Most people never stop to think about the sanitation of the air around them. The only places that people ruminate over air quality are largely populated states and cities. One of these places is California. Ominous clouds of smog and polluted air constantly hover over the citizens. These people don’t ever look up and worry, because smog is a usual appearance. This issue destroys not only the earth and its atmosphere, but the very center of our lives: our bodies’ health. Particulate pollutants are like the retroviruses of the world: well-rounded and dangerous. Air pollution is the largest ecological issue of our time because the contaminated air lingers all over the world constantly being augmented to, and further threatening the world and those who lives in it. As a state that is car-centric, California has been harassed by air pollution for decades. Even one of California’s most famous cities, Los Angeles, is known for the cloud of smog. National Geographic even comments on the daily emissions from factories and automobiles in the city saying, “In the past 150 years, such activities have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to raise its levels higher than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years.” ("Air Pollution Facts, Air Pollution Effects, Air Pollution Solutions, Air Pollution Causes - National Geographic.”) California’s air pollution levels are at an all time high and needs to be redressed. Ozone is one of the most dangerous main types of air
There are various types of air pollution contributors in California such as fire generated pollutants and vehicle traffic, which add particulate matter and carbon monoxide into the air we breathe. According to an article by Union of Concerned Scientists (Cars, trucks, and air pollution, 2014) particulate matter is made up of fine particles soot and metal that can pose serious threats to human health when deep in the lungs. Other pollutants emitted from vehicles are: nitrogen oxide which lowers the body’s defense system against respiratory infections such as pneumonia, carbon monoxide which blocks oxygen from reaching vital organs, sulfur dioxide which is emitted by both power plants and vehicles affect children and asthmatics, and hazardous air pollutants (toxics) which are chemicals that are linked to cancer, birth defects and other illnesses (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014).
Air Pollution today has lead CDC's fight against environmental -related respiratory illness, including asthma.An estimated number of 6.5 million deaths are attributed each year to poor air quality, making this the world's largest threat to human health.According to the World Energy Outlook and the IEA estimate that death due to household air pollution in Africa may decrease by 110,00 to 2040.However, due to economic growth, urbanization and automobile emissions, outdoor air pollution may rise from 300,00 to 450,000 over the same period. Am going to be looking at the causes of air pollution. the problems emerging with air pollution and also how we as a community can help decrease the amount of death rate associated with air pollution.I remember growing up in Africa Air pollution was always a talk about a subject that always comes out because it is really contagious due to the fact that we are breathing bad air that is caused by our human contribution to the environment.Air pollution is considered to be a public health problem, it is responsible for most of our health problems after some research has been conducted in many different parts of the world and regions. According to the Geochemistry and Health paleopathological research suggests that air pollution is a form of smoke, plagued our oldest ancestors.Air pollution has emerged as one of the leading risk factors for stroke worldwide.
The Central Valley is one of the many sites of where air pollution is most greatly produced. This is due to the vast majority of electricity, fuels, and transportation that people in the Central Valley utilize along with the amount of agriculture that is produced here. Many people go through their daily activities without thinking about how they are harming not only the environment but also the health and well being of humans. The cause of air pollution is not only due to natural events like volcanoes and wildfires but is mostly contributed to human activities. These include use of gases, the burning of wood, power generation, driving, the use of household and farming chemicals, and more! (Lad, 2016) Air pollution is interconnected with many health effects like upper respiratory infections and chronic respiratory diseases like asthma. (cdc.gov, 2016) However, there are many mitigation strategies that are being implemented to help address the health effects of air pollution.
The Central Valley consist of three major counties Modesto, Fresno and Bakersfield. Together these three counties produce a little over half of the nation’s produce. With a population of over 6.5 million people the Central Valley is also consider by Public Policy Institute of California the fastest growing region of California. With the ever growing population and growing need for more agriculture that leads to a larger air quality issue. This paper will discuss the sources, factors, roles, issues of the Central Valley’s air pollution as well as some possibilities of how the community can help.
Arizona is on the rise as one of the fastest metropolitan areas in the United States of America. In fact, in 2015 Forbes Magazine ranks Phoenix, Arizona as the 11th fastest growing city in the U.S.1 This growth is due the unprecedented resources and growing opportunities in the state of Arizona. With all of these opportunities come more production, which means more emissions from various industries and cars, more fossil fuels burned, and household and farming chemicals added to the sky. All of these are examples of pollution; which is one the sacrifices that comes with being a large city that is emerging. Pollution is defined as the action or process of making land, water, air, etc., dirty and not safe or suitable to use.2 We understand that Phoenix is a rapidly growing city, but they should be able to grow without being a detriment to the environment and health of their citizens. The purpose of my report is to examine the problem of air pollution in Phoenix, Arizona and look at solutions to fix this problem.
In recent years, California’s Central Valley has gone from being America’s breadbasket to a near-dystopian wasteland—a landscape beset with air pollution with strikingly diverse causes. Five of the ten most polluted American cities can be found in this region (Wheeler, Morris and Gordon). This is not surprising given the host of actual and potential causes of air pollution problem in the heart of California. Ground level ozone is a major type of pollution in the Valley that primarily causes summertime “smog,” produced through the photochemical or sunlight-induced reactions between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) (San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District 3). The other type of pollution, particulate matter (PM), refers to small solid or liquid particles that form in the atmosphere through gases or photochemical reactions. While the causes of air pollution in the Central Valley are undoubtedly manifold, the region’s agricultural practices still count as the most substantial factors for this environmental problem; in any case, the Valley’s unique meteorological and topographical conditions exacerbate the level of air pollution.
