Air Pollution, Smog, Acid Rain, the Greenhouse Effect,...

Air pollution is a well-known problem throughout the world. Humans know that we are the major cause for air pollution and although we know this fact, we continue to pollute. We poison our air every day by throwing out enormous piles of garbage, burning tons of fossil fuels, and driving millions of miles each year, but do we truly know how much this affects our society and our Earth? Smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and ozone depletion are some of the effects that have resulted from air pollution. Health effects caused by filthy air are also a serious problem that has resulted from pollution. Smog is a term that was created from smoke and fog. It is found most typically in urban and suburban areas rather than rural areas†¦show more content†¦Canadian scientists blame the emissions from United States factories for 75 percent of the acid rain that falls in their country. Canada has gone to great lengths to decrease sulfur emissions from their companies, and they are pressuring the United States to do the same; however, representatives of United States utility companies have yet to cooperate. They argue that to achieve reduction, their customers would not be able to afford the additional costs that would result from these pollution-reducing techniques (Dolan 47). The greenhouse effect, also known as global warming, has been known since the Industrial Revolution. In 1896, a Swedish chemist was burning fossil fuels to increase the temperature in his greenhouse, and he noticed that it also increased the concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. From this realization, he then estimated that the temperature of the Earth would increase three to nine degrees Fahrenheit if the burning of fossil fuels doubles the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. His theory was ignored for over 50 years until an increase in carbon dioxide levels was directly detected (Oppenheimer 34-35). Carbon dioxide is only one of four gases that are present in the atmosphere. These gases occur on Earth naturally and they are distributed by winds. Until the Industrial Revolution, these gases did not create global warming. Once our world began industrializing, it began to increase theShow MoreRelatedCauses Of Air Pollution Essay874 Words   |  4 PagesAir Pollution Poignant Matters Air pollution refers to a chemical, physical or biological alteration to the atmospheric air. It results whenever harmful gasses, smoke, or dust enters the atmosphere and in turn, hinders the survival of animals and plants as the air contains toxic substances. The survival of human beings and animals greatly depend on the combination of gasses in the atmosphere; slight disruption of this composition can cause devastating effects on their existence. 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