Heather Daugherty

3/2/2019

ENG 2010

Fillmore

​ ​The Great Threat of Air Pollution

There is a great threat going on in the US. Specifically this threat is affecting your health and your 

children's health too. I will be showing evidence from affected cities in the US. Also explaining how air 

pollution is commonly overlooked by most Americans. The American Lung Association had put out an annual 

report on the “State of the Air” to show the pollution levels in the cities all across the United States. If an 

association is bringing awareness to a situation that can affect your overall health doesn't that seem 

alarming enough to raise questions? Studies have been done showing how burning fossil fuels, firewood, 

trash,and gas to produce electricity and power our cars have been roaming around in the air we breathe 
constantly. Cities like San Francisco, CA are exposed to 24 hour particle pollution says CBS News. Particle 

pollution can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, lung damage, bronchitis, cancer, and also early death.  

 
“Breathing is life. We know that we can survive without food for several weeks and
without water for few days, but without oxygen, we will die in a matter of minutes.”
- Lory Rich

​Small Particle Particles wreaking havoc

Think about these tiny particles entering your nose and wreaking havoc in so many ways all throughout your 

body. Picture fog from a exhaust on your car, the burning of coal to produce electricity. The effect can 

accelerate aging and increases the risk of dementia related diseases. “Children exposed to higher rates of 

air pollution had an increased risk of developmental disorders like autism and ADHD.”writes Nathan Taft in 

“ Your brain on air pollution”. 

Ways to prevent the spread of air pollution

● Drive an electric or hybrid car or at least one that uses unleaded gasoline. 

● Keep your car in good running condition to avoid emissions. 

● Share a ride or carpool. 

 ● Choose to walk or ride a bicycle whenever possible. 

● Never use open fires to dispose of waste, especially chemicals and plastic. 

● Adopt the 3 Rs of solid waste management: reduce, reuse, and recycle. 

● Use sustainable, reclaimed, or recycled building materials. 

● Start composting leaves and clippings from your yard and food scraps from your kitchen to 

reduce waste while improving your soil. 

● Use the power supplied abundantly and freely by wind and sun. Hang your laundry to dry to 

minimize your use of gas or electricity and open a window or put on a sweater rather than 

turning on the air conditioner or heater. 

● Buy local foods and goods. In this manner, the use of fuel for transporting goods can be 

minimized. 

● Look around you house or place of business for ways you could conserve water. 

● Use and buy products that are eco-friendly or made with biodegradable materials. Avoid 

plastic. 

● Always bring a bag when you shop. 

● Get rid of your lawn: Plant bee-friendly, drought-tolerant, native plants instead. 

● Plant more trees. They clean the air, provide oxygen, and beautify your surroundings. 

● Take care to properly dispose of your pet's waste. 

● Do not litter.  

“Seventy-two percent of parents reported that their teens who were participating in the contest initiated 

conversations with them about Utah’s air pollution. The study also found that parents were most likely to 

change their behaviors when their kids talked to them about specific actions they could take to make the 
air cleaner, such as carpooling, trip-chaining, taking public transportation and refraining from idling, as 

opposed to general conversations about air pollution or the contest itself.”- Deseret News Utah 

“This entire planet is our home. We are the only species that systematically destroy our
own habitat.”
— Marianne Williamson
 Work Cited

Burns, Gerald L.
“Air Pollution: Managements Strategies, Environmental Impacts and Health Risks” Chapter 3
Series: Air, Water and Soil ​Pollution​ Science and Technology. Hauppauge, New York : Nova
Science Publishers, Inc. 2016. eBook., Database:​ ​eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=d0f6d2e1-042c-46fa-b2de-502e31d770
cb%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLW

Evans, Erica
“Air pollution it’s scarier than you think: Utah high schoolers use art to send a message about
clean air” February 17, 2019
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900056249/air-pollution-its-scarier-than-you-think-utah-hig
h-schoolers-use-art-to-send-a-message-about-clean-air.html

Rich, Lory
“Ways to Prevent and Reduce Air, Water, and Land Pollution” October 21, 2017
https://soapboxie.com/social-issues/reduce-pollution

Taft, Nathan
“Your brain on air pollution” June 16, 2016
https://www.fuelfreedom.org/air-pollution-brain-impact/

Photo sources:
*All photos used in this essay are under the public domain usage*