Leading Causes of Pollution

Isabella Hansen

     The fight against pollution has been going on for years, dating back to the 1960s. At first, it was an environmental movement, but it then sparked a realization, and as a result, we have things such as Earth Day. The first Earth day was in April in the 1970s. Senator Gaylord Nelson created earth day to force the issue of pollution into people’s minds. As result, the government passed environmental Acts such as the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. 

     During the Industrial Revolution, coal was used on a large scale, resulting in soot and smog. In the Great Smog of 1952, pollutants from factories and even home fireplaces mixed with air condensation, which caused many health problems for residents of urban places. As a result, 4,000 people died. 

     In recent years the leading factor of air pollution has been motor vehicles. Engines consume fuel and air, creating heat in the process of combustion. Nitrogen from the air it consumes transforms into nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen oxides irritate the eyes and lungs. Diesel-powered engines can emit airborne hydrocarbons. If these airborne hydrocarbons come into contact with dust, they can form a larger particle in the atmosphere.

     Zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) are battery-powered vehicles that do not pollute the air as much as vehicles powered by gas or diesel. If people used ZEV vehicles worldwide, it would greatly cut down the amount of pollution released into the air.

     Switching cars can be a big task, and some aren’t able to, so instead, you can use public transportation as often as possible, cutting down the amount of gas or diesel-run vehicles used. You can also recycle, plant trees and other plants, and even use fans instead of air conditioners to help the earth stay safe. Everybody needs to do their part in protecting our world in order to save it from pollution. Even something that may seem small can impact so many lives around the world.

 

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EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/air-research/air-quality-and-climate-change-research#:~:text=Emissions%20of%20 pollutants%20into%20the,cooling%20effects%20on%20the%20 climate. 

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