Air Pollution

Air pollution is one of the most serious problems facing human beings today. Air pollution is defined as the release of toxic contaminants into the air. There are many causes of air pollution which negatively impact human health and nature. It is not realistic to eliminate air pollution entirely, but there are possible solutions to decrease the influence of this problem on our environment.

The growing human population is one of the largest problems in the world which leads to several main causes of air pollution such as transportation, the increasing waste production and the use of power plants. Today people drive more gas burning vehicles (cars, trucks, buses and etc.) that is the greatest cause of air pollution. Another source of pollution is the increasing waste production. As the number of people grow, they create more waste. The third cause is the increasing need for power plants. More people require more energy from power plants. These energy producing facilities release carbon monoxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere. Although air pollution continues to be a serious problem there are possible methods to decrease the amount of pollution we create.

There are several available solutions such as driving more energy efficient vehicles, recycling and making our homes more energy efficient. For instance, if people make their vehicles more fuel efficient, use hybrid cars, walk and bicycle instead of driving, it will decrease the amount of air pollution produced. Another solution is better waste and land management. For example, if people recycle paper, glass, aluminium and other metals and materials, plant trees and avoid buying and using aerosol products containing CFC's, it will help to make the air and environment cleaner. One more method is to make our homes more energy efficient. If people buy more energy friendly appliances, replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs and better insulation of our homes, it will lessen our need for energy. All these solutions require some efforts, but they can bring positive results.

Air pollution is a growing problem in our society and it is responsible for serious health consequences and causes damage to our environment. The demands of the increasing population place a great stress on our planet, but people can find solutions for this serious problem through the use of technology and personal responsibility. Earth is our home and we have an obligation to take care of our environment.