scrAPES Week 5
Topic: What Are the Most Dangerous Threats to Air Quality?
By: Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss of the Scientific American
Date: September 29th, 2014
Summary
Smog and other various pollutants have seized about half of America's lungs due to factory carbon emissions and car emissions. According to the EPA, 22 of the U.S's metropolitan cities are severely affected the rising problem of ozone smog, and more may follow due to pollution trends today. However, policies such as the Clean Air Act, which has reduced air pollutants as much as 68% in the last 30 years, have made the air we breathe more bearable. This act has prevented numerous premature deaths and respiratory attacks. Despite this act, however, the air still remains polluted, and policymakers still wish to pass more strict laws, as well as encourage greener living.
Reflection
Although the article states that policymakers believe that laws will be able to do the job of limiting emissions, I believe that more funding towards alternative fuels, related research, and better branding would be the best way to combat the rising problem of ozone smog. Laws shouldn't be the sole dependence that policymakers should lean on - if we stop using fossil fuels and allocate our money towards research that benefits biofuel efficiency, then the world will be able to move away from primitive fossil fuels, which is the main reason why we have so much pollution. Laws can, of course, be implemented to help aid the transition from coal, oil, and gas to biofuel.
By: Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss of the Scientific American
Date: September 29th, 2014
Summary
Smog and other various pollutants have seized about half of America's lungs due to factory carbon emissions and car emissions. According to the EPA, 22 of the U.S's metropolitan cities are severely affected the rising problem of ozone smog, and more may follow due to pollution trends today. However, policies such as the Clean Air Act, which has reduced air pollutants as much as 68% in the last 30 years, have made the air we breathe more bearable. This act has prevented numerous premature deaths and respiratory attacks. Despite this act, however, the air still remains polluted, and policymakers still wish to pass more strict laws, as well as encourage greener living.
Reflection
Although the article states that policymakers believe that laws will be able to do the job of limiting emissions, I believe that more funding towards alternative fuels, related research, and better branding would be the best way to combat the rising problem of ozone smog. Laws shouldn't be the sole dependence that policymakers should lean on - if we stop using fossil fuels and allocate our money towards research that benefits biofuel efficiency, then the world will be able to move away from primitive fossil fuels, which is the main reason why we have so much pollution. Laws can, of course, be implemented to help aid the transition from coal, oil, and gas to biofuel.