Smog

Smog, as defined by Dictionary.com, is fog that has become mixed and polluted with smoke. The word smog was coined in 1905 in a newspaper report of a meeting of the Public Health Congress, in which Dr. H.A. des Voeux gave a paper entitled "Fog and Smoke." On July 26, 1905, Dr. des Voeux was quoted in the Daily Graphic stating, " it required no science to see that there was something produced in great cities which was not found in the country, and that was smoky fog, or what was known as `smog.'" There are two commonly known types of smog, industrial smog and photochemical smog. Industrial smog, mainly a winter phenomenon, is a combination of fog mixed with the smoke and sulfur dioxide produced from the burning of coal, most prevalent with the start of the industrial revolution at the turn of the century. The second type of smog, photochemical smog, results when two kinds of air pollution, nitrogen oxide from the burning of fossil fuels, and the emissions of volatile organic compounds from paints, pesticides, and other chemicals, combine in the presence of sunlight to produce ozone. Photochemical smog is more associated with warmer, summer climate conditions and centers of high population density. Both types of smog appear to have detrimental effects worldwide, from causing severe health problems, even death, to affecting our agriculture and climate as well.

Both of these types of smog can cause lifelong health problems. Smog attributes to problems ranging from mere eye irritation to chronic respiratory conditions, a shortened lifespan, or it can be catastrophic, resulting in immediate death or hospitalization. Today's studies suggest that not only does smog harm the lungs, causing asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, and other...

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...any different applications, such as electricity production, heat pumps, and direct use. Even the ocean can provide us with an alternate power source, with thermal energy from the sun's heat, and mechanical energy from the tides and waves. There are many ways to reduce emissions by either governmental laws and regulations, or finding alternate power sources. One thing is that each one of us must take a step whether large or small to help reduce smog in our world. Some of the ways an we can limit smog in our atmosphere are to carpool, drive a hybrid automobile, turn out the lights when not in the room, or you could even walk or ride a bicycle to a local destination instead of driving all together. Success in reducing the amount of air pollution must be achieved by personal conservation first. We must all do what we can to reduce air pollution. It will make a difference.