Air Pollution Blog by Harrison Cui

Air Pollution
Harrison Cui
Image result for air pollution sketch HD


Air pollution is, as we all know, the contamination of air by chemicals or compounds that pose a level of health risk. The World Health Organization estimates there are 4.2 million deaths every year due to ambient air pollution, and they report over 91% of the world’s population live in places where air quality exceeds WHO guidelines. In addition, the Earth’s ozone layer in the stratosphere is being depleted by chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons. The ozone layer is what protects us from harmful UV rays from the sun.

We were taught from a very young age what air pollution is, how it’s caused, and what can be done to slow its progression. I remember walk-or-ride-your-bike-to-school day was a huge deal at Old Settlers Elementary, but nowadays I don’t see the same enthusiasm or effort to be a greener people. Granted less than half of an elementary school student body riding bikes to school 1 day out of 365 is microscopic, it was something.


Here are some ways you can help:

Conserving Energy:  
  • The majority of our electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels. Turning off lights or other appliances when not in use are small steps that can be taken right now to reduce your electricity consumption.
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Better Transportation:
  • A lot of us are getting cars these days and it doesn’t hurt to look for cars with more efficient gas mileage.
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  • Carpooling takes a bit of organization, but it is something within your ability to be a part of change.
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CFL Lights:
  • Compact fluorescent lamp lights consume less electricity, last longer, and lower electricity bills. So the next time a light bulb goes out, encourage your parents to replace it with a CFL light bulb.
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Questions:
What are some other ways you can think of?

Are there anything you are already doing to reduce air pollution? If so, what are they?
Works Cited:











Comments

Anonymous said…
This is a great post on a very topical subject!
I’ve never heard of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) before, so I did a little research and it turns out they are used in appliances that need insulation such as refrigerators. The release of HCFC doesn’t have a noticeable impact on its immediate vicinity, but as a whole, the earth’s ozone layer is being destroyed because of it. Being exposed to high levels can be harmful to a person’s health, but it hasn’t been identified as a carcinogen (something that can cause cancer). I wasn’t aware that insulation in appliances like ACs could have such an effect on the environment....
Anonymous said…
This post is great! It brings awareness to a persistent problem in our environment that we, as civilians, have yet to actively deal with.
Personally, I’ve never thought about how CFL Lights can act as a better alternative to incandescent light bulbs. Upon further research, they appear to use about 1/5 of the electric power and last as much 15 times longer than incandescent bulbs. My question is, why aren’t CFL lights commonly advertised over incandescent ones? Interestingly enough, because they contain toxic mercury, many countries have banned their disposal with regular garbage, and they tend to cost more; even with these issues, I still don’t understand why CFL bulbs aren’t as common as incandescent bulbs (considering they are much more sustainable).
Additionally, LED bulbs, in comparison to CFL and incandescent bulbs, appear to have a better efficiency and longer lifespan. The fact that many don’t use energy-saving, more efficient, and long-lasting light bulbs as alternatives to incandescent ones begs the question as to whether we, as members of society, are too lazy to try to help the environment or whether we simply don’t know the true effect of our actions on the environment.
Anonymous said…
This post was a great, sobering reminder for all of us. As you said, we were taught about the negative affects of air pollution from a young age, but it appears as if many of us have become desensitized to the issue and “forgotten” about the numerous, simple ways we can aid in the reduction of air pollution.
I did some research regarding additional detrimental effects of ozone depletion. It turns out that the higher levels of UV radiation you mentioned can cause non-melanoma skin cancer in humans, effect plant growth, alter the development of aquatic life, and increase the amount of CO2, CO, COS, and ozone in the biosphere. Regarding the hypoflourocarbon emissions you mentioned, reduction of emissions will likely be up to AC and refrigeration companies, but we can also take smaller steps to reducing air pollution in our daily lives such as carpool, choose environmentally friendly cleaners, and avoid sitting idly in a car that’s turned on.
Anonymous said…
As we all know, greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere are detrimental to the environment because temperatures rise and melt ice caps in colder regions of the world. This displaces animals from their natural habitat and threatens their existence. Another example of why we should take precautions to reduce air pollutants is for our own safety. In areas with bad air quality, millions are at risk for developing respiratory and heart conditions. Children in these areas are also more likely to suffer from pneumonia and asthma. Thus, to avoid these hazards we should choose to conserve energy and look towards greener forms of transportation.
Anonymous said…
This post is a great reminder that although we may not see pollution and climate change as a direct threat to our daily lives, they are still present issues that deserve our attention. Upon further research, I found that the health effects are not minor issues but fatal injuries to the population. The pollutant include carbon-monoxide, sulfur oxides and lead. These are all known poison to the human respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Putting people in continuous direct contact with these substances is illegal in many parts of the world, so my question is why do we let our pollution harm us in that way. The effects of these are already feared and despised, so the question of reducing them should be a no brainer.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
As scary as air pollution can be, it is a reality we must all face. It is staggering to see over 4.2 million deaths a year due to air pollution, so I wondered how WHO thinks that we can fix this. Upon further research, I found that, under WHO’s guidelines and thresholds, if particulate matter pollution (composed of sulfate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust and water) could be reduced by 50 micrograms per cubic meter, air pollution deaths would drop 15%. This would be a major blow to the number of deaths because particulate matter is so incredibly small it can get inside peoples lungs and bloodstream, and if this happens for long enough, it can lead to multiple diseases, lung cancer included. The WHO started in 2015 to work against these numbers.
Reading all this made me more conscious of what I’m breathing in, and is a scary fact. Hopefully these numbers can be reduced around the world...
Anonymous said…
