Air Pollution in Houston, Texas: Causes and Consequences
This paper examines the extent and causes of air pollution in Houston, Texas, drawing on peer-reviewed scholarship and governmental sources. It identifies several compounding factors behind the city's poor air quality, including its dense concentration of petrochemical processing facilities, heavy reliance on privately owned vehicles, and the widespread use of air conditioning driven by the region's extreme heat and humidity. The paper also highlights the disproportionate health burdens borne by residents near industrial zones and notes that Houston's continued rapid economic growth is likely to worsen these environmental conditions before any meaningful improvement is achieved.
- Introduction: Overview of Houston's growth and pollution problem
- Climate, Air Conditioning, and Urban Growth: Extreme heat drives pervasive air-conditioning use
- Transportation, Industry, and Air Quality: Vehicle dependence and industrial emissions worsen air
- Health Consequences and Environmental Contradictions: Wealth alongside high cancer and mortality rates
- Conclusion: Pollution set to worsen with continued rapid growth
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper triangulates multiple source types — peer-reviewed scholarship, urban policy studies, and a local newspaper report — to build a well-rounded picture of Houston's pollution problem.
- It situates Houston within a broader comparative context (other large cities worldwide) before identifying what makes the city's case distinctively severe, giving the argument logical depth.
- Direct quotations from scholarly sources are used judiciously to support each claim rather than substitute for analysis.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the technique of compounding causal analysis — showing how geography, climate, industrial concentration, and transportation infrastructure interact to produce an environmental outcome no single factor could explain alone. Rather than treating air pollution as a single-cause problem, the author layers explanations to reveal a systemic issue.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief framing introduction that states the research question and method. A single extended "Review and Discussion" section covers the climate and air-conditioning background, transportation deficiencies, and industrial emissions in sequence. A concise conclusion synthesizes the findings and gestures toward future worsening. The structure is straightforward and appropriate for a short analytical essay at the undergraduate level.
Introduction
Today, Houston is a thriving metropolis that enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the country. The city continues to experience unprecedented growth, with new businesses and families arriving every day. Unfortunately, an adverse consequence of this economic prosperity has been a rising level of air pollution in recent years — a problem that can reasonably be expected to worsen rather than improve given the city's exponential growth. The purpose of this paper is to identify the extent of Houston's air pollution problem and the factors that contribute to its current levels. A review of peer-reviewed and scholarly literature, as well as governmental sources, is followed by a summary of the research and key findings in the conclusion.
Climate, Air Conditioning, and Urban Growth
In their essay "Perceived Risk and Citizen Preferences," Gerber and Neeley (2005) report that "Harris County is located in the eastern part of the state and includes the City of Houston, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States, with correspondingly high levels of crime and the dubious honor of surpassing Los Angeles several years ago as having the poorest air quality in the country." In reality, Houston faces many of the same challenges as other large cities around the world, but in some cases those problems are especially pronounced there.
Weather conditions in Houston are extreme, and the vast majority of businesses and many homes are air-conditioned out of necessity. According to Cherni (2002), "High temperatures and unbearable humidity reign for more than six months of the year; average temperatures range between 56°F and 76°F, with a relative humidity of 76%. To facilitate life in this climate, most buildings are air-conditioned. Houston's population cocoons itself from the heat within artificially air-conditioned buildings; indeed, air conditioning has played an important role in the city." The hot season in Houston generally lasts from May until October, and while other large metropolitan areas also experience higher summer mean temperatures, few suffer from the inordinately high humidity levels that characterize the Houston area.
Thomas and Murray (1991) report that although commercial air conditioning was first introduced in Houston in 1923, the majority of business locations were equipped with it following the end of World War II. As Cherni notes, "Central air conditioning was an essential factor in attracting business to Houston. Homes, cars, and schools were air-conditioned in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by other specialized sites in the 1970s. By the mid-1970s, the middle and upper classes had almost completely insulated themselves from the four to five months of severe summer heat and humidity."
Transportation, Industry, and Air Quality
Because of the vast geographic area comprising the greater Houston metropolitan area, transportation continues to be predominantly by privately owned vehicles. Congestion remains common while public transport is highly deficient. Not surprisingly, Houston has experienced a growing problem with air pollution. According to Cherni, "In Houston, outdoor air conditions are usually very unpleasant. In addition to high temperatures and humidity, emissions from numerous cars and industry, and the heat produced by central cooling equipment, contribute to at times unbearable air quality."
A report in the Houston Chronicle, cited by Cherni, notes that while Houston is ranked among the top ten wealthiest areas in the country in terms of personal income, the city has an inordinately high incidence of cancer mortality as well as elevated infant, childhood, and maternal mortality rates. These outcomes reflect the compounding burden of industrial air emissions on communities throughout the metropolitan region.
Conclusion
The research showed that while Houston, Texas enjoys one of the highest per capita income levels in the country, this level of affluence has come at the expense of the city's environment. High concentrations of petrochemical processing plants, extensive use of air conditioning, and heavy reliance on private vehicles have all contributed to Houston's air pollution problems in recent years. Unfortunately, all signs indicate that these problems are going to get worse before they get better, especially given Houston's continuing rapid growth patterns.
Works Cited
Cherni, Judith A. Economic Growth vs. The Environment: The Politics of Wealth, Health and Air Pollution. New York: Palgrave, 2002.
Gerber, Brian J. and Grant W. Neeley. "Perceived Risk and Citizen Preferences for Governmental Management of Routine Hazards." Policy Studies Journal 33.3 (2005): 395.
Sorelle, R. "U.S. Health Care Gets Bottom Summit Ranking." Houston Chronicle, 11 July 1990: 21A82.
Thomas, R.D. and R.W. Murray. Progrowth Politics: Change and Governance in Houston. Berkeley: Institute of Governmental Studies, University of California, 1991.
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