Proposal
Air pollution is a major health issue, which can be highly detrimental to the overall well-being of a community, city, state, nation, and world. The current discussions on climate change are tightly connected to the topic of the selected problem, where human activity has a direct impact on the general pollution of the atmosphere. Although air pollution is caused by a wide range of factors, fossil fuels play a central role in increasing the concentration of harmful substances in the air. One should be aware that air pollution does not merely contribute to the accumulation of greenhouse gases, which could be facilitating disastrous ramifications for society’s future because the severe damage is already being done. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the fact that lower air quality is linked with a higher mortality rate (Pansini and Fornacca 1). In addition, various emissions strongly contribute to preterm birth, which is also a healthcare burden (Konkel 74003). Nitrogen dioxide is a byproduct of fossil fuel usage, which substantially increases the all-cause mortality risks (Stieb et al. 2). In other words, the research on the subject is detailed, where air pollution is at its peak, and it has detrimental effects on a population’s health.
It is important to note that the problem is well-known among the population. Many people are aware of the fact that they are contributing to air pollution, but the mere knowledge does not discourage such actions (Chaney et al. 8). Thus, the necessary changes need to take place at the infrastructural and policy-based level, where measures are not reliant on people’s effort, but rather systematic changes, such as the zero-emission goal of California (Aines and Peridas 80). Therefore, the thesis is that air pollution causes major health issues, such as preterm birth, all-cause mortality, and increases vulnerability to COVID-19, and the public is unable to act independently, which is why legislative and infrastructural shifts are mandatory.
Annotated Bibliography
Aines, Roger D., and George Peridas. “Getting to ZERO–and Beyond: California’s aspiration to become the first carbon-negative state appears to be achievable and affordable.” Issues in Science and Technology, vol. 36, no. 3, 2020, p. 80+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints.
The given source primarily focuses on the state of California’s efforts to achieve zero carbon footprint by integrating systematic changes through statewide infrastructural and legislative changes by implementing multifaceted measures, such as direct carbon capture, waste biomass fuel utilization, and other natural solutions. The research is highly relevant to the topic of air pollution since the information includes carbon capture methodologies as well as the reduction or elimination of major air pollutants. The article will be mainly used as a solution for the outlined problems, where the state of California’s plan of zero carbon footprint will be used as a framework for demonstrating the necessary policy-level changes alongside the requirements for infrastructural modifications.
Chaney, Robbie A., et al. “A Comparison of Perceived and Measured Commuter Air Pollution Exposures.” Journal of Environmental Health, vol. 82, no. 4, 2019, p. 8+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints.
The given source is mainly focused on analyzing people’s understanding of the subject of air pollution and their willingness to act on reducing their carbon footprint. The research primarily focuses on one’s choice for commuting, where transportation is a major emitter of various air pollutants, which are detrimental to one’s health, such as nitrogen dioxide. The findings suggest that many individuals are well-aware of their impact on air pollution of their commuting patterns, but they are still unwilling to change their commuting preferences. These results are relevant since they shed light on the effective approaches, which are required to reduce air pollution. The information will be used as a point of decision-making, where only policy and infrastructural changes will be plausible to reduce air pollution. Thus, awareness campaigns and alternative commuting alterations might not provide the necessary change in commuting behavior, which is a major contributing element of the problem.
Konkel, Lindsey. “Move Over, Traffic: Aircraft Emissions and Preterm Birth.” Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 128, no. 7, 2020, p. 74003. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints.
The research primarily addresses the problem of preterm birth due to exposure to ultrafine particles, which are one of the harmful air pollutants. The information is highly relevant because the results show the healthcare ramifications on future generations as well as current concerns, where mothers with high levels of ultrafine particle exposure are 14% more likely to experience preterm births. In other words, the findings will be used as one of the key arguments for showing that air pollution is detrimental to both individual and societal health. Ultrafine particles are mainly a byproduct of aircraft and traffic-related emissions, which is why it is important to introduce changes by shifting towards other fuel alternatives.
Pansini, Riccardo, and Davide Fornacca. “COVID-19 Higher Mortality in Chinese Regions With Chronic Exposure to Lower Air Quality.” Frontiers in Public Health, 2021, p. NA. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints.
The source mainly focuses on the relationship between air pollution and COVID-19, where the mortality rate for the infected individuals is significantly higher in regions with greater air pollution levels. The findings are highly relevant within the context of the selected topic as well as the current situation of the pandemic. The information will be used to illustrate the newly emerging ramifications of such pollution as well as to pinpoint the overall urgency of making the necessary changes. The fact that COVID-19 patients are more vulnerable to complications and death in regions with high levels of air pollution reveals that the subject makes populations at risk for both current and future pandemics. In other words, air pollution has severe economic, social, and healthcare impacts through coronavirus mortality rate increase.
Stieb, David M., et al. “Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies of long term outdoor nitrogen dioxide exposure and mortality.” PLoS ONE, vol. 16, no. 2, 2021, p. e0246451. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints.
The article primarily addresses one of the major air pollutants – nitrogen dioxide, which is a byproduct of fossil fuel usage. The research is relevant since one of the key air pollutants’ effects on health and well-being is put at the center of the analysis. The information will be used to illuminate that air pollution does not cause specific health issues but rather increase the all-cause mortality rate, which means that its effects are systemic, where all major health systems are weakened by air pollution. In other words, all-cause mortality is caused by a single air pollutant, which means that air pollution, in general, can be even more detrimental to a population’s health.
Works Cited
Aines, Roger D., and George Peridas. “Getting to ZERO–and Beyond: California’s aspiration to become the first carbon-negative state appears to be achievable and affordable.” Issues in Science and Technology, vol. 36, no. 3, 2020, p. 80+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints. Web.
Chaney, Robbie A., et al. “A Comparison of Perceived and Measured Commuter Air Pollution Exposures.” Journal of Environmental Health, vol. 82, no. 4, 2019, p. 8+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints. Web.
Konkel, Lindsey. “Move Over, Traffic: Aircraft Emissions and Preterm Birth.” Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 128, no. 7, 2020, p. 74003. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints.
Pansini, Riccardo, and Davide Fornacca. “COVID-19 Higher Mortality in Chinese Regions With Chronic Exposure to Lower Air Quality.” Frontiers in Public Health, 2021, p. NA. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints. Web.
Stieb, David M., et al. “Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies of long term outdoor nitrogen dioxide exposure and mortality.” PLoS ONE, vol. 16, no. 2, 2021, p. e0246451. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints. Web.