Pollution
Air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, solid waste, the environment and human health, economic impacts
Article 1: Water Pollution and the Farm Economy
![Picture](/uploads/1/2/5/8/12582310/6801653.jpeg)
Summary: In the latter half of the 20th century there was an astounding increase in agricultural output. It was beneficial but came at a high environmental price by increasing things such as global warming and runoff from farm fields which caused pollution of rivers and steams. The Gulf of Mexico, near the mouth of the Mississippi River is known as a dead zone because of fertilizer runoff from Midwestern farming. The Environmental Working Group issued a new report called "Muddy Waters" to draw attention to these problems. "Muddy Waters" discusses the Clean Water Act which was established in 1972 and was not effective because farmers were not required to limit pollution runoff; it was only voluntary. This is a touchy subject in Washington because some think it should be maintained as voluntary. The Environmental Working Group found from their research that we are basically making no headway on the pollution problem.
Reflection: This article traces how lawmakers tried to deal with the problem of water pollution but largely failed because legislation was merely voluntary. I think it would be important to educate people about the dangers of water pollution and its effect on the environment, so that they will be more likely to be careful about their water usage. It would also be important for the government to support businesses who are serious about improving in this area. They could do this by offering subsidies and incentives that would offset any losses incurred by those companies.
Source: New York Times
Reflection: This article traces how lawmakers tried to deal with the problem of water pollution but largely failed because legislation was merely voluntary. I think it would be important to educate people about the dangers of water pollution and its effect on the environment, so that they will be more likely to be careful about their water usage. It would also be important for the government to support businesses who are serious about improving in this area. They could do this by offering subsidies and incentives that would offset any losses incurred by those companies.
Source: New York Times
Fighting Climate Change - Air Pollution With One Swat
![Picture](/uploads/1/2/5/8/12582310/2750766.jpeg?211)
Summary: Black or elemental carbon is the most visible air pollutant. It is produced by incomplete combustion of fuels that contain carbon. This problem has existed for a long time, since the Middle Ages, and though it is everywhere, it does not have to continue to exist. To resolve this problem, the combustion must be made more efficient. Soot is known to cause several major problems such as affecting people's health when it gets into their lungs, contributing to global warming, and causing premature death. There are several ways in which soot contributes to global warming: it absorbs sunlight and puts energy from the rays into the atmosphere (direct effect). It also causes clouds to evaporate (indirect effect). When soot settles on ice and snow in polar regions, it causes it to melt faster. A delegation was planned to visit Moscow for a 3-day workshop on "Addressing the Challenges of Black Carbon in Russia" in October 2012.
Reflection: I didn't realize until reading this article that black carbon has been a problem for such a long time with many side effects. I have seen what seems to be soot pollution in the air many times but I did not realize that it was so serious to be the cause of things such as premature death and poor lung health, as well as contributing to global warming. I think it would be very beneficial to educate people about how this pollution is caused and how to stop it. Hopefully then they would consider the effects of pollution before being careless and irresponsible with soot pollution.
Source: Scientific American
Reflection: I didn't realize until reading this article that black carbon has been a problem for such a long time with many side effects. I have seen what seems to be soot pollution in the air many times but I did not realize that it was so serious to be the cause of things such as premature death and poor lung health, as well as contributing to global warming. I think it would be very beneficial to educate people about how this pollution is caused and how to stop it. Hopefully then they would consider the effects of pollution before being careless and irresponsible with soot pollution.
Source: Scientific American
Vocabulary
Environmental Working Group: a Washington organization known for its work on agricultural issues
Clean Water Act (CWA): the primary federal law in the US, passed in 1972, regulating water pollution. This act established goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water and additional water pollution, as well as ensuring that surface waters would meet standards necessary for human sports and recreation
Black Carbon: an agent formed through the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuel, and biomass, emitted in both anthropogenic (caused by human activity) and naturally occurring soot.
Incineration: the act of burning something completely; reducing it to ashes
Greenhouse effect: trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation
Greenhouse gases: gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation (e.g. carbon dioxide)
Source: Dictionary.com
Environmental Working Group: a Washington organization known for its work on agricultural issues
Clean Water Act (CWA): the primary federal law in the US, passed in 1972, regulating water pollution. This act established goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water and additional water pollution, as well as ensuring that surface waters would meet standards necessary for human sports and recreation
Black Carbon: an agent formed through the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuel, and biomass, emitted in both anthropogenic (caused by human activity) and naturally occurring soot.
Incineration: the act of burning something completely; reducing it to ashes
Greenhouse effect: trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation
Greenhouse gases: gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation (e.g. carbon dioxide)
Source: Dictionary.com
Article 3: Air Pollution Delivers Smaller Babies
![Picture](/uploads/1/2/5/8/12582310/5054476.jpg)
Summary: This article discusses a particular effect that air pollution has on humans: delivering smaller babies. A study of three million babies across nine nations (including the US, South Korea, and Brazil) was conducted and the results revealed a connection between inhaled particulate matter and low birth weight in infants. Especially in places like China, smog and air pollution fills the air and causes many respiratory and other health problems in humans. The study that was conducted focused on two classes of hazardous air pollutants: particulate matter (PM) that can be inhaled with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and of less than 10 micrometers (PM10). Outdoor air pollution has also been associated with longer hospital stays and greater health costs.
Reflection: Although there may be other factors that contribute to lower birth weight in babies, such as socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, air pollution is definitely a likely cause of women delivering smaller babies. Before studying air pollution, I did not realize that the air in Bejing, China, and other such places was so incredibly terrible. I believe that if people really try to reduce their fossil fuel emissions and other unnecessary pollution that the amount of smog and air pollution would decrease significantly. Maybe it would be hard for people to completely eliminate how much they are polluting the air, but if they take small steps to doing so it will go a long way.
Source: Scientific American
Reflection: Although there may be other factors that contribute to lower birth weight in babies, such as socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, air pollution is definitely a likely cause of women delivering smaller babies. Before studying air pollution, I did not realize that the air in Bejing, China, and other such places was so incredibly terrible. I believe that if people really try to reduce their fossil fuel emissions and other unnecessary pollution that the amount of smog and air pollution would decrease significantly. Maybe it would be hard for people to completely eliminate how much they are polluting the air, but if they take small steps to doing so it will go a long way.
Source: Scientific American