Reflection Essay on Air Pollution

INTRODUCTION

Our life on the Earth is affected by many factors. Pollution is one of them. In fact there are four kinds of pollution: air, land, water and noise pollution. This big problem is becoming closer to put life on the verge of death. It has killed many lives already since it causes many diseases such as asthma, breathing problems, heart diseases, lung cancer, and stroke. Technology has been the first responsible for most of the Pollution that exists today. People are not aware of its dangers and if we don’t stop or reduce it, our life on the Earth will vanish. A lot of people come with new ideas to stop environmental pollutions every day. However, none of those ideas have worked out yet and the environment is becoming worse and worse every day. Governments and the Media can play a big role to solve this problem by making people more aware of the risks of pollution.

AIR POLLUTION

Air Pollution is the biggest problem in the world. It threatens human health animal or plant life .” Acid rain and smog are the two major effects of air pollution. The main source of air pollution comes from industry, which causes a lot of problems for plants, animals, and human beings. Factories , means of transport, and mines release dangerous pollutants into the air; for instance, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide which leads to the death of thousands of people all over the world every year and the extinction of many animal and plants species.

A PILE DIAGRAM REPRESINTING INTENSITY OF AIR POLLUTION

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Our planet is suffering from many big problems which do not only threaten our health but also animals’ lives. In fact there are many problems that endanger our environment such as acid rain, global warming and I think that pollution is the most serious one. There are three types of pollution: air, land, and water pollution. These three types of pollution are different in forms but united by one common point that relates them to each other which is their origin that’s human being. This bad phenomenon leads to many harmful diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, stoke, and breathing problems. So, people should shake hand in hand to get rid of it and save our lives and keep our planet safe for future generations

the benefits of modern technologies in our lives

Modern technology has dramatically improved our lives. Personnel computers enable us to create documents, store information, and analyst data at home or at work. Satellites transmit telephone calls and T.V programs. Nowadays, mobile phones fit in our pockets and help us send and receive messages and E-mails. Also, digital cameras enable us to take photos that we can put on our computers. In the past, we had to go to the bank to deposit or draw money but now we can use ATM (automated teller machines) that we can find everywhere. Robots can do the work of a housewife at home. They can turn the light on and off, do the cooking and vacuuming and so on. Miniature cameras that patients can swallow allow doctors to diagnose medical conditions without surgery operations.

EFFECTS ON HUMAN

Brain drain

Brain drain is one of the major concerns of developed countries which are encouraging qualified and skillful workers to leave their home land and offering them a better life with high wages and opportunities to promote and fulfil their dreams. This movement of highly qualified personnel intends to attract essential people like doctors , scientists and so on is in fact considered as unequal since it is on the favor of rich countries while poor countries are losing hundreds of their workers who were trained and educated on their lands. Brain drain

Brain drain is one of the most frequent and burning problems of the present days. In fact, one of the major concerns of today’s companies is the shortage of labor and the need for more qualified workers .So, more and more qualified people are moving from poor to rich countries to fill in the gap of shortage of labor. Rich countries are selecting the type of workers who enter their frontiers and they only hire those who are qualified or have a university degree. They are in need for doctors, scientists, architects, teachers and so on.

So, poor countries don’t benefit from this phenomenon and some people think that through this movement, rich countries are robbing poor countries of their personnel. This unequal movement of workers will automatically affect poor countries’ economies. BRAIN DRAIN: Brain drain is a phenomenon under which “people of a nation move to another nation due to financial benefits and also due to economical reasons, but there are many more reasons behind it”. If we think deeply to the topic we would find that this phenomenon has more disadvantages than advantages. This phenomenon has many advantages for receiving countries which will automatically benefit from the skills and talents of immigrated people who were educated and qualified in their home countries.

However, developing countries are deeply affected by this phenomenon since they are deprived from millions of their skilled workers, doctors , hardworking Engineers, and billions of man power. Those elites represent the backbone of their economies and once they travel abroad, their economies will not flourish and promote .In fact, there are many reasons behind brain drain. First, the Government is the first responsible for Brain drain.

The salary paid by local companies is much less then multinational foreign companies which pushes millions of intelligent, hardworking Engineers to leave their native countries to look for a better life and opportunities. Second, the status and facilities provided by foreign companies are much high in quality and quantity than India. Also, some people find it a matter of pride and dignity to work as an employee in foreign countries.

But we have to mention that brain drain does not only affect developing countries but also has some advantages for them. People living abroad help foreigners to know about their cultures and traditions. Also, they give information about various natural beauties and tourist spots in their home countries which encourages tourists to visit them. This in turn increases tourist income. Brain drain also helps in increasing their foreign exchanges.

But at last you would find that brain drain has more disadvantages than advantages on developing on poor countries. So, to stop brain drain, local governments should make people aware of its harmful effects. Also Government should provide opportunities to their elites and should provide them with handsome salary, so that they can serve their own mother nation. Moreover Governments should enact some necessary laws to stop them from immigrating to foreign countries.

Smoking

There are many things that endanger our health and I think that smoking is the most serious one. In fact, smoking is widespread among people and especially teenagers.This nasty habit may lead to many harmful diseases such as lung cancer, asthma, emphysema and heart diseases. It is not only a waste of money but also a factor can short the life smoker by ten years or more. So, people should be aware about its dangers and they should automatically get rid of it to have a better and safer health.

Why Smoking is Bad for Everyone?

Smoking is an expensive habit and it should be banned. Although smokers claim that it helps them to relax and release stress, the negative aspects of the habit outweigh the positive.

Cigarette smoking causes a number of health problems which are expensive to treat. It is a major cause of respiratory diseases such as asthma, lung cancer and bronchitis. It also leads to heart disease. In spite of the money which the Government receives from taxing cigarettes, the cost of medical treatment for these diseases exceeds this income. As a consequence, non smoking taxpayers are forced to pay for the health costs of smokers. This is a very unfair situation.

Another reason for banning smoking is that cigarette smoke affects the health of non-smokers and unborn babies. Non-smokers soften suffer from eye and nose irritations, allergies and headaches as a result of inhaling second-hand smoke. There is also evidence to suggest that passive smoking may cause lung cancer. Smoking during pregnancy can hinder to growth of the foetus and may even result in death. Finally, the nicotine which is found in cigarettes is highly addictive.

Thus, in summary, smoking causes numerous illnesses which are expensive to treat. It disturbs non-smokers and is an unhealthy addiction. Therefore, cigarettes should definitely be banned so as to make the world a better place for everyone.

Urban exodus

A large number of people are living their home lands to stay in the city. In fact, there are many reasons behind this movement.Some of them leave the countryside due to the shortage (lack) of jobs. So, they go to big cities attracted by the dream of becoming wealthier or having a suitable job. Others move to cities to live an easier life since life in the countryside is very difficult and suffers from the lack of most necessary things such as bancs, hospitals, hotels and some means of transport.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Online Schools

Online schools—sometimes called virtual schools—offer learning to students through use of a computer and Internet connection. Online schools are vastly increasing the educational opportunities available to students of all ages. However, these types of schools aren’t for everyone. Some students aren’t good candidates for online learning. In fact, there are many advantages and disadvantages of online learning. Convenience is one of the major advantages of online schools. It allows students to work and learn at their own pace without changing their place or travelling which means no waste of time. Moreover, online schools provide access to learning materials at anytime.

This allows students to be more flexible and better equilibrate between their studies, families, jobs and other activities. Another major advantage of online learning is the accessibility it provides. Students can learn from anywhere in the world. This is an especially important benefit for students who wish to study in a different country. Being a successful student at an online school is sometimes difficult because it requires self-discipline. This is a disadvantage for students who have difficulty with time management and procrastination ( to delay something and not to do it on time). Another disadvantage of online schools is the technology used to learn since it isn’t available to everyone.

The world is rapidly becoming more and more connected by modern technology, but some people still do not have access to a computer and Internet connection. Furthermore, learning through online schools restricts (limits) interaction between teacher and student. This is a disadvantage for students who need the immediate feedback that results from the interaction between the teacher and the students.

To conclude, online learning helps students to a larger extent while it results in a number of problems and disadvantages. How to save energy

Energy is one of the most fundamental parts of our universe. We use energy to do work. Energy lights our cities, energy powers our vehicles, trains, planes and rockets. Energy warms our homes, cooks our food, plays our music, gives us pictures on television…. Energy is an important part of our daily lives. Some forms of energy are finite such as: Coal, Oil and Natural Gas etc. while others are renewable such as Solar Energy + Wind Energy.

These types of energy are constantly being renewed or restored. Once they are gone they cannot be used again. So, we must all do our part in saving as much energy as we can. In your home, you can save energy by turning off appliances, TVs and radios that are not being used, watched or listened to. You can turn off lights when no one is in the room. In this way we can reduce the amount of energy Also we can recycle paper, aluminum or glass

Energy saving

Energy saving is the most important measure that everyone should implement in daily life. Saving energy make us save money. The energy which is saved today is produced tomorrow in same quantity or more. The success in saving energy is received when everyone in this universe thinks about reducing the consumption of energy in his/her daily activities .If this is made then I am definitely sure that the use of energy will be made more efficient as there will no wastage of energy.

What are some advantages and disadvantages of living in rural and urban areas?

1- Advantages and disadvantages of living in urban areas (in cities): There are many advantages of living in urban areas. First, the majority of higher paying jobs, careers are found there. Second, means of transport are very easy to find in a city which means a gain of time. Also, the majority of services are available in the city such as bancs, police office, post office and so on. However, people who are living in big cities are facing man problems.

First, the rate of crime is very high and increasing in cities. Second, people are suffering from the effects of pollution and thousands of people die every year due to polluted air, land and water. Third, urban people are usually living in isolation and every one is living his own life. People do not care about others’ problems. Finally, streets are always overcrowded and it takes us ages to reach our destination.

2- Advantages and disadvantages of living in rural areas (in the countryside):

A lot of people prefer to live in the countryside for the following reasons. On the one hand, people move to live in the countryside to breathe fresh air and admire the beauty of nature. They go there to get rid of everyday monotony and stress and have a space of freedom. On the other hand, people in the countryside are more social and they care about each other. When someone falls sick or has a problem, they don’t let him / her down and they help him / her when he / she is in need. Moreover, life in the countryside is safer than urban life and people are more secure.

However, living in rural areas has also some disadvantages. First, rural citizens are suffering from the lack of means of transport. They spend hours and hours to reach their destinations. Second, a large number of services and facilities of life are not found there. For example it is hard to find a banc, a hotel or a hospital in some poor and remote (far, distant) places. Third, people suffer from slow social and economic progress.

Cycle of air pollution:

Conclusion
Pollution is a cause for concern for countries around the world. The purpose is to control depletion of natural resources and ensuring that society becomes aware of its responsibility towards the environment. Amongst many measures offered to combat the pollution crisis government regulation and establishing property rights are the two main approaches discussed. From the preceding paragraphs it can be seen that each of the two approaches have their own sets of merits and demerits. While some have argued that government regulation is the right way forward, however, it must be noted that this system is not without its drawback of having inadequate information.

On the other hand, establishing property rights has given more power to the agencies like EPA and EA to impose fines and financial penalties on those who are responsible for causing pollution. While the system has been considered to be better than imposing regulation, however it has been argued that the fines imposed are not big enough to be seen as a ‘penalty’. Moreover, when higher costs are transferred from businesses to consumers in the form of charging higher prices, the system is further questioned.

Despite the arguments offered, it is a commendable effort by governments and environmentalists in mitigating the effects of environmental pollution. A step in the right diction is most important than not making any effort at all. Thus both the approaches must be followed together and new systems should be developed to ensure that the results are achieved sooner than later.

Health Effects of Air Pollution

Air pollution could affect the climate, the environment, and human health.  Among these areas, the health is the main focus of this paper (Thomson Scientific, 2005).

Polluted air may contain one or more hazardous substances that affect human health.  The term of measurement for this is “particulate matter” or the number of particles of potentially hazardous substances as percentage of air.

This includes a wide range of pollutants.  Examples of particulate matter includes road dust, diesel soot, fly ash, wood smoke, nitrates in fertilizers, sulfate aerosols, lead, and arsenic to name a few.

The suggested Federal limit of an “average” of 50 micrograms of “particulate matter” per cubic foot of air in one year period is considered poor air quality {Gore, 2005).

Health effects of air pollution could be short-term or long-term. Effects will depend on the individual’s sensitivity.  When it comes to the extent of harm, it usually depends on the total exposure to damaging chemicals. Short-term effects may include simple symptoms such as headaches, nausea and allergic reactions.

These symptoms could lead to irritation of the eyes, nose and throat.  There are also severe cases which could lead to upper respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis.  It may be short-term but the effects are severe and will need more medical attention.  Air pollutants also have long-term effects which include lung cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and heart disease.

These effects could even damage the brain, nerves, liver or kidneys.  According to the National Resources Defense Council, some 64,000 people in the USA may be dying prematurely each year from cardiopulmonary causes linked to air pollution (Gore, 2005).

The most affected people were the children, and the elderly.  In addition, people with health problems such as asthma, hearth disease also suffer more when air is polluted. In 1995 study by the American Cancer Society and Harvard Medical School, air pollution accounts for about 300,000 premature deaths in USA each year (Gore, 2005).

Children are one of the most affected by air pollution because they have not yet fully developed their immune system.  Simple cigarette smoke and smoke coming from exhausts of motor vehicles could be detrimental to them.

