Ring of Haze Surrounding Modern Cities Looms

¶ … ring of haze surrounding modern cities looms ominously and the hole in the ozone layer grows, but people rarely understand that air pollution is within our control. The causes of air pollution are many, and save for natural contributions to temporarily poor air quality, the bulk of air pollution problems are results of human technological advances. Since the Industrial Revolution, massive amounts of fossil fuels like coal and oil have been and continue to be consumed. The benefits of industry may indeed outweigh the detriments, but it is finally time for technology to solve its own problems. Until the past few decades, the spoils of industrialization were taken for granted. We can forgive our forebears for their ignorance in developing technologies with unforeseen consequences. Who could have known how human life would benefit by burning coal for electricity or oil for automobiles? However, the burning of these fuels has caused an epidemic of health and environmental problems and contributed to a general degradation of life on earth.

Air pollution is a broad term that actually refers to a gamut of familiar environmental problems. These problems include acid rain, domestically produced smoke, smog, the greenhouse effect, particulates, radionuclides, and the depletion of the ozone layer. By far the biggest contributor to air pollution in general is the burning of fossil fuels, by both automobiles and factories. Power stations and road vehicles are boons to civilization but are also at the root of environmental and health disasters. Acid rain is one of the fallouts of the Industrial Revolution; before the proliferation of factories, the pH level of rain tended to be slightly acidic, but rarely below pH 5. Since the Industrial Revolution, sulphuric acid and nitrogen gases that evaporate and combine with airborne water cause rain to have a pH level of 5 or lower. Cars are also the most major contributor to smog. Cities with huge transportation networks exhibit the highest levels of smog, especially if the city is geographically located in a basin that traps air. Los Angeles and Mexico City are perfect examples of smog havens. The internal combustion engine may have revolutionized human life, but it also pollutes it due to the number of particulates that now litter our air. Particulates are the large particles suspended in the air that not only cause smog but seep into the lungs of all animals. They include particles from smoke, diesel fuel, and dust.

Fossil fuel burning at power stations also causes an excess of carbon dioxide to be emitted into the environment. This not only creates acid rain but also contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming. Chlorofluorocarbons, which are commonly used in air conditioning, refrigeration, and solvents, also kindle the greenhouse effect, as does deforestation. Agriculture and waste disposal are also major culprits that bring about global warming as their by-products emit greenhouse gases.

Radionuclides come from processes like X-rays that emit ionizing radiation, causing severe detrimental effects on all life forms. Besides governmental regulation, steps must be taken to increase the availability and development of alternatives to such radiation-creating devises.