Mining Operations.  These operations in the process, release a massive amount of air pollution.  From the chemical release into the air from the process to the large equipment used.

5. Indoor Air Pollution.  From the chemicals we clean with to the paint we paint with, they emit chemicals detrimental to the air we breathe.

What are the effects of these pollutants ?

1.  Health Problems from cancer to respiratory and heart ailments.  The World Health Organization estimates that 4.2 million people die each year from the results of exposure to ambient outdoor air pollution.  They estimate that 3.8 million die a year from indoor household exposure to pollutants, fuel systems, cook stoves, household chemicals, cleaners, paints etc.  And say that 91% of the world’s population lives in areas exceeding WHO guideline limits.

2. Global Warming/Climate Change/Greenhouse Gases.  Obvious effects, warming air temperatures, melting sea ice and sea level rise causing displacement of habitat for all populations, disaster on the horizon.

3. Ozone Layer Depletion.  It’s what protects us from the sun, and our crops too.  Chloro and Hydro Chloro Fluorocarbons are the cause and can be limited.

4.  Acid Rain – From the burning of fossil fuels, the toxic chemicals come down along with the rain turning to acid, creating havoc for our waters, soil, thus crops. Wildlife Effects – the movement of wildlife, changing their habitat to escape the toxicity of their air.  There’s less and less escape as we continue to pollute.

5.  Etrophication – high levels of nitrogen settling on water developing into algae affecting water life. These are all man-made pollutants. 

There are natural pollutants too.  Dust carried from the wind from non-green areas, gases released from body processes of the living, you and cattle, smoke and gases from natural disasters like volcanos. 

All affect the quality of the air we breathe.  Don’t we have a responsibility to affect and change what we can, what we created.

WHAT CAN WE DO ?  WHAT SHOULD WE DO ?  WHAT PRIORITY SHOULD WE HAVE ?
In our methods we must make adjustments we may not like, that may change the way we live our daily lives but the longer we wait the harder it gets.  Think of our kids, their future, giving them a chance.  Through the care of our planet and of yourself you can save another life too.  Our youth is angry that we’re not willing, even for them to change.  Change is not easy, Change is costly, Change will cost jobs.  All the reasons we hear for continuing the same destructive path.   The real cost will be when our planet can no longer support us.  What we do now is what the future will be.  Reduce our Air Pollution. We can’t solve it all but what we can do does make a difference and it shows our kids that we do care about their future.

Things You Can Do

 1.  Purchase Energy Efficient as much as you can.  From Appliances to Vehicles to your Lighting.  If not an electric car purchase vehicles that reduce your gas consumption.

2.  Use public transportation.

3.  Support and emphasize clean energy resources– Solar, Wind, Hydro

4.   Conserve Energy.  Use it wisely.  The more you conserve the less fossil fuels are burned in energy production.

5.  Purchase only chemical free products.  It’s these products that release harmful chemicals into your air.  Manufacturer’s will adjust if there is no market for the harmful products they produce.  Hit them in the pocket, (sadly this is what it would take), and they will change.
6.  Understand the concepts of reduce, re-use and recycle.

7.  Finally talk to people.  Educate and be educated.  It’s conversation worth having.