Los Angeles County ranks among the 10% worst air quality polluters in the US. The hustle and bustle of public transportation and smog released by an over-populated commuter based region, have significantly lowered air quality standards. Henceforth, health concerns have risen for all Angelinos. Research has observed that there is a serious influx of pollutants in the air that could have damaging results both on adults and children alike. However, different forms of renewable energy over the years have facilitated an alternative to this issue. A movement away from an urban sprawl Los Angeles to new urbanism has allotted us better living and breathing conditions over the last several years.
In our central valley they have done research with kids of Fresno from their birth to teenage hood tracking their health and environmental exposures. Air pollution causes 1,300 premature deaths as well as asthma attacks. The climate change also affects the pollution. In our San Joaquin Valley, hot weather, and boarding mountains traps air pollution. California has study our San Joaquin Valley would reduce health cost by $416 by 2035. San Joaquin valley is the most productive agricultural region in the country. Heavy duty-diesel trucks constantly come in and out of the Valley. Therefore, that leads to 14 tons of the greenhouse gas Ozone daily. Animal feed spews a whopping 25 tons of Ozone to form. Pollution streams down from the Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east trap even more air in our valley. The pollution creates a thick greyish-brown smog hanging over the
Have you ever wondered where majority of the air pollution comes from and how it’s caused since half of the population here in the San Joaquin Valley are affected due to the contamination of the air. Many people around the world question themselves of air pollution but don’t know where it comes from. It's noticeable for example pesticides, ozone levels rising, vehicle pollution, toxic waste burning, wildfires, and the list goes on. The San Joaquin Valley for many have been battling for better air quality but instead of getting better it seems to be getting worse. The air quality can contribute to dangerous health issues and environmental effects. We humans aren't the only ones who are suffering from these devastating chemicals being used on a daily basis. Humans in general, Environmental Protection Agency, or California have to find ways or solutions to limit the usage of any type of air pollution being spread all around the world. However, air pollution contributes to several health problems that can either be longer term effect or short term effect. Limiting the usage of ozone into the air will reduce the chance of new born children from suffering major effects that can later turn
The air quality of the San Joaquin Valley is the most polluted in the country, according to the Fresno Metro Ministry in their presentation of “Air Pollution 101.” With California in a drought, problems develop in the water for consumption as well as the water for agriculture, a big factor in the profits coming into the valley. Water companies are then forced to dig into the aquifers, or natural underground water supplies, which have caused the land to sink. All of these environments have affected one another and have caused ill effects to the residents, more so due to the California drought, yet many people are
California’s central valley air contains several different toxic pollutants produced by things such as industries, vehicles, and other means. Ozone is a type of pollutant that can cause serious health issues. It is produced when nitrogen dioxide, which is produced by cars and power plants, is exposed to the sun. Nitrogen dioxide alone can cause breathing issues and damage to the lungs. When nitrogen dioxide becomes ozone, it can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, cause damage to rubber, paint, and paper surfaces, and damage plants. Carbon monoxide, nitrates and other oxides are also problematic in California. The state also has an abundance of natural pollutants such as dust and smoke. In California, we do not get enough rain to wash the air clean, and we get enough sun to create an increase in issues with pollution.
Most times, when Californians drive through the freeways around Downtown Los Angeles, instead of seeing the clear blue sky, dark gray masses of CO2 emissions fill the air. From the time of the Industrial Revolution till now, the levels of pollution in the world, including California has been dramatically rising. Air pollution results in alarming consequences to both the environment and the people. Professors Bradley Bereitschaft and Keith Debbage explored relationships of air pollution and its effects in U.S Metropolitan areas. Their studies have shown that emissions of air pollutants, such as CO2, affect human health and are responsible for over one million premature deaths. They also talk about greenhouse gasses, such as CO2 that are a major
Introduction: The skies of the Central Valley are covered with bad air pollution that can easily be spotted from long distances. In recent years we believed the cloud of pollution came from factories and power plants, but a recent study says differently. The effects on the other side of the continent affects us too. The negative effects that have transcribed from the bad air quality are shortage of breath because our lungs got weaker from inhaling bad air which has led to cases of asthma. Children are hurt by the bad air quality too, since they are outside playing and inhaling the bad air to their small lungs. The actions we and big industries need to take to make sure we lower the pollution
Most people have felt or took in the air pollutants coming from a car but little did they know what the consequences that smell or the soot may present. The black smoke, and sometimes invisible pollutants, are causing harm all over the earth without people realizing it. Car pollution can cause disruption to human 's health, the environment, and the cities in just a matter of time and in many different ways.
The Central Valley contains the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley, stretching from Redding to Bakersfield, which is the home to millions of residents. It was named as the Central Valley because its geographical location is in the center of the state of California which is surrounded by mountain ranges. The bowl shaped valley contains all the emissions and activities that the residents cause from travelling to work and other places. Not only does the Central Valley get its pollution from the valley, but it also gets air pollution that are transported from the Bay Area (valleyair.org). Due to the valley’s bowl shape, it traps the pollution which causes many issues and is a serious problem. This research paper will focus on the major source of air pollution, factors responsible for poor air quality, impacts of air pollutants in the valley, and regulations.