Environmental pollution: sources, impacts, and mitigation strategies

Environmental Pollution

Phoenix, Arizona's growing population exerts pressure on infrastructure and natural resources. This has ultimately impacted the environment. City's expansion initiatives have cut deeper into rural areas leading to loss of wetlands and biological habitats. It has also led to air and water pollution. The high density of automobiles, factories, and commercial enterprises within the vicinity of the city has accelerated airborne emission of particulate matter, various types of oxides, and toxic volatile compounds. The city authorities are bothered that the population trends could have negative impact on the environment, economy, and the general social welfare of the city residents. The authorities are particularly concerned that the population growth could possible lead to infrastructure deterioration, increase traffic congestion, and loss of open space. The population increase could also compromise air and water quality. This report seeks to come up with recommendations that can help fix Phoenix pollution scares that lies within the $18 million allocated for tackling environmental issues.

The City Council of Phoenix should seriously consider establishing green spaces or even embark on urban forestry to address pollution debacle that it is currently faced with. This costs a total of $4.2 million. Trees influence local air quality because they remove air pollutants (Escobedo, 2010). They also indirectly modify microclimates by lowering temperature and altering wind patterns. Trees minimize air pollution in three major ways: deposition, precipitation, and wind (Nowak, Crane & Stevens, 2006). Care should however be taken because trees can also modify ambient temperature and solar radiation, wind patterns, and relative humidity (Scott, Simpson & McPherson, 1999). Trees remove particulate matters, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide (Smith, 1990). Trees also reduce topsoil erosion as well as stopping the washing of pollutants into the water sources (Kuo, 2003).

The City Council of Phoenix should encourage alternative transportation. The authorities should beef up security to ensure that those walking or cycling to work are safe. This will substantially reduce the number of automobiles in the roads. This will significantly reduce emission of compounds like carbon monoxide and lead that is normally present in fuel. This initiative roughly costs $4.4 million when fully implemented (CDC, 2010). The city council should make sure that there are policies that promote walking and cycling to work by providing bicycle storage at public transportation stations, bus stops, and city car-share points. Authorities should also ensure that there are well-lighted cross-walks and signal timing. The cyclists and the pedestrians need to use the road and the intersections freely with the barriers removed particularly near public transportation intersections. There should be well lit sidewalks, shared-use paths, safe roadway crossing, and safe pedestrian and bicycling connections.

Authorities should come up with legislations that criminalize driving to work alone. This will encourage carpooling or even make private car owners to use public transport. This will significantly reduce the production of automobile emissions. Single occupancy vehicles make several trips to carry a big number of people to a given destination (CDC, 2010). Carpooling enhances initiatives towards air quality improvements. This initiative will cost city council authorities $2.8 million.

The City Council of Phoenix should promote the use of fuel efficient cars. This can cost them about $3.3 million. Use of such cars improves air quality. Existing diesel vehicles should be fixed with pollution control measures that reduce emissions. Medium and heavy duty vehicles should be subjected frequent maintenance programs and inspection (CDC, 2010). Those intending to buy vehicles should be given incentives to purchase vehicles with technologies designed to control pollution.