Essay On Air Pollution

Air Pollution and its Potential Solutions
Solving this problem requires a three-pronged approach, as different solutions are required to eliminate, or at least decrease, air pollution from electricity generation, transportation, and industry. All solutions demand cooperation between the government and the public—no solution will succeed without the dedicated effort of the population as a whole . The Clean Air Act, which was passed in 2008 but only went into effect in 2011 , is the government’s main attempt at managing this problem. It was created to improve air quality and reduce air pollution, thereby improving the health and quality of life for people of the region and protecting the environment for future generations . It details several different programs aimed at achieving this goal.
Dealing with pollution caused by electricity generation is a main focus of the Clean Air Law, which describes a proposed process for reducing pollution emission from electricity generation facilities and power plants. These institutions are required to get emission permits, and will be fined or levied upon failure to meet those . The program also encourages switching natural gas consumption and closing the plants that are too old to successfully adopt the new requirements, specifically those in Ashdod and Haifa4. In 2010, Gilad Erdan, Minister of Environmental Protection, signed an order elaborating on the Clean Air Law’s suggestion to install pollution-reducing equipment in the plants. This order lists “Flue-Gas Desulfurization” and “Selective Catalytic Reduction” as a means for reducing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 75-80%4. This order also requires the Israel Electrical Corporation (IEC) to track, record, and report limitati...

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...sion Standards and are therefore better for the environment . Beyond reducing air pollution, this program would also reduce the number of car accidents caused by outdated technology, reduces the number of vehicles discarded illegally, and help the raw-material recycling effort16. This program has already had a lot of success—as of the end of 2013, 28,000 vehicles have been scrapped as part of the program, which scientists estimate has reduced the amount of exhaust pollutants by 3%16.
The last measure to be taken to deal with pollution caused by all three sectors is a comprehensive survey, to be conducted by the National Pollution Reduction and Prevention Program, that will show where the most pollutants are coming from—cleaning products, construction materials, etc.—throughout all of Israel . The programs described above can then be implemented more effectively.