Researchers have reported in their long study that children teenagers in Southern California were likely to have diminished lung function because of severe air pollution.  The study made by James Gauderman of University of Southern California and his colleagues was published in New England Journal of Medicine on 1,759 children ages 10 to 18 in a dozen Southern California communities.

The study was concluded that the reason for the diminishing lung function came primarily from car exhaust.  It was found out that 7.9 percent of the 18-year-olds in the highest pollution areas had lung capacities that were less than 80 percent of what they should have been.

Among those subjected to the least-polluted air, 1.6 percent had underperforming lungs. It was also reported that there were similar effects when children live in the home of a mother who smokes.  Estimated was half a million die prematurely every year in the United States as a result of smoking cigarettes (Gore, 2004).

Just like children, elderly and people with health problems are most at risk in polluted air.   As people grow older, they encounter more and more health problems which could be aggravated by air pollution.  The exact impact may not be thoroughly understood but long term exposure may increase susceptibility to infections.

Also to be taken into account is the duration of the exposure and concentration of the particulate matter in the air.  It is estimated that polluted air shortened the lives by an average of one to two years. In the great “Smog Disaster” in London in 1952, four thousand people died in few days due to high concentrations of pollution (Gore, 2005).

There are many steps made to protect human health against air pollution.  American Lung Association is very active and recommends the use of heat recovery ventilator or an energy recovery ventilator remove stale polluted air (Gore, 2005).

A treaty called Kyoto Protocol in 1997 entered as part of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change made a great impact on reducing air pollution.  The treaty aims to reduce emission of dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide by industrialized countries which affects the health of their citizens. One measure adopted in the treaty to reduce harmful discharges is creation of carbon emission (CO) credits.

Those who failed to observe the restriction will be ordered to install necessary equipment to reduce the air pollution under pain of severe financial sanction or buy (CO) credits.

The credits are like ordinary commodities.  They could sell to it to companies that find it difficult to comply with the emission restriction.  If the market value of the (CO) credit is higher than the cost of pollution reduction equipment, they will be forced to comply thus, reducing the air pollution that affects human health.

According to reports, these (CO) credits are now being traded in the exchanges of Chicago Climate Exchange in the US, European Climate Exchange in United Kingdom, Nord Pool in Norway and PowerNext in France. (Palabrica, 2007).

References

Palabrica, R. (2007). Trading on climate change, corporate securities info.

Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Thomson Scientific (2005). Air pollution. Retrieved September 7, 2007 from

ESI Special Topics. Retrieved on September 7, 2007 from http://esi-topics.com/airpol

Gore, P. (2005). Air pollution health effects. Retrieved August 7, 2007 from http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/pollution-main.html

The Air Quality in Beijing

In a world where man-made air pollutants is evidently damaging the atmosphere, it is ironic that Beijing, the capital of China and the host of the 2008 Olympics, is one of the cities with a serious problem in pollution. Based on a recent report, almost everyday, the Chinese capital is blanketed by a sooty mist which is mainly composed of ozone, a harmful substance to the lungs, and nitrogen oxide, a combustible element.

Other substances, such as sulfate and carbon are also present in the air which causes pollution levels to go up five times higher than the safety level recommended by the World Health Organization (USA Today, 2007).

The major contributors of the air pollution in Beijing are coal burning in the mining industry, gas stations, industrial factories and also the increasing number of road vehicles. The city has roughly 3 million vehicles and the number is increasing by more than 1,000 per day, which generates thick ground level air dust aside from the pollution in the atmosphere.

Moreover, while it is often sunny in Beijing, the sky is regularly hazy and the smog air is filled with carbon monoxide emitted by vehicles which could pose a problem for the participating Olympic athletes next year (Reuters).

However, despite the fact that the pollution in the Chinese capital is getting worse every year, according to a Chinese environmental officer, the national standard grade of the air is Grade 2, which he claims is suitable for any form of activity (Reuters).

Despite his claim, health officials of the World Health Organization said that pollution could cause very serious problems to people with heart complications or abnormal heart conditions (Reuters). Given the facts stated above, it is very clear that worsening air pollution is threatening the population in Beijing and also the environment.

If this problem is not addressed it could cause a significant amount of damage that could be difficult to reverse References Reuters. (2007). Beijing stops cars for Games clean air test. Retrieved October 31, 2007 from http://www. reuters. com/article/environmentNews/idUSPEK17354820070817?

feedType=RSS;feedName=environmentNews;sp=true USA Today. (2007). Olympic inspectors to focus on air quality in Beijing. Retrieved October 31, 2007 from http://www. usatoday. com/sports/olympics/summer/2007-10-23-beijing-air-quality_N. htm? csp=34