Air Pollution, Global Warming and Climate Change Paper Example

Earth's Atmosphere - What is the atmosphere and what is the greenhouse effect?

The atmosphere comprises the air masses that surround the globe. About 80% of the total air in the earth is found in the troposphere which extends 5 miles at the north and south pole, and 11 miles above sea level around the equator (Teague 6). The stratosphere layer is found past the troposphere, and it extends up to 30 miles above the surface of the earth. Greenhouse gases are masses of air that trap heat from the sun and prevent it from being radiated back into space. The greenhouse gases form the greenhouse effect that warms the earth and makes it hospitable to living things. Water vapour and carbon dioxide are the most crucial greenhouse gases. Ozone comprises three atoms of oxygen gas bound into an ozone molecule. Ozone is located in the stratosphere where it prevents up to 95% of the sun's Ultraviolet (UV) rays from entering the earth's atmosphere (Teague 7). However, Ozone is hazardous to health when located in the atmosphere since it breaks down giving oxygen gas and a free Oxygen radical that causes air pollution and health problems when inhaled.

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Air Pollution - What is air pollution? What are common sources of air pollution?

Air pollution is the condition when the earth's atmosphere contains chemicals of sufficient quality and quantity to cause harm to living things and sometimes non-living things (Teague 7). It is the introduction of foreign substances in the earth's air composition. Air pollution is caused by both natural and human activities. Natural activities that cause air pollution include volcanic eruptions, forest fires, sandstorms among others. Volcanic eruptions emit oxides of Sulphur and ash into the air altering air composition and the balance of compounds in the atmosphere. Furthermore, the heat emitted by volcanic eruptions alters the stability of air compounds such as oxides of carbon and nitrogen affecting their composition in the earth's atmosphere. Forest fires lead to oxidation of organic matter in forests increasing the composition of carbon dioxide in the air. Sandstorms introduce solid sol particles in the air. The articles can be swept across long distances by winds affecting the quality of air causing deterioration of the aesthetic beauty of natural vegetation and buildings. Human activities remain as the primary sources of air pollution.

Air Quality Index - What is the Air Quality Index?

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a measure of the amount of pollutants present in the air in a specific community. AQI ascertains the health status of air and issues health warnings when high levels of air pollution are detected. AQI employs a scale of 0 to 500 where it measures five major air pollutants. According to the scale, healthy air should rate at most 30 while hazardous air rates above 300. However, air that rates 100 and above is harmful to people with respiratory conditions such as Asthma. Air that rates 200 is considered critically unhealthy and strategies ought to be put in place to ensure a reduction in the concentration of air pollutants (Teague 7).

Global Warming and Climate Change - What is global warming and what is climate change? How can they be managed?

Global warming is the increase in earth's temperatures due to changes in the climate. Climate change is long-term shifts in atmospheric conditions of a place or the earth as a whole. Climate change is ascertained after at least 30 years of analyzing atmospheric conditions (Teague 12). There exists substantial evidence collected over the last 100 years that indicates that the earth has explained climate change. Some of the specific examples provided in the evidence include the retraction of polar glaciers, the increase in sea level due to the melting of glaciers in mountain tops and polar regions, the increase in the size of tropical deserts such as the Sahara and the Kalahari, the changes in rainfall patterns across the world among others.

Climate change can be managed by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. The contemporary world has relied on fossil fuels since the industrial revolution. Fossil fuels, as well as other fuels, have the major demerit of emitting carbon dioxide once they are oxidized. Since the modern world cannot do without fossil fuels, countries decided to legislate and follow the Kyoto Protocol whose principal concern is the reduction of carbon footprint. Carbon dioxide destroys the ozone layer leading to more penetration of the sun's UV rays that warm up the earth's surface. Use of green energy such as solar and wind energy are some of the strategies being used to combat climate change (Teague 14). Reforestation and afforestation also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since trees use the pollutant in photosynthesis. Enhancement of public transport methods also reduces the number of cars on the roads and thus the amount of carbon emitted from fossil fuels. Besides the above methods, the most critical strategy in preventing climate change is sensitization of masses and the creation of public awareness on the effects and counter-strategies to global warming.

Reducing Air Pollution - What methods can be used to reduce air pollution?

Air pollution can be reduced by observing responsibility in management and use of fuels. Fuels are the major air pollutants. Combusting fuels in well-ventilated areas lead to complete oxidation of compounds into harmless substances (Teague 18). Air pollution is controlled by use of safe fuels such as unleaded petroleum products and renewable sources of energy. Eliminating practices such as the burning of waste matter conserves the earth's atmosphere since harmful compounds are not emitted into the air. Use of cleaner energy sources such as gas cookers instead of firewood reduces the amount of air pollutants since the cleaner energy sources only emit water vapor and carbon dioxide. Furthermore, water vapor and carbon dioxide are critical greenhouse gases useful in the earth.

Indoor Air Pollution - What factors contribute to indoor air pollution? What steps can be taken to improve indoor air quality?

The modern lifestyle causes people to spend most of their days indoors in homes, cars and offices. Indoor living increases the risk of air pollution by up to 50 times compared to outdoor living. The most common indoor air pollutants are polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), formaldehyde, passive tobacco smoke, mold, radon and carbon monoxide (Teague 18). Formaldehyde is commonly used in the manufacture of household commodities. Furniture, fiberboard and other items contain small amounts of the colourless formaldehyde gas that continually seep out into the indoor atmosphere. Radon is a radioactive gas found naturally in some rocks, soils and construction materials. Continued exposure to radon causes radioactive poisoning. Carbon monoxide is produced due to incomplete oxidation of carbon from fuels. Burning of stoves, cigarettes, charcoal and heaters in poorly ventilated areas leads to the production of carbon monoxide. PBDEs are mostly found in plastics and polymers, and they have the potential of accumulating in human tissue and causing chromosome abnormalities (Teague 18). Indoor air pollution is controlled by regularly cleaning houses, opening windows during the day and keeping shoes outside to rid the indoor quarters off pollutants from soil residues.

Works Cited

Teague, Michael. Your Health Today: Choices in a Changing Society Loose Leaf Edition. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2014.