Air Pollution

Paper Summary:

This paper makes a distinction between pollution caused by humans and pollution that is naturally occurring. The paper also traces the origins of man-made pollution to the beginnings of early man and talks about the increasing causes and increasing amount of pollution generated over time. The paper also discusses some of the more notorious and deadly air pollution incidents in history and concludes with a brief discussion on steps that can help alleviate the problem.

From the Paper:

"Why is human pollution such an issue to environmentalists, then, if nature itself creates such pollution? One reason is that today, "natural events like these only cause about ten percent of air pollution -- the rest is caused by human activities". (Baines, 8) Natural pollution, if it were not for the pollution caused by humans, would not be a significant concern because it is part of the natural cycle of the world. In the natural cycle, "nothing is wasted and nature produces relatively little pollution. The gases we use from the air are recycled. Animals breathe in oxygen and release carbon dioxide, while plants use up carbon dioxide and release oxygen during photosynthesis. So the gases in the air remain essentially in balance when left to nature. Human activity has disturbed these natural cycles." (Becklane, 5) The total production of the gasses and paticulates that are recognized as pollutants may actually be greater from natural sources than from human-created sources, however the atmosphere is able to disperse and lower these releases and recycle them into a form that is not harmful."

More papers on Air Pollution:

• Essay # 88967 : "The Economic Effects of Air Pollution"
• Research Paper # 89728 : "Air Pollution Control in Ann Arbor"
• Cause and Effect Essay # 33812 : "Consequences of Air Pollution"
• Term Paper # 121245 : "Air Pollution and Solutions"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: