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Air Pollution

Air pollution is a relatively recent issue that still has people opposed to it despite the numerous amount
of studies out there that indicate it is a problem that has been on the rise, and will only continue to pose
a deeper threat until we act against it. Not only is this issue relative to the people of Utah, who
experience more air pollution than other states due to the geography of this state, but it is an issue that
concerns the entire world's population, in that all of our lives and future generations' lives are at risk
here. To better understand the issue of air pollution it is important to know why it is an issue, and what
effect it is having on the environment. It is also important to realize the fault of those who do not
believe in it, and attempt to debunk their view. Lastly and most critically, it is important to know what
can be done to save our planet from this serious issue that could potentially endanger our planet, as
well as the entire human species.

So how does air pollution affect the environment as well as the human body? First of all pollution has a
large impact on the environment. As a result of factories, power plants, and vehicles toxic chemicals are
put into the air in mass amounts every single day, all over the world. This huge increase in new
chemicals being introduced into the atmosphere creates changes that have a negative effect on many
areas of the environment. One consequence is acid rain. Toxins are released upward into the sky where
they eventually bind with the forming precipitation found in clouds. This results in our rain containing
a certain amount of toxicity that has had a significant impact on the destruction of plant life such as
harvesting crops and wildlife. It has also contributed to the pollution of lakes which is hazardous not
only to the aquatic life, but to any person who unknowingly goes to take a swim. One lake located in
Russia, said to be the most polluted lake in the world, as result of a nuclear power plant, is said to cause
severe radiation damage or death to anyone who even stands on the shore ("Meet the lake so polluted
that spending an hour there would kill you").

The pollution of water is just one consequence of air pollution. Another concern, one more directly
impacting human life, is how air pollution affects the human body. Certain materials made airborne as a
result of the activity I mentioned above can have a series of effects on human life ranging from mild
throat or nose irritation to the contribution or even causation of cancer. These materials can also affect
an unborn baby who's mother is exposed to. ("Why Should You Be Concerned About Air Pollution?")
One of the biggest areas of concern in this issue is that we are all exposed to this every single day.
People with respiratory conditions such as asthma are admitted to the hospital on a daily basis as a
direct result of air pollution. Having had asthma all my life I can relate to this issue on a personal level
easier than most people can because I have personally felt the effects of it. There have been some days
where the air in Utah has been so bad that even walking around outside has triggered my asthma to act
up.

The last air pollution related issue that I will mention is its contribution to global warming. The
chemicals released into the air, especially carbon dioxide, will eventually travel into and accumulate in
the ozone. This essentially reinforces the greenhouse effect of our ozone, and by doing this less heat
radiation from the sun is able to escape via its normal route back into space. Instead it is held within out
planet's atmosphere, causing a gradual increase in temperature. Despite virtually the entire scientific
community's unanimous view that global warming is real with humans enacting the major role for its
existence, there are still many people who deny that there is a such thing. In fact almost every 2016
Republican presidential candidate either opposes the facts of global warming, or does not treat it with
the amount of seriousness that it deserves ("Where the 2016 Republican candidates stand on climate
change").

Before I move onto the other points of this paper I would like to point out some local issues presented

by air pollution that can be seen here in Utah. Due to the contrast between Utah's mountainous regions
adjacent to more of a flat plains region, much of the state, especially along the Wasatch Front, acts as a
sort of bubble that traps air pollution (Heather). Local studies have been conducted in order to
determine how much air pollution Utah faces, and what percentage of that contributes to the health of
Utah's citizens, and they have found that actually a good portion does contribute to the causation of
respiratory diseases and even death among Utah citizens.

With the goal of combating Utah's air pollution out sprung the organization UCAIR. This organization
specifically targets corporate organizations and offers incentives in the form of grants to those who cut
down on carbon emissions. This has turned out to be a very effective approach because tied in with the
environmental and health issues that come with air pollution are also many economic issues. Almost all
corporations, as well as our national and local economic development, depend on certain commodities
that when used can have negative side effects on the environment. These aren't things only used by
large corporations or businesses, but by almost anyone living in a modernized community. These
include things like power, electricity, and transportation. Because these things have a significant effect
on the economy as well as the environment it isn't as simple as eliminating all fossil fuel driven cars, or
all power plants that produce massive amounts of toxic chemicals into the air. Instead there needs to be
a gradual transition from the current utilization of these things to a utilization that does not affect the
environment in a negative way, but is instead based on renewable, sustainable energy (Brice). UCAIR
is an excellent contributor to this concept. By essentially offering compensation to those corporations
who are willing to forfeit certain utilities for a month they have helped make Utah a cleaner place.

While UCAIR only offers financial incentive on a corporate level they almost promote and encourage
the participation of every individual who owns a vehicle. Everyone can contribute by limiting their
daily vehicle use by using some kind of public transportation or walking when possible. In the

relatively brief time that UCAIR has been around they have already helped in stopping millions of
ponds of carbon emissions from being released into the air. While this has had some impact on the
environment it doesn't even come close to the amount of carbon dioxide produced in the entire United
States each year, which comes close to several thousand times that amount ("CO2 Now").

Bernie Sanders, a 2016 democratic presidential candidate as well as member of the Committee on
Environment and Public Works said this, We have the moral responsibilities to make sure that the
climate that we leave to our kids and grandkids is habitable... (Spear). I believe he was absolutely
correct in saying that, and if we want to ensure a future for our generations to come then we will have
to solve the issue of air pollution.

Works Cited

"CO2 Now." Global Carbon Emissions. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

"Climate Change Threatens Health: Air Pollution." NRDC:. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
McGill, Natalie. "Utah Partnership Working To Reduce Air Pollution In State." Nation's Health 44.8
(2014): 19. Health Source - Consumer Edition. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
"Meet the Lake so Polluted That Spending an Hour There Would Kill You." Grist. 3 Oct. 2012. Web. 22
Oct. 2015.
Spear, Stefanie Penn. "10 Reasons Bernie Sanders Is 'Rockin' in the Free World'" Common Dreams.
Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
Stewart, Heather. "A Breath Of Fresh Air." Utah Business 26.3 (2012): 38. Regional Business News.
Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Wallace, Brice. "Group Submits Development, Air Quality Recommendations. (Cover
Story)." Enterprise/Salt Lake City 43.17 (2013): 1. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
"Where the 2016 Republican Candidates Stand on Climate Change."CBSNews. CBS Interactive. Web.
22 Oct. 2015.
"Why Should You Be Concerned About Air Pollution?" Why Should You Be Concerned about Air
Pollution? Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

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