Enviromental Literacy Essay

Is there anywhere in this world where we can go and inhale pure clean air? In my opinion the answer is no. In today's world air pollution is a rapidly growing environmental problem that affects anyone and everyone who comes in contact with it. The world around us has gotten to a point where we cannot reverse the effects of pollution but we can help control them. Air pollution is becoming a big problem in today's technology led society, almost everything mechanical requires some sort of chemical to be ran which then emits it right back into our atmosphere. The effects of air pollution are ones that should not be overlooked. Air pollution causes health problems for people of all ages, acid rain, and it is also depleting our ozone layer which will in return eventually destroy the earth. Air pollution is a problem that affects everyone and we as people need to become more educated because our future depends on it.

Air pollution is caused by both natural and man-made sources, unfortunately we cannot control the natural but we can do something about the man made. The most common man made sources of outdoor air pollution include industries, automobiles, and power generation. In indoor environments, tobacco smoke and combustion of solid fuels for cooking and heating are causes of the pollution. Fuel combustion happens to be the primary source of a large number of health damaging air pollutants. Air pollution has both short and long term effects on human health. Health effects range anywhere from minor eye irritation and the upper respiratory system to chronic respiratory disease, heart disease, lung cancer, and death. Air pollution has been shown to be the cause of acute respiratory infections in children and chronic bronchitis in adults. It has also been shown to worsen the condition of people with preexisting heart or lung disease. Among asthmatics, air pollution has been shown to aggravate the frequency and severity of attacks. Both short-term and long-term exposures have also been linked with premature mortality and reduced life expectancy. In many developing countries air pollution is a huge problem due to the rapid growth in population, a higher demand for automobiles and an increase in industry. The way air pollutants affect humans varies from individual to individual, poor undernourished people living in urban areas are more susceptible to the effects of air pollution because they are exposed more often. It is unfair that people who don't have a lot of money are more likely to become sick all because of their financial standing.

Air pollutants can also indirectly affect human health through acid rain, by polluting drinking water and entering the food chain, and through global warming. Acid rain is a growing problem caused by air pollution, it is polluting our lakes, streams, rivers and food. By affecting our waterways it is polluting our drinking water and recreational water. We can no longer go out in the rain or