Jami Chung
Abstract
This paper discusses a big problem in today’s world. Air pollution is the release of harmful or
poisonous substances into the air and is one of the largest issues that impact the world all around.
This topic looks at air pollution and its effect on global warming. It can be problematic because
the pollutants that enter the air can be hazardous to our lungs which lead to sickness. However,
it can also be beneficial to the planet by providing nutrients to the land and ocean while cooling
Air pollution is the release of substances with harmful or poisonous effects into the air
and is probably one of the most serious environmental problems confronting our world today,
especially in Los Angeles where I grew up. Air pollution can be problematic because the
pollutants that enter the air can be a health hazard and effect the environment with global
warming. However, critics believe pollutants can also be beneficial to the planet by providing
nutrients to the land and ocean while cooling the atmosphere. What are the effects of pollution
“Air pollution in the form of carbon dioxide and methane raises the earth’s temperature,”
John Walke, director of the Clean Air Project, says in an article by Jillian Mackenzie for the
Natural Resource Defense Council. “Another type of air pollution is then worsened by that
increased heat. Smog forms when the weather is warmer, and there’s more ultraviolet radiation.”
Climate change also increases the production of allergenic air pollutants including mold (thanks
to damp conditions caused by extreme weather and increased flooding) and pollen (due to a
Researchers have found a wide array of health effects which they believe are associated
with air pollution exposure. Among them are respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases,
adverse pregnancy outcomes, and even death. In addition, “ammonia can react with other air
pollutants to create tiny particles that can lodge deep in the lungs, causing asthma attacks,
Outdoor air pollution is a major cause of death and disease globally. According to the
World Health Organization, one-third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer, and heart disease are
AIR POLLUTION: A GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM OR NOT? 4
due to air pollution. As stated, “poor air quality is linked to over three million deaths each year,
and 96% of people in large cities are exposed to pollutant levels that are above recommended
limits. The costs of urban air pollution amount to 2% of gross domestic product in developed
There have been many studies connecting air pollution and its relation to children’s poor
health. Worldwide, up to 14 percent of children age 5-18 have asthma related to factors
including air pollution. “Children exposed to high levels of pollution also have poorer outcomes
than children exposed to lower levels of pollution.” (Currie, Neidell, Ray, 2011, para. 2).
Although adults may be affected by the poor air quality, children are among the most at risk
because their lungs are not fully developed. This indicates that children breathe in more air than
Motor vehicles powered by fossil fuels are some of the causes of air pollution. Robert
Bienenfeld, the leading U.S. expert on energy and the environment at American Honda Motor
Co., stated that the company wants to make vehicles that will reduce the amount of pollution for
vehicles. “We’ve always had a very clean fleet and have been at the leading edge of reducing
smog forming emissions from tailpipe,” he said. “Now, the auto industry as a whole is really
clean and getting cleaner all the time, and the automotive contribution to air quality problems has
gone from 70-80% of the problem to less than 10%. Now, the big contributors are diesel trucks,
All these factors of air pollution play a role for causing global warming. However, a
news report by Geoff Brumfiel of National Public Radio contradicts the belief that carbon
dioxide or other pollutants are a major cause of global warming. Brumfiel’s report includes
AIR POLLUTION: A GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM OR NOT? 5
comments from the head of the Environment Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, who thinks there is
scientific uncertainty over whether humans are changing the climate. As a representative of the
EPA, which regulates CO2 and other greenhouse gases as pollutants, Pruitt says that "measuring
with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do, and there's
tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact," (Brumfiel, Pruitt, 2017, para. 3). This
opposes scientists and environmentalists who argue that air pollution is causing harmful effects
In conclusion, there are many factors that cause air pollution, but the real concern is to
determine if it is a global warming issue or not. Some say pollutants that cause global warming
are creating the biggest global health threat of the 21st century, but others think it isn’t a bad deal
after all.
AIR POLLUTION: A GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM OR NOT? 6
References
Bienenfeld, R. (2019, March). Interview and (2014, February 14). Rearview Report. Retrieved
from
https://www.torquenews.com/1574/honda-promotes-blue-sky-s-philosophy-never-ending
-race-video
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/09/519425866/epa-chief-scott-pruitt-q
uestions-basic-facts-about-climate-change
Currie, J., Ray, S., & Neidell, M. (2011, Dec.). Quasi-experimental studies suggest that lowering
air pollution levels benefits infants' and children's health. Health Affairs (Project Hope),
https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/docview/910128691/fulltext/5B1C7584
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https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/pdf/10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0212
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9503B4077PQ/1?accountid=4485
Mackenzie, J. (2019, February 13). Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved
from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution-everything-you-need-know
AIR POLLUTION: A GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM OR NOT? 7
Stokstad, E. (2014, Jan. 17). Air pollution. Ammonia pollution from farming may exact hefty
health costs. Science (New York, N.Y.), 343( 6168), 238. Retrieved from
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