Rahul A.

Paul
Professor Vyvial
English 1302
15 March 2017
A Man-Made Epidemic: Air Pollution
The start of mankind marked the beginning of many unfathomable events on Earth. A

notorious form of ecological contamination, fueled by the existence of men, is air pollution. In

the past, before the start of the Industrial Revolution, air pollution occurred naturally. It was

created through the production of carbon dioxide which was excreted from the process of cellular

respiration and the production of sulfur dioxide that was released in volcanic eruptions.

However, in the contemporary era, air pollution is mainly created through human activities such

as burning fossil fuels and farming (Air Pollution). These activities doubled the rates of air

pollution and caused major problems such as global warming, smog, and soot.
The effects of global warming perpetuate around the entire world. Global warming is

known as the gradual heating of Earth's surface, oceans and atmosphere (Bradford). Since this

phenomenon causes an increase in average temperatures, some unintended consequences can

occur. For example, as the climate is getting warmer, ice caps are starting to melt, which can

raise overall sea levels. If the sea levels rise dramatically, many coastal areas will be

uninhabitable. Considering the fact that about half of the worlds human population reside in

coastal areas, global warming has the potential to destroy entire economies and cause billions of

dollars of damage. However, melting ice caps are not the only problem. Another problem

associated with global warming is the changes in plant/animal behavior. Since the temperature is

getting warmer, many plants and animals are traveling northward to live in their original climatic

conditions. Sometimes, this results in these organisms becoming invasive species, which

dominate and restrict the development of other native organisms. This may not seem harmful to

humans, but this movement of plants/animals can expand the range of many disease-causing
pathogens that were once confined to tropical and subtropical areas (Bradford). This will leave

humans vulnerable to these pathogens, and possibly spark outbreaks in disease. Invasive plants

and an increase in droughts could also destroy precious farmland. As members of a civilization,

humans heavily depend on farms for their food. If the farmland is destroyed, there will

eventually be famine and widespread civil unrest (Bradford). Therefore, even though global

warming is a gradual process, it can cause chronic issues which may compromise the habitability

of Earth.
As opposed to the worldwide implications of global warming, smog is a type of pollution

that is concentrated in urban areas. Smog is known to be a mixture of smoke and fog in the air

(Rehman & Iqbal 98). This type of pollution can be traced back as early as 1950 in large cities

such as London with the rise of industrialization (Rehman & Iqbal 98). The problem with smog

is that it is heavily concentrated with various heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead,

nickel, and mercury (Holnicki et al. 50). These metals, combined with various other pollutants in

the smoke, inhibit the ability to breathe and irritate the eyes and lungs. Another problem with

smog is that it causes poor visibility, which can make driving conditions hazardous. In Lahore,

Pakistan, due to an increase in the establishment of large number of factories, heavy traffic,

extraordinary construction work, and unchecked cutting of trees [as a result of] urbanization,

the amount of pollution in the air caused by these activities led to an increase in patient load in

hospitals to treat various respiratory and cardiovascular ailments (Rehman & Iqbal 98). This

shows how easily smog can negatively affect human lives. Sometimes, by living in the city,

people get too caught up in their jobs and never pay attention to the damage that they cause to

the environment. These externalities can eventually impede human progress, as they cause

various diseases and the closure of schools, due to the extreme toxicity and thickness of the

smog. Even though preventive measures such as using face masks and glasses could be used,
they should not be depended on as a permanent solution to the ongoing pollution (Rehman &

Iqbal 98). Instead, the dependence on fossil fuels, the source of smog, should be reduced.
Soot is a type of air pollution that is heavily underestimated. Also known as particulate

matter, soot contains tiny particles of chemicals, soil, smoke, dust, or allergens, in the form of

gas or solids, that are carried in the air (Mackenzie). Since soot contains minute airborne

particles, it can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream and worsen bronchitis, [which can] lead to

heart attacks, and even death (Mackenzie). Therefore, soot is a type of air pollution that can

cause acute health complications with the slightest exposure. In the short term, the effects of soot

may be limited to jeopardizing the health of humans in urban areas. However, in the long term,

the buildup of soot in the atmosphere can lead to worldwide apocalyptic conditions. This

situation can be observed in the age of the dinosaur extinction. According to recent studies, the

dinosaur extinction was caused by the lasting impacts of [a large] meteor strike (Palmer).

When the meteor struck, a part of the Earths crust was vaporized, and there were catastrophic

earthquakes and tsunamis that wiped away life in its close proximity. Also, the crash hurtled

debris into the atmosphere, which eventually rained back down into the planet. This resulted in

worldwide showers of flaming rocks, which was responsible for various firestorms far from the

impact site. However, the problems did not stop there; the soot from fires, combined with the

dust from the impact, blocked out the Sun's rays and plunged the Earth into a long, dark, wintry

spell (Mackenzie). This is argued as the main reason why the dinosaurs became extinct. Without

sunlight, plants, the primary producers in the ecosystem, would not be able to carry on

photosynthesis. Without plants, herbivores and carnivores would die, causing entire food chains

to collapse (Mackenzie). Even though air pollution may not produce as much soot as a meteor

strike, the buildup of soot in the atmosphere can lead to these apocalyptic conditions if current

air pollution trends continue well into the future. Consequently, the levels of soot in the
atmosphere should be limited and monitored constantly. Without addressing this issue, the

human race will probably face the same fate as the dinosaurs in the past.
The price of civilization seems to be air pollution. Humans have been known to transform

their living environments. They have caused deforestation and built homes to protect themselves.

However, air pollution, which is also caused by humans, is not an issue that can be ignored for

long. Currently, air pollution causes various problems such as global warming, smog, and soot.

Each of these problems causes a plethora of other problems. For example, global warming causes

rising temperatures, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and the spread of invasive species. This is

known as a reciprocal cause as it results in a chain reaction of effects. Without a doubt, air

pollution is a major issue that needs to be addressed. The Lorax is a movie that portrays a world

with heavy air pollution. In this world, companies are manufacturing bottled purified air to

provide consumers a fresh atmosphere. While this movie may not depict a realistic impression of

all aspects of modern society, it serves as a warning of what could happen with continued air

pollution. Therefore, instead of combusting fossil fuels, humans need to look for alternative

sources of energy that are clean and renewable.

Works Cited
Air Pollution. National Geographic, 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-

warming/pollution/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2017.

Bradford, Alina. Effects of Global Warming. Live Science, Purch, 17 Dec. 2014,

www.livescience.com/37057-global-warming-effects.html. Accessed 16 Mar. 2017.

Holnicki, Piotr, et al. "Particulate Matter Air Pollution in an Urban Area. A Case

Study." Operations Research & Decisions, vol. 26, no. 3, July 2016, pp. 43-56.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.5277/ord160303. Accessed 15 Mar. 2017.

Mackenzie, Jillian. Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know. National Resources Defense

Council, 1 Nov. 2016, www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution-everything-you-need-know.

Accessed 16 Mar. 2017.

Palmer, Jane. What Really Happened When the 'Dino-Killer' Asteroid Struck. British

Broadcasting Corporation, 18 Apr. 2016, www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160415-what-

really-happened-when-the-dino-killer-asteroid-struck. Accessed 16 Mar. 2017.

Rehman, Sana and Rizwan Iqbal. "Smog." Pakistan Journal of Medical Research, vol. 55, no. 4,

Oct-Dec2016, pp. 98-99. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=120493180&site=ehost-live. Accessed 15 Mar. 2017.