Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate strategies for promoting positive environmental behavior in Columbus, Ohio, using an environmental problem, air pollution. Air pollution could be a problem in Columbus, OH. Fortunately, most of the time, the City of Columbus has “a safe level of outdoor air quality for the general population” (City of Columbus, Ohio, 2014). Nevertheless, there are some air pollutants, including small particle matters, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide, among others in the atmospheric air. These foreign elements pose serious health challenges to high risks groups, including “individuals with asthma, people with heart or lung disease or physically active people who exercise outdoors when air quality is poor” (City of Columbus, Ohio, 2014).
Strategies for promoting positive environmental behavior
It is imperative to recognize that air pollution due to human activities has increased cases of ill health and mortality, particularly in high-risk groups. It is, therefore, necessary to promote positive environmental behaviors by controlling the effects of air pollution or the number of foreign particles in the atmospheric air using a number of strategies (Barrett, 2012).
One method of combating air pollution in Columbus, OH, is to create social awareness about the effects of polluted air on human health. Creating social awareness among the public is an effective method of promoting positive environmental behavior. It allows the public to know the negative impacts of air pollution on the environment. Moreover, social awareness lets people understand how air pollution is a health risk and evaluate their own behaviors and effects on the environment.
Once people become aware of the harmful effects of air pollution on the environment and health, it is likely that they will adopt positive behaviors, reduce behaviