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Consequences of air pollution essay 5000 words
Causes and effects of air pollution Essay
The effect of air pollution on our life
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Air pollution is a rising concern in today’s society and environment. Air pollution is caused from the pollution of chemicals produced by human factors, industries, cars, and etc…, this pollution can lead to negative effects for humans, the environment, and all the livings things on Earth. The negative effects of air pollution can lead to the deteriorating of the ozone layer, the ozone layer is a layer of ozone (O3 gas) in the atmosphere that reflects most of the Sun’s UV-B radiation (radiation that is harmful to humans and all living things). Additionally, the Montreal Protocol, is an international agreement to protect the ozone layer from deteriorating chemicals, it has been signed by 197 countries to protect the ozone layer. There are also many Canadian initiatives that are in effect to protect the ozone layer. These initiatives have shown positive responses by the environment. My personal stance on the effectiveness of these initiatives is that these initiatives are working and will protect the ozone layer now and in the future as well.
The ozone layer is in stratosphere, region of the atmosphere 11km - 50km above the surface of the Earth. Firstly, this layer of ozone reflects most ultraviolet sunlight (UV-B) from the Sun, allowing small amounts to reach the surface of the Earth. This UV-B is damaging to all life forms on Earth. Without this layer of ozone in the stratosphere UV-B radiation would negatively affect humans, animals, plants, and sea life. Secondly, the ozone layer is being deteriorated by the accumulation of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) (CFC is a compound of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon. CFCs are used in propellants, foaming agents, aerosol sprays, solvents, and coolants in freezers and refrigerators), halons,...
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... twenty-seven years since the Montreal Protocol has been signed and already there has been a significant improvement to the environment. It is estimated that it will take an additional fifty years for the ozone layer to recover. Furthermore, the phasing out of ozone-depleting substances had led to substitute substances that are safer than the originally used substance. This will lead to the decline of harmful pollutants being produced by humans. Moreover, there is only a minute number of nations that have not signed the Montreal Protocol, which means the majority of the world are following the regulations of the Montreal Protocol. There has also been an increase of support for a greener and healthier environment. There have only been positive reactions from people and the environment and does not show possible negative effects or reactions.
By the information given
15.2) The accumulation of chlorofluorocarbons is responsible for depleting the atmospheric zone. The atmospheric zone has changed in concentration due to human activity. The CFCs release chlorine atoms which react with ozone reducing it to molecular O₂. Following chemical reactions release the chlorine which reacts with other ozone molecules in a catalytic chain reaction. The ozone layer is getting thinner and thinner as stable air at places such as Antarctica allows reaction to continue. The accumulation of CFCs has led to increased UV radiation in sunlight reaching the earth thereby decreasing ozone levels. The global temperature has increased.
The Kyoto Protocol was created to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are affecting Earth. The project is extremely expensive and lacks effectiveness. The protocol may benefit the world in the far future, but it is not worth a country going poor. Also, if tackling the issue involves the cooperation of our entire earth, developing countries should not be excluded. The Kyoto Protocol raises many concerns, and if something is going to impact our economy so greatly, it should not raise any concerns and should be foolproof. In order to demonstrate the lack of effectiveness, the economic consequences must first be discussed.
The initial step in photochemical reactions is the absorption of a photon by an atom, molecule, free radical or ion. The result of this absorption is strongly dependent on the energy, in other word the wavelength of the photon. Visible and ultraviolet portion of the light is required to start the photochemical reactions. The absorption can generate dissociation, internal rearrangement, flourescence, or excited species. Photochemical smog can occur in any environment where there are large and continuous emissions of primary air pollutants. However specifics of climate and geography play an important role in the persistence and severity of the photochemical smog. Two factors influencing the formation of photochemical smog:
“In 2008, 21,000 Canadians died from the effects of air pollution.”(Geduld) Although most of these deaths are from long term exposure to the pollutants there was still “2,682 deaths caused from short term exposure.”(Geduld).“5.5 percent of cardiopulmonary (heart and lung disease related) deaths can be attributed to ground-level ozone exposure, which has increased over the past decade.” (David Suzuki Foundation)
Stratospheric ozone absorbs 97-99% of ultraviolet radiation. As this protective layer continues to dissentigrate, human health will suffer. One American dies every hour from skin cancer, a direct result of ozone depletion by anthropogenic chemicals, primarily CFCs, which damage the ozone layer. Alternate chemicals are now being used in the place of CFCs that will not damage statospheric ozone, and there is international recognition of the importance of developing these chemicals. The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty which limits the production of ozone depleting substances. Still, human health is at risk from the deletion of ozone, and the risk factor will continue to rise unless people and industries become more aware of the implications connected with everyday use of chemicals which destroy stratospheric ozone.
The depletion of the ozone layer has been a trending topic after it was first discovered in 1970. The ozone layer is a portion of the earth’s stratosphere which absorbs most of the sun’s UV rays hence preventing cancer and other fatal illness to the skin. It contains high concentrations of O3 and at a constant rate is being broken down and. Since 1970, it has been discovered that about 4% of the ozone layer wears off every decade and is as a result of day-to-day human activity.
