Air Pollution
Profits at the Cost of Health
Air pollution literally makes life on Earth more difficult, as green house gases eat away at our ozone layer. This is the layer in our atmosphere that regulates the amount of UV radiation from the Sun reaching Earth. Without ozone, increased UV rays endanger plants and animals alike.
Outdoor air pollution kills as many as 3 million worldwide every year, with many more affected with health issues such as asthma and heart diseases. On top of being dangerous, it's costly. In China alone, the cost was about 1.4 trillion USD in 2010, along with .5 trillion USD in India.
Ending Air Pollution
Air Pollution is affecting the Earth greatly, and humans are mainly to blame. Mainly in the form of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These are man made air pollutants. Though CFCs are found naturally, these are water soluble, and can be washed out of the atmosphere by rains. Man's CFCs are not water soluble. This means we have to regulate or end the use of CFCs completely. Of course, this isn't the only way air pollution can be reduced. Using less electricity can help, as it reduces carbon emissions from power plants. Carpooling, or reducing how often you drive, can also help. If you must drive, be fuel efficient. You can do this by avoiding driving fast or accelerating fast, as well as braking hard.
Progress of Elimination
Due to the Montreal Protocol, which outlawed CFCs in most countries after much research was done on them, great health benefits have been reaped. Numbers recorded included 19.1 million less cases of non-melanoma skin cancer, 1.5 million less cases of melanoma, 129 million less cases of cataracs, and 330,000 fewer skin cancer deaths worldwide. This is abundant evidence to point out the damages air pollution does, and how much better we do without it.
Bibliography
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