Air pollution: sources, effects, and mitigation strategies

¶ … ability of pollution strategies to improve air quality. Many scientists believe the way to cleaner air is through limiting the use of automobiles to cut down on harmful emissions. Other experts believe new technologies can greatly reduce the emissions and clean up the air while still allowing Americans the autonomy of their automobiles. Some of these measures are too expensive for many people to afford, and this must be addressed.

AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution continues to be a problem of great concern in the United States, and around the world, and governments are continually struggling with balancing clean air with America's love of the automobile, one of the biggest air polluters on the planet. "The United States has achieved remarkable progress in reducing air pollution since the Clean Air Act was established in 1970" (Mangun and Henning 229), but we still have a long way to go in the battle for clean air on the planet. California has some of the worst air quality in the nation, and so their air quality policies are models for many other states, as they watch for results in California.

The California Air Resources Board is requiring that 10% of all new vehicles sold in California be zero-emitting electric vehicles in 2003, with incentives for earlier introduction. Additionally, fleet-average non-methane organic-gas requirements may require the sale of compressed-natural-gas and methanol vehicles (Kazimi 265).

Hybrid" vehicles are already available in several markets, which blend the technology of an electric car with gasoline power. These hybrids do not require an electrical charge, so they do not need to be plugged in between uses, and they get far better gas mileage than gasoline powered cars. They pollute less than gasoline models, but more than electric cars. The problem with these models is they tend to be underpowered and overpriced, keeping them out of the reach of many lower income households who cannot afford the expense. This is one of the problems with new technology, it is usually expensive when it is first introduced, and that keeps it from entering the market more quickly, and in this case, from helping the air quality more rapidly.

Limiting the use of automobiles is one way to cut down harmful emissions that affect air quality, but that seems like an entirely too stringent requirement for most Americans, who, let's face it, love their cars. A better solution seems to be development of alternative fuels and technologies, which are not as harmful to the air, such as the hybrids and electrical cars that are affordable for everyone. Autos are not the only polluters, however. Industries and homes that burn fossil fuels also pollute the environment, and must be replaced with cleaner technologies. "Outright prohibition of toxic releases into the air or discharges into bodies of water may never occur. The economic impact of such prohibitions would be considered unacceptable by business and industry" (Mangun and Henning 211).

We have banned fluorocarbons in the United States, but they are still being used in foreign countries, and they continue to have a lasting affect on air quality and the ozone layer.

The protective ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, which shields living things from the harmful, often lethal, incidence of ultraviolet rays, is being destroyed by the excessive use of fluorocarbons. Unless this process can be reversed, cytoplankton, the basis of the entire food chain, is in danger of decimation, food crops are threatened with destruction, and human beings will be exposed to radiation, causing skin cancer and other diseases