5/21/2016

AirPollutionFacts,AirPollutionEffects,AirPollutionSolutions,AirPollutionCausesNationalGeographic

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AirPollution
ComesFromManySources

Here'swhatyouneedtoknowabout
thewarmingplanet,ho
wit'saffectingus,andwhat's

atstake.

PhotographbyPeterEssick

Smoghangingovercitiesisthemostfamiliarandobviousformofairpollution.But
therearedifferentkindsofpollutionsomevisible,someinvisiblethatcontribute
toglobalwarming.Generallyanysubstancethatpeopleintroduceintotheatmosphere
thathasdamagingeffectsonlivingthingsandtheenvironmentisconsideredair
pollution.
Carbondioxide,agreenhousegas,isthemainpollutantthatiswarmingEarth.Thoughlivingthingsemitcarbon
dioxidewhentheybreathe,carbondioxideiswidelyconsideredtobeapollutantwhenassociatedwithcars,
planes,powerplants,andotherhumanactivitiesthatinvolvetheburningoffossilfuelssuchasgasolineand
naturalgas.Inthepast150years,suchactivitieshavepumpedenoughcarbondioxideintotheatmosphereto
raiseitslevelshigherthantheyhavebeenforhundredsofthousandsofyears.
Othergreenhousegasesincludemethanewhichcomesfromsuchsourcesasswampsandgasemittedby
livestockandchlorofluorocarbons(CFCs),whichwereusedinrefrigerantsandaerosolpropellantsuntilthey
werebannedbecauseoftheirdeterioratingeffectonEarth'sozonelayer.
Anotherpollutantassociatedwithclimatechangeissulfurdioxide,acomponentofsmog.Sulfurdioxideand
closelyrelatedchemicalsareknownprimarilyasacauseofacidrain.Buttheyalsoreflectlightwhenreleased
intheatmosphere,whichkeepssunlightoutandcausesEarthtocool.Volcaniceruptionscanspewmassive
amountsofsulfurdioxideintotheatmosphere,sometimescausingcoolingthatlastsforyears.Infact,volcanoes
usedtobethemainsourceofatmosphericsulfurdioxidetodaypeopleare.
Industrializedcountrieshaveworkedtoreducelevelsofsulfurdioxide,smog,andsmokeinordertoimprove
people'shealth.Butaresult,notpredicteduntilrecently,isthatthelowersulfurdioxidelevelsmayactually
makeglobalwarmingworse.Justassulfurdioxidefromvolcanoescancooltheplanetbyblockingsunlight,
cuttingtheamountofthecompoundintheatmosphereletsmoresunlightthrough,warmingtheEarth.This
effectisexaggeratedwhenelevatedlevelsofothergreenhousegasesintheatmospheretraptheadditionalheat.
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/globalwarming/pollutionoverview/

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Mostpeopleagreethattocurbglobalwarming,avarietyofmeasuresneedtobetaken.Onapersonallevel,
drivingandflyingless,recycling,andconservationreducesapersons"carbonfootprint"theamountof
carbondioxideapersonisresponsibleforputtingintotheatmosphere.
Onalargerscale,governmentsaretakingmeasurestolimitemissionsofcarbondioxideandothergreenhouse
gases.OnewayisthroughtheKyotoProtocol,anagreementbetweencountriesthattheywillcutbackon
carbondioxideemissions.Anothermethodistoputtaxesoncarbonemissionsorhighertaxesongasoline,so
thatpeopleandcompanieswillhavegreaterincentivestoconserveenergyandpolluteless.

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