Chapter
2
By Susan Stempleski
Ask people to define the term air pollution and most of them will mention dirty air or smog, that harmful mixture of mist, exhaust fumes or smoke that is found in big cities all around the world. But there is much more to air pollution than dirty air. Air pollution threatens everyone and is responsible for some of the biggest environmental problems facing the world today: acid rain, ozone depletion, and the possibility of global climate change.
Air pollution has been selected as the theme for this second chapter of the Environmental Education volume because it is a major environmental problem that threatens the health of human beings and other living things all over the world. In this introductory lesson, students learn about some of the signs of air pollution and its harmful effects on humans. While discussing the sources and effects of air pollution, students improve their language skills by learning and using new vocabulary and concepts associated with the topic. By examining the effects of air pollution on themselves and their own community, students can begin to appreciate how important it is to maintain good air quality.
Air pollution is a huge topic. A 50-minute lesson, such as the one outlined in the section on Classroom Applications, provides only a brief overview of some of the issues that are involved. In this introductory lesson, students consider what they already know about air pollution: what it is, its causes, and its effects. If time allows, teachers are advised to combine or follow up this lesson with some of the materials outlined in the section on Internet Resources to create a more extensive teaching unit.
What is Air Pollution?
Air pollution is any visible or invisible substance found in the air that is not part of the normal composition of air. Some air pollution is natural and has always been a part of the earth's history. However, over the past one hundred years or so, pollution created by humans has become a major environmental problem.
Why Worry About Air Pollution?
Air pollution affects everyone. It is a threat to the health of human beings and many other living things on the planet. Pollutants in the air produce smog and acid rain. They also cause cancer and many other serious health problems. They cause ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere, and they increase the possibility of global climate change. Most people are familiar with visible air pollution, like smog, but some of the most dangerous air pollutants are invisible to the human eye. Since polluted air can move from region or area to another, it has the possibility of affecting nearly everyone on earth.
What Causes Air Pollution?
Air pollution is not new. Natural air pollution has been around for millions of year. Dust and a variety of gases from forest fires, volcanoes, and decaying material in rivers, oceans, and other bodies of water continually enter the atmosphere. Sometimes this natural pollution can have dramatic effects. For example, scientists believe that natural gas from plant decay may have been one of the main causes of global climate change in the past.
Of course, not all air pollution is produced naturally. The atmosphere contains pollutants produced by humans, and these man-made pollutants present a far more serious problem than natural air pollution. Man-made pollutants are not only sometimes more harmful, but they are usually concentrated over large cities where large populations of people live and work.
MAJOR TYPES OF AIR POLLUTION
TYPE
SOURCES
SIGNS/EFFECTS
• motor vehicles
• other machines• eye problems
• lung problems
• respiratory problems• motor vehicles
• small engines
• parking garages
• tunnels
• heavy traffic• headaches
• dizziness
• fatigue
• death
• heart damage• motor vehicles
• power plants burning fossil fuels
• coal-burning stoves• lung problems
• acid rain
• forest damage
• damaged buildings and statues
• smog• diesel engines
• power plants
• industries
• dust in the wind
• wood-burning stoves• lung problems
• eye problems
• discolored buildings and statues
• reduced visibility• coal-burning power plants and industries
• coal-burning stoves
• refineries• smog
• eye problems
• lung damage
• kills life in lakes and rivers
• acid rain
• damages buildings and statues
• vehicles using leaded gasoline
• metal refineries• brain damage
• kidney damage
What Can Be Done About Air Pollution?
Little can be done about natural pollution, but people can do something about the air pollution caused by humans. More and more people are becoming concerned about the pollutants that come from human activity, and there are a number of ways they can take action and get involved. Here are some of them:
• Reduce the amount of time you spend in cars, and increase the number of people with whom you share rides.
• Go to work or school by bicycle, public bus, or train.
• Walk to work or school if the distance is not too great.
• Use only as much electricity as you need. This will reduce the amount of air pollution produced by power plants.
• Have home and car air conditioners checked for leaks.
• Grow houseplants that will absorb certain air pollutants and improve indoor air quality.
• Plant a tree to improve the environment and absorb carbon dioxide.
• Join or organize a program to check acid rain.