This was a really eye opening post about just how extreme air pollution is getting and how we can make impacts in small, everyday ways. Your comment on how the pollutants that are causing this degradation to our air quality are also increasing the UV radiation that reaches the Earth was very new to me. I didn’t know that, in addition to poorer quality air, the pollutants, chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons, also led to an increase in UV radiation. I looked up more about the harmful effects of UV radiation and found that it can cause corneal damage, cataracts, and macular degeneration in our eyes. It almost seems too good to be true that using solutions that will fix our problems with air pollution will also help counteract the rising levels of UV radiation, but doing the small things such as turning off appliances when not in use and carpooling will certainly have an impact on both of these environmental problems.
Anonymous said…
This is a very interesting post that presents a major issue in the world today: all of us can reflect on our individual choices that are contributing to air pollution and the depletion of the ozone layer. I also remember the walk-or-ride-your-bike-to-school day at Old Settlers Elementary and the large numbers of parents who would walk their children to school that day. After further research on this topic, I discovered that in addition to all of the mentioned methods in the blog to help reduce air pollution, we can reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that we release into the atmosphere. VOCs react with nitrogen oxides in sunlight to form troposphere ozone, a harmful oxidant that significantly contributes to the formation of smog, a severe type of air pollution. VOCs are often present in many products, such as aerosol sprays, cleansers and disinfectants, stored fuels and automotive products, etc. We can avoid using products that contain VOCs, store products that contain VOCs in secure and air-tight containers, or reduce the extraneous use of vehicles through public transportation or carpooling to reduce our contributions to further air pollution.
Anonymous said…
Your post was a good reminder on the dangers of air pollution, amd the fact that 91% of people live in a place where the air quality is deemed unhealthy is unacceptable. After reading your post, I looked into hydrochlorofluorocarbons, as I was interested in what exactly caused air pollution. I was completely unaware that hydrochlorofluorocarbons are so prevalent in modern society, amd the uptick in its usage in recent years is a very good indicator of the rising air pollution. In my opinion, I think that it is extremely important that everyone tries to do their part in bettering the air quality. For example, I also remember the walk-or-ride day at Old Settlers, but I remember how the majority of kids would only walk on that one particular day, still riding in cars every other day. I think that raising awareness of air pollution and possible solutions in the suburbs, whether it be for kids walking to school or adults carpooling, would be a big help, as suburban families use a car as transportation more than any other person.
Anonymous said…
Nice post. Something important to remember when cutting down on air pollution, however, is that daily vehicle usage and energy usage aren’t the only major sources of air pollution. Agriculture is one of the largest contributors to the issue, from the release of gases such as methane and ammonia to the transportation dedicated to food alone. In addition, the deforestation necessary for expanding agriculture only intensifies the issue, and a growing population only adds to the necessity of agriculture. Though it would be ideal for farmers to practice better farmland management practices, perhaps one of the most significant contributions we can make on an individual level is to cut down on the amount of meat- especially beef- we eat, even if such foods are staples of many diets, including mine. Also, eating local food when possible and affordable can contribute a bit to cutting down air pollution. Lastly, reducing the amount of wasted food in our daily lives can at least make it so that even if demand does not fall for such foods, the air pollution created to making such foods is not for naught.
Anonymous said…
The subject of Air Pollution easily displays how our world is directed toward what is harmful and unhelpful to the nature. The notion of specific numbers and statistics puts emphasis on to what extent have our species as humans contaminated our living environment. As a collective group, we have to start recognizing not only the devastating damage thrown upon to our natural world, but also the effects that are reversed onto our own species as well. One realistic measure that we may take is quite simple. We can reduce the usage of gas-powered vehicles by using different forms of transportation, such as bicycles or electricity-powered vehicles. The individual effects may not be felt; however, the collective effort will be shown in forms of better air qualities and improved living conditions.
Anonymous said…
I never considered how air pollution directly affects us. I referenced the same website that you did, and it turns out that 4.2 million deaths a year are due to outdoor air pollution, an alarming statistic. We are lucky enough to live in a place with such high air quality, but this will not always be the case if we continue to be so careless with what we put into the air. Like Harrison said, by just doing our own part to reduce our footprint, anyone can help slow or delay the harmful effects that pollution on so many lives worldwide.
