The environmental issue I chose to blog
about is air pollution. Air pollution is the contamination of the air with
toxins, and is the main cause of global warming. Global warming is the increase
of the Earth’s average temperatures. Global warming is such a scary thing
because if it continues to raise the average temperatures then one day the
temperatures could be so high that humans could not live on Earth anymore. What
is also scary is that the air pollutants that contribute to global warming are
sometimes visible, like smog, but some pollutants are not. Therefore, without
being able to see everything that is polluting our air, many humans are
ignorant to the damage the pollutants are causing.
Carbon dioxide is the main pollutant that
is harming our Earth today. It is the main pollutant because there is a greater
amount of carbon dioxide in our air than any other gas. Carbon dioxide is most
frequently polluted into our air by cars, planes, and any type of human
activity that burns fossil fuels. Methane and sulfur dioxide are two other main
pollutants. Not only do these
pollutants contribute to global warming, but they also can cause major health
problems for the humans who are constantly exposed and inhaling these gases.
Air pollution is an environmental problem
in so many places around the world because of the amount of fossil fuels that
are burnt everywhere. However, the place that I want to focus on is the public
schools in the United States. Many U.S. citizens, especially parents, do not
realize that one in three public schools in the United States are in the “air
pollution zone.” I thought this was a
very interesting place to focus on because I went to a public school my whole
life and never would think that one in three public schools are in an area
where children could easily develop lung problems from just breathing in the
air on the play ground or as they are walking into school. The reason that
there are so many schools in the “ air pollution zone” is because more than
thirty percent of American public schools are within four hundred meters, or a
quarter mile, of major highways. As I found out how many public schools were so
close to highways, I sat back and thought about all of the public schools in my
hometown and how far they were from a big highway. Shockingly, I realized there
was an elementary school very close to a major, four-lane highway. I did a
little research, and then realized the elementary school was definitely one in
the “air pollution zone.” I doubt any of the parents who send their children to
school there know that their kids are at high risk for developing lung diseases
later in life, do you think that they would send them there if they knew that?
In conclusion, it shocks me that an issue
that affects so many people would go unknown. If I knew that my children were
in an “air pollution zone” every day when I sent them off to school, I sure
wouldn’t be sending them to that school anymore. Also, it makes me wonder what
other issues that might affect me do I not know about…
Although I was previously aware of the negative effects air pollution had on the global community, I never thought about the threat of air pollution in our every day lives. Obviously, I knew it existed around our local communities, but Rachel gathered very good points that forced me to think. If air quality continues to regress, what effect will that have on the future generations to come? My prediction is an increase in fatal health issues such as many cancers and respiratory problems. A decrease in the country's overall health is bound to occur. It is also mind boggling that schools are continuing to be built right near highways, a major contribution to air pollution. Our youth is the future of not only the country, but the world. If they are being placed in poor health environments from the start, how is that going to make our nation move further and fight cancers and diseases? At this point, it is extremely unlikely for existing schools to change locations. A possible solution to this problem is to work towards actions that eliminate the use of fossil fuels and carbon dioxide production.
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