Air pollution

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         Pollutants in the air threaten the lives of every thing living on earth. They cause acid rain and smog, weaken the ozone layer, increase the chances of cancer and contribute to changing the climate of the world. Pollutants can be invisible and often we don’t even realize that we’re making them.

       Polluted air travels with the wind, effecting all of us, whether or not we are responsible for it. Smog aggravates heart and respiratory diseases. Acid rain erodes buildings, hurts plants and trees and kills marine life by poisoning lakes. Metal particles and vapors from fuel, called air toxins, cause lung and respiratory problems. Chemicals like methane and carbon dioxide are found in refrigerators and air conditioners. These chemicals last a long time in the atmosphere and make holes in the ozone layer and contribute to global warming.

        

Some of the causes of these pollutants are more obvious than others. While automobiles, chemical plants and industrial factories are commonly known culprits, paints, dry cleaners, farm equipment, lawn mowers and various household products are also contributing to the problem.

         Pollutants can be stopped or prevented in a numbers of ways, and everyone can do their part keep the air clean. To be able to reduce pollution, we need to understand where it comes from. Nitrogen dioxide, a light brown gas causes a large amount of smog and acid rain is in the exhaust from cars, trucks and industrial boilers.  Ozone is another smog gas. Although it protects us when it is in the ozone layer, it is very bad for us when close to the surface. Ozone can irritate the respiratory tract, produce impaired lung functions such as the inability to take a deep breath, cause chest pain, irritation of throat and induce coughing fits. Ozone is very dangerous to plant life, damaging forests and reducing crops. It is formed at the earth’s surface as a result of chemical reactions between organic compounds, oxygen and nitrogen oxide in sunny and hot weather. As well as sources like automobile exhaust, industrial solvents and factories, Ozone pollution is caused by landfills, gas stations and farming equipment.

       Because cars are such major causes of pollution, car maintenance and driving habits either can cut down on pollution or increase it significantly. There are many ways that we can minimize the pollution from our vehicles. It might seem hard for one person to make a difference but if everyone the only way  Carpooling and taking buses help to cut down on the numbers of cars making pollution. Driving at a steady speed is more fuel-efficient than frequently speeding up and slowing down, whether you are on the open road or in heavy traffic. Turning on and off your car’s engine consumes less fuel than keeping it idle for just 30 seconds so it’s best to avoid keeping it idle whenever possible. If you start and stop your car evenly you can use less fuel by taking advantage of your momentum. Traveling light helps to use less fuel. Planning out trips ahead of time will also help, simply because you travel fewer miles. Overfilling or topping off your gas tank is bad because will fumes escape and react with nitrogen oxides, creating ozone. Tampering with the pollution controls in your cars is also a bad idea.