Air pollution continues to be a significant problem in the city of Birmingham, as it has been for decades. No one enjoys walking the streets of Birmingham only to taste or smell the smoke and particulates in the air, not to mention the damaging effects to one’s health. Fortunately, improvements have been made; forty years ago, residents of Birmingham could not even see the skyline due to the immense amounts of particulates in the air, but now the skyline is visible on a daily basis. The noticeable improvement indicates the progress that has been made over the years, but there is still plenty of room for much needed improvement. Birmingham’s air quality is among some of the worst in the United States, but there are several feasible and relatively simple solutions which would make a positive impact on air quality, undoing the damaging effects on human and environmental health: recycling, proper disposal of used tires, and closely monitoring factory waste disposal. In the United States before 1970, there was no law in place regarding pollution which led to toxic air quality levels. Conversely, the Environmental Protection Agency passed a new law, the Clean Air Act, which led to federal District Judge Sam Pointer ordering an emergency halt to the operations of 23 smokestack industries in Birmingham until the passing of the emergency period (Spencer). The Clean Air Act was passed with intentions of creating clearer and uncontaminated air across the country, but Birmingham’s air was nowhere near clear and uncontaminated. Over the course of the past 40 years, adjustments have been made to factories and mills, and it has not gone unnoticed. As written by Spencer, “the EPA has proposed that Birmingham be certified as having attained co... ... middle of paper ... ...useless to create a product such as rubber asphalt which lasts longer than asphalt itself. Works Cited Spencer, Thomas. "An Old Cloud of Polluted Air Lifts from Birmingham's Shoulders | Al.com." Alabama Blogs and Bloggers-Al.com. Web. 23 Nov 2011. Kallman, Matt. "August 2008 Monthly Update: Air Pollution's Causes, Consequences and Solutions | "Coal Burning Power Plants." Black Warrior Riverkeeper. Web. 23 Nov 2011. “Downtown B’ham Recycling Center.” Web. 23 Dec 2011. Lioy, Paul J., and Panos G. Georgopoulos. “New Jersey: A Case Study of the Reduction in Urban and Suburban Air Pollution From the 1950s to 2010.” Environmental Health Perspectives 119. 10 (2011): 1351-1355. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec 2011. “Tire Trouble." Family Education Network, Resource for Parents, Teachers & Kids. PearsonSchool.com-Family Education Network. Web. 23 Nov 2011.
Air pollution affects both New York’s environment and people. Emissions from industry, power plants, and vehicles are released into the atmosphere, causing smog, photochemical smog, particulate matter, ground level ozone, and acid rain. Air pollutants lead to respiratory problems in humans, and increase the severity in those who already have respiratory system related illnesses. Acid precipitation damages buildings, cars, trees, and crops, which can cause quite a financial burden – this is especially concerning when it comes to preserving New York City’s many historic buildings. Air pollution also contributes towards global warming which causes a change in the Earth’s climate. Drastic actions need to be put in motion in order for the issue
Los Angeles is one such city that has had some success in controlling its air pollution, with plans that are different from the ones Phoenix is using. Located in the Sunbelt, LA sees a lot of sunshine like Phoenix. It, too, has had a large population growth like Phoenix and has had to respond to that accordingly. Los Angeles has developed a few excellent plans to fight its air pollution, which I believe can also make a difference in Phoenix as well. I propose that we integrate those plans from Los Angeles to enhance the battle of air pollution in Phoenix.
Salt Lake City, Provo and Logan rank consistently in the top ten U.S. Cities for the air pollution. Vehicle emission account for more than hal...
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates air pollution through various policies passed through the Supreme Court. The scope of this paper is to investigate the Clean Air Act of 1970, and to analyze the impact it has on businesses and society. It provides a rationale for the policy, and contains a brief overview of governmental involvement in regulating air pollution. Further investigation identifies key stakeholders in business, government, and society, and assesses the pros and cons of regulating air pollution. Finally, the paper concludes with limitations of this analysis and recommendations for future action.
The quality of air we intake on a daily basis is essential to our health, therefore, the EPA’s Clean Air Act provides the groundwork to support the quality of the air which we breathe. One of the goals of the Act was to set and achieve NAAQS in every state by 1975 to address the public health and welfare risks posed by certain air pollutants. The setting of these pollutant standards was coupled with directing the states to develop state implementation plans (SIPs), applicable to appropriate industrial sources in the stat...