Anonymous said…
I second this comment! As much as vehicle and energy usage may be a good way to reduce on air pollution, a bigger way to dramatically affect our environment would be a change in diet. To try to change our vehicles usage may be more of a hassle compared to simply avoiding meat (or more specifically beef) considering how we eat everyday. That of course doesn’t mean comepletely becoming a vegetarian or vegan. I did some research on this and found many interesting facts about this topic. For instance, if over the course of a year you ate one less burger a week, it would be the equivalent of taking your car off the road for 320 miles. In a bigger picture, skipping steak once a week with your family would be the equivalent of taking your car off the road for nearly three months.
And if the entire U.S. did not eat meat or cheese for just one day a week, it would be the equivalent of not driving 91 billion miles – or taking 7.6 million cars off the road. All of this brings light to how much our diets affect the air, and hopefully many of us can contribute to a better future.
Anonymous said…
It is indeed interesting how incandescent bulbs are still common, despite their obvious disadvantages. However, in my own research I read that in 2014 the United States banned the production and import of incandescent bulbs (though stores could still sell what they had in stock). You ask a good question, are we too lazy to change what we do or do we not know the extent we impact the environment? I think it is a combination of both. Some people are most likely just going to wait until their old incandescent bulbs burn out and then the only option they’ll have is to buy a LED bulb.
Anonymous said…
This post brought to light a very prevalent issue in today’s world that I feel most people, especially people living in America, don’t really consider. I had no idea that air pollution causes millions of deaths each year or that most of the world’s population is living in areas where air quality exceeds WHO guidelines. I looked further into cities with excessive air pollution and the effects of air pollution and found that fine particles from polluted air can penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system and lead to diseases such as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic pulmonary diseases, and respiratory infections. With my research into cities, I found that Los Angeles is the most air polluted city in America and even tenth in the world. In the rest of the world, China’s cities dominate the ranks for areas suffering from air pollution. Over 300,000 people die each year in China from toxic emissions that are released from coal-fired power plants. The negative effects of air pollution are shocking and clearly show that it is a rising issue around the globe which requires us as citizens to take steps to reduce it.
Anonymous said…
This was a very interesting post and I was interested in CFL lights because it is generally well known to not use incandescent lights anymore due to their inefficiency. I found that an even better alternative are LED lights. While CFL lights are a great improvement over incandescent lights, LED's are even better because they emit less heat, waste less power and are usualyl brighter, meaning that you can use them at a lower power level to get the same amount of light. For instance, to produce 450 Lumens of light, you would need a 10w CFL light, while you would only need a 5w LED bulb. Also, LED's last 2-2.5 times as long as CFL lights, so you wouldn't have to replace them anywhere near as often as CFL.
To answer your questions, I often try to carpool with as many people as I can to reduce the total distance traveled by cars that burn nonrenewable resources. Some other activities that contribute to air pollution are not recycling, since a lot of trash is burned, while recycled materials are re purposed, leaving electrical appliances on when they're not needed, and eating ice cream. By recycling more and using electrical appliances and eating ice cream conservatively, we can all help to cut down on air pollution. I feel like replacing outdated, inefficient lightbulbs is a very easy, effective way to reduce our electricity consumption and burning of fossil fuels, so it was a good idea to include that in your post. I also like how you appeal to the audience reading your post, as you point out that many of us at this age are getting driver's licenses and buying new cars, so it might be beneficial to pay a little less attention to flashiness and a bit more attention to efficiency.
Anonymous said…
This post was great. You gave a lot of good examples of what we can do to combat air pollution which prompted me to research how big business try to curb their emissions. According to the ... more than 100 companies contribute to more than 70% of emissions. In recent years, hundreds of Fortune 500 companies have set goals to reduce their emissions. Furthermore, 2 dozen of some of the world’s largest companies, including Google and Walmart, have pledged to use renewable energy to power 100% of their operations. Along with our individual contributions, we may be able to reduce air pollution.
Anonymous said…
*I published this same reply under the wrong email before and am republishing on my school email*