...depletion of the ozone layer, biodiversity and stress on food producing systems(IPCC 2013). Therefore, climate change is highly risky and the appropriate international steps should be taken in order to stop more climate change and its negative and severe consequences.
Air pollution and greenhouse gases are the reason for the planet as it is today; the reason why we see campaigns flooding the media informing us to ‘switch off’, ‘save the planet’ and ‘turn down the heat’ and the reason why the government is trying to develop a successful scheme, such as the carbon tax scheme, to reduce air pollution caused by major industries. Air pollution and greenhouse gases are the two immediate causes of global warming and climate change. Air pollution occurs when chemicals or particulate matter enter the atmosphere. They can cause damage to living organisms on the planet, as well as destruction to the natural and synthetic environment (Energy Environment.net 2008). Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation emitted from the earth. They trap infrared radiation in the form of heat, and hence contribute to global warming. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases are a direct result of air pollution. They are the physical gases emitted that cause air pollution. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases also have an influence on the earth’s atmosphere, though it is not as conspicuous as anthropogenic causes. Together, air pollution and greenhouse gases are intensifying climate change and global warming on a world-wide basis.
In 1970, Crutzen first showed that nitrogen oxides produced by decaying nitrous oxide from soil-borne microbes react catalytically with ozone hastening its depletion. His findings started research on "global biogeochemical cycles" as well as the effects of supersonic transport aircraft that release nitrogen oxide into the stratosphere.2 In 1974, Molina and Rowland found that human-made chlorofluorocarbons used for making foam, cleaning fluids, refrigerants, and repellents transform into ozone-depleting agents.3 Chlorofluorocarbons stay in the atmosphere for several decades due to their long tropospheric lifetimes. These compounds are carried into the stratosphere where they undergo hundreds of catalytic cycles with ozone.4 They are broken down into chlorine atoms by ultraviolet radiation.5 Chlorine acts as the catalyst for breaking down atomic oxygen and molecular ozone into two molecules of molecular oxygen.
...rk together. Efforts such as the Montreal Protocol were largely successful in reducing the use of ozone-destroying chemicals, but many countries chose to not even participate in the Kyoto Protocol or other efforts. It appears that corporations do control many governments today.
Nowadays, we can see a lot of campaigns to reduce this humans’ contribution of greenhouse gases to atmosphere. These campaign’s missions are usually about reducing the energy that we use, convincing us to use recyclable energy, stopping the deforestation... These missions are all about mitigating to climate change. Climate change mitigation is the actions to limit the significant rate of long term climate change. In other words, climate change mitigation is all of the actions about lowering the humans’ greenhouse gas contribution to atmosphere. It is now too late for humans’ to prevent the effects of climate change, but these effects can be reduced in the future with mitigation. The most popular treaty, disenchant of humanity, is Kyoto Protocol. The main goal of Kyoto Protocol is reducing the human emitted greenhouse gases, in other word, mitigation. Also in ways that underlying national differences in GHG emissions, wealth, and capacity to make th...
There is a lot more awareness of air pollution in the world today than any other as a lot of it is visible. Air pollution can be thought of any substance that people introduce into the atmosphere that has damaging effects on living things and the environment (National Geographic). Carbon dioxide released into the air breaking down the ozone layer slowly warming the earth, I’m sure you’ve heard this before but it’s the process known as global warming. These green house gases come from the fumes of cars, factories and peoples homes every second that passes. The activities of the people on earth have raised the temperature of the planet to higher than it has ever been in the last 150 years. (National
One of the most popular effect of air pollution in the world is global warming. With increased temperatures worldwide, the increase in sea levels causes melting of ice and this causes loss of habitat have already signalled a disaster if something for preservation or normalization is not done it will affect the world even more. Species that stay in the ice area, they will be in the verge of extinction. The Paris Agreement is an international treaty, under which all countries in the world have agreed to do their best to reduce gases that cause global warming. The following are the major effects of air pollution:
Global warming is an increase in the earth's temperature due to fossil fuels, industry, and agricultural processes caused by human, natural, and other gas emissions. This results in an increased evacuation of greenhouse gases. “Short-wave solar radiation sinks into the Earth's atmosphere and warms its surface while long-wave infrared radiation emitted by earth's surface is absorbed, and then re-emitted by trace gases.” (2)
Every other day a new industries are being set up, new vehicles on roads and trees are being cut to make way for new homes. All of them, indirect way lead to increase in CO2 leads to melting of polar ice caps which increase the sea level and pose danger for the people living near coastal areas. Pollution can have an impact in our health not only affects people with impaired respiratory system such as asthmatics, but very healthy adults and children too. Exposure to pollution for 6 to 7 hours, even at relatively low concentrations, reduces lung function and induces respiratory inflammation and, healthy people during periods of moderate