Land development causes danger to the environment by polluting the air and disrupting geological and animal status. Air pollution is a big problem with urban life. Large cities have the characteristic of having polluted skies. The Environmental Protection Agency passed an act, through legislation, called the Clean Air Act. The CAA set standards for all cities (Environmental Politics and Policies, 195). Some of these cities that do not meet such standards include Los Angels, New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, Baltimore, and Houston. These limits are called National Ambient Air Quality Standards (189). The NAAQS sets a limit on the amount of Carbon Dioxide, Hydrocarbons, Air born Particulates, nitrogenoxides, lead, and sulfur oxides, and Ozone in the cities air. Such standards apply for 7 (192). The definition for Ozone: A strong oxidizing agent with disinfecting properties similar to chlorine; also used in odor control and sludge processing (Environmental Engineering, 219). Ozone is present in the high atmosphere, but at lower levels can be one of the most harmful gases on Earth (Our Poison...
Pollution is a major problem for all of us. People need to recognize this situation so we can start making a difference to this problem. In order to start making a difference, the federal government should increase gasoline tax by one dollar a gallon. Fifty percent of this dollar will go towards public transportation, since passenger cars and trucks are a major contribution towards air pollution, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, E.P.A (10/4, http://www.epa.gov/autoemissions/emsns.html). Due to the expected increase after this is put forth, the remaining fifty percent of the dollar will go towards safety on these transits. When public transportation increases, air pollution will decrease, which will lessen the harmful health risks towards the environment.
We need to be concerned about the condition of the air that we breathe daily, because there has always been a problem with having fresh unpolluted air to breathe,dating back unto the Industrial Revolution the concern of polluted air has raised eyebrows whether it was scientists, government officials, or the general public the complaint of not pollutants in the air was a major health issue since the being of time. The reports of nineteen deaths in 1948, in the city of Denora, Pennsylvania was an eyeopener to the Washington groups, just because they were suppose to regulate industrial emissions made up of a combination of combustion products and thermal inversion these people still died.(Fleming and Knorr , 2009) So therefore it shows how very important it is to have clean fresh air versus polluted hazardous air that has an affects on Americans physically,economically, and socially.
One advantage of a national policy is the “Clean Air Act” it is a policy that protects, maintains and save our environmental air quality. Air pollution in the United States in the 1960’s was very poor and one of the main contributors were the petroleum refineries. Air pollution is collectively responsible for more than 70,000 deaths each year in the United States (Ozymy, Jarrett, 2011). Communities living in close proximity to petroleum refineries are especially vulnerable to pollution-related health problems, as they are routinely subjected to harmful air emissions. This policy’s advantages are making and keeping our air as clean as possible by regulating routine emissions.
The quality of life granted by the air we breathe is protected by organizations such as the GEPD, ALA, and EPA. These organizations operate as a guide to matters about air pollution for Metro Atlanta and cities across the United States. The population of Metro Atlanta is approximately 5.6 million with air pollutant particle matter ranging from PM2.5 and PM10 micrometers. PM2.5 is a measurement of “fine particles produced from all types of combustion, including motor vehicles, power plants, residential wood burning, forest fires, agricultural burning, and some industrial processes” (AirNow, 2017) while PM10 is a measurement of larger “sources which include crushing or grinding operations and dust stirred up by vehicles on roads” (AirNow, 2017).
Air pollution has become a significant problem in the US as well as the world over years. It’s the result of variety of sources like industrial, agriculture, mechanical and transportation. Sadly, transportation which releases a great amount of carbon dioxides, nitrogen oxides and other toxicity is proven the leading cause of air pollution. There are several transportation factors that contribute to air pollution in the US.
One of the most polluted cities in the United States is Bakersfield, California. The 142-square miles city is located near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region with a population of over 365,000. Emissions from industries coupled with geographical and climatic conditions make the city a hard place to breathe in due to its highly polluted air. The polluted air has had adverse effects on the residents. Of the total population, 70,000 have asthma, 40,000 cardiovascular diseases, and 27,000 chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (Ostro et al. 2007). In general, air pollution effect has cost the region about $3 billion in a year. The polluted air plays a part in the global climate changes such as warmer temperatures and rising sea levels. The water in the city is also not spared by the industrial effluents. The water has been found to contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are chemicals from industrial discharges. The residents, therefore, are prone to health hazards associated with the toxic
Air pollution in Los Angeles has caused concerns. In 2011, the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) Survey on Californians and the Environment showed that 45% of citizens in Los Angeles consider air pollution to be a “big problem”, and 47% believe that the air quality of
Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) The Toxic 100: Top Corporate Air Polluters in the United States. .
One of the most dangerous environment issues Southern California is facing today is air pollution. This includes the burning of fossil fuels and natural disasters. Los Angeles is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and the most polluted city in the United States. I will research information about the causes, the effects, and the history of air pollution in the Los Angeles. For my research, I have relied mostly on, the school’s database and library, as well as current events.