To answer your questions, I often try to carpool with as many people as I can to reduce the total distance traveled by cars that burn nonrenewable resources. Some other activities that contribute to air pollution are not recycling, since a lot of trash is burned, while recycled materials are re purposed, leaving electrical appliances on when they're not needed, and eating ice cream. By recycling more and using electrical appliances and eating ice cream conservatively, we can all help to cut down on air pollution. I feel like replacing outdated, inefficient lightbulbs is a very easy, effective way to reduce our electricity consumption and burning of fossil fuels, so it was a good idea to include that in your post. I also like how you appeal to the audience reading your post, as you point out that many of us at this age are getting driver's licenses and buying new cars, so it might be beneficial to pay a little less attention to flashiness and a bit more attention to efficiency.
Anonymous said…
I agree with this blog, especially on the fact that little actions done by us can create greater impacts on helping the environment. Although swtiching to a different lightbulb might not seem like it does much to help the environment, the lasting effects of a CFL lightbulb outweight regular lightbulbs. the blog does a good job in shoing that although we are still young, and most of us view ourselves as just young students, we can create a lasting impact on this Earth for the future generations to come. By doing a small part in helping the environment we can all help play our parts in sustaining the Earth.
Anonymous said…
It is extremely important that we are all aware how our everyday actions contribute to air pollution. I strongly agree that we should all take action in our everyday lives to help reduce air polloution. Many times, unconscious actions that we become extremely accostumed to can add up to be greatly harmful to the environment. Make sure to have the right tyre pressure. If the pressure is down by 0.5 bars, the car needs 5 % more fuel and also gives off more pollution. 45 % of the ozone precursors and 38 % of the particulate matter emitted comes from transport. On average, one out of three journeys we do by car is only to go as far as 2 km. Replacing a car ride by walking or using the bicycle not only helps reduce traffic but also emissions. Simply being aware of our actions can improve air quality and cut down air pollution.
Anonymous said…
This was a very eye opening post, reminding us of the detrimental implications that air pollution has on the Earth. Although we may not think twice about the environmental impacts that our day to day actions have, especially in generating pollution, it is important that we become more aware. I did more research on the effects air pollution has on humans, consulting the World Health Organization (WHO), and learned that it contributes to roughly 8% of all deaths and causes lung cancer, strokes, heart disease and lung disease among many other illnesses. Our cars, electricity and more continue to have drastic effects on environments around us, although we may not be able to see them, and it is important that we become more environmentally sensitive to curb these effects.
Anonymous said…
I was not aware of WHO’s estimation that there are 4.2 million deaths every year due to air pollution, and that there are over 91% of the world’s population live in places where air quality exceeds their guidelines. I think that your post serves as good reminder to all of us who have simply forgotten or stopped caring about the pressing matter of air pollution. Pollution may not seem to impact the average American in his or daily life, but it presents visibly significant consequences upon the lifestyle of people around the world. Several individuals suffer health issues, such as various types of cancer and other diseases, as a result of the constant exposure to pollution in their home environment. I agree with your point that even the smallest actions of conservation contributes toward preserving the environment of our world.
Anonymous said…
This post was very eye-opening and interesting! It’s crazy to think that ur most basic daily activities are causing so much harm to the environment. I wasn’t familiar with CFCs and HCFCs so I did some research on them and their adverse impacts. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons are primarily used as refrigerants and in insulating foams. CFCs and HCFCs destroy the ozone layer in the stratosphere and are very powerful greenhouse gases. They have been predominantly replaced in new equipment by HFCs as to not deplete the ozone layer. However, HFCs still cause global warming. The use of refrigerants and insulating materials is so widespread in the industries of today, making it a more complex problem to eradicate.
I also found the WHO’s estimation of 4.2 million air pollution related deaths very shocking. I think we are inclined to relate environmental issues with simply nature and animals rather than humans as well. Our own daily practices are proving detrimental to our lives.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
I too carpool with as many people as possible. I remember my parents encouraging me to carpool with others, or finding another mode of transportation that did not include gas-fueled vehicles. I never understood why they encouraged me to do so. Upon research I found that 75% of carbon monoxide emissions come from automobiles. In addition to this, more that half of the air pollution in our environment comes from automobiles. I found this horrific! In terms of energy consumption, the United States is ranked second in the world. Gasoline is essentially a non-renewable source of energy, and at this current rate, the world may soon suffer from a gasoline crisis. Carpooling is a small step to take to reduce the air pollution in the environment. From the main post, I liked how the author provides simple solutions to large problems. The author shows that without any effort, one can make the environment a safer place to live.
Anonymous said…
This was interesting as it reminded me of the massive air pollution problem China is currently facing. I was looking into the problem months ago and I found that occasionally the pollution in the air is so bad in large, industrial cities in China that one can barely see around them. It resembles fog and gives the air a yellowish tint. However, as I looked further into the problem just now, I discovered that this problem is much bigger than I thought before. Approximately 1 million Chinese citizens die prematurely each year due to the pollution and the pollutants that surround the cities. The major pollutants have also manage to work itself into rice, soybean, and wheat, causing a major public health crisis.

Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2166542/air-pollution-killing-1-million-people-and-costing-chinese
Anonymous said…
According to the WHO (World Health Organization) and the JRC (Joint Research Center), automobile traffic is the leading cause of air pollution, contributing up to 25% of particulate matter in urban areas. Air pollution is undoubtedly a negative externality—a societal cost which is beared by third-parties. When Joe buys a new Ford F-150 and drives around the neighborhood, he is imposing a cost on his neighbors, as the truck emits pollutants into the atmosphere. The market does not take these third-party effects into account. Therefore, the only way to correct this would not to set more stringent emission requirements—as regulations are often costly and inefficient—but to impose a pigouvian tax, proportional to the quantity of particulate matter emitted, on automobiles. This will provide an incentive for the consumer to buy automobiles that emit less pollution, while simultaneously making it profitable for the manufacture to produce automobiles that emit less pollution. As a result, the consumer, manufacturer, and society as whole benefits.
Unknown said…
This was a great post and really brings into reality the harmful effects of air pollution. Before reading this I was not aware of the extent of how many people and organisms are harmed due to air pollution. Before I was under the impression that only a small portion of the population was affected by air pollution, but after reading I have learned that it is 91 percent. This post was really interesting and made want to look deeper into additional harmful effects of ozone depletion. Through additional research I learned that this depletion of the ozone layer results in more UV Radiation reaching us on earth. Along with air pollution, increased UV Radiation can have a very detrimental effect on us. After learning about all the harmful effects that can arise through ozone depletion and air pollution, I feel that it is crucial to implement techniques, such as the ones you mentioned, to decrease the health risks.
Anonymous said…
This was a great post and it was really enlightening to learn about just how drastic and widespread the effects of air pollution actually are. For example, you highlighted just how many millions of people die because of air pollution. When answering your questions, I think that there are many other ways that, as a society, we can help to reduce air pollution. In fact, I would think that I try to implement some of these methods into my daily life. For example, when traveling longer distances, I always make an extra effort to carpool with a friend. Other actions that we can take are transitioning towards renewable energy sources. For example, many houses can start setting up solar panels. Moreover, we can turn off our lights when we don't use them and start recycling. Electricity and the process of generating it uses a lot of fossil fuels, creating air pollution. Moreover, when trash is burned, it causes lots of pollution, so we can always attempt to recycle. Most importantly, though, in my opinion, the best way to reduce emissions could be through methods such as a carbon tax. Automobiles create a large part of the emissions inside of the United States, and implementing taxes on non-electrical cars of gasoline would reduce these emissions. For example, in France, President Macron instituted a fuel tax, inciting Yellow Vest protestors across the country. Even though such taxes are unpopular in places when they are implemented, the protestors in France were angry because they could no longer afford as much fuel. People protested, but the tax, if implemented, would still accomplish its goal in France since it discourages consumption of fuel. Similar measures could be implemented in the US.
Anonymous said…
This was a great post and really brings into reality the harmful effects of air pollution. Before reading this I was not aware of the extent of how many people and organisms are harmed due to air pollution. Before I was under the impression that only a small portion of the population was affected by air pollution, but after reading I have learned that it is 91 percent. This post was really interesting and made want to look deeper into additional harmful effects of ozone depletion. Through additional research I learned that this depletion of the ozone layer results in more UV Radiation reaching us on earth. Along with air pollution, increased UV Radiation can have a very detrimental effect on us. After learning about all the harmful effects that can arise through ozone depletion and air pollution, I feel that it is crucial to implement techniques, such as the ones you mentioned, to decrease the health risks.
Anonymous said…
I agree with your opinion that the lesson and urgency to reduce pollution in the environment around us becomes diluted as we grow up. As one of your sources says, pollution is a commonplace term which can lead to us becoming desensitized to the word as we grow up. However I agree that we should do our best to reduce our footprint to make a difference no matter how small it may be. If we collectively as a group aim toward reducing air pollution a large impact can be made. Your source suggests using public transportation or carpooling to reduce pollution. We could also use other forms of transportation such as bicycle or electric powered vehicles to cut down on gas emissions. One individual cannot make a great change but if we collectively took a step toward reducing air pollution, the effort will be rewarded with better air quality and healthier living conditions.
Dixie Westbrook said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
Wow, I really enjoyed reading this post! Like you mentioned, I remember learning about pollution and how it directly affects all ecosystems and humans, but now I feel that we have all forgotten all that we learn. Seeing the numbers of people that die each year due to air pollution, I was taken aback. Although air pollution is a global issue, I believe that we don’t pay much attention to it because we don’t see it directly affecting us RIGHT NOW, and just because its not affecting us at the moment doesn’t mean it will not catch up with us later. One way I think could help reduce carbon emissions: eating more local, organic foods and cutting down on meat.
Anonymous said…
Air pollution is definitely not as talked about as it should be; just because it is not immediately harmful or visible doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt us and the environment, and your examples definitely show that. The method of reducing electricity consumption that I would love to implement in my own life, and perhaps even for the whole community of Flower Mound, is the use of solar panels. As solar technology has developed, solar panels have become increasingly accessible to the average person, one such person being a neighbor of mine. While the initial cost may be high, the long term benefits are undeniable, saving both resources and money that would have been spent on federally supplied energy. A single ride your bike/walk to school day may not have a huge impact, but an increased use of solar panels certainly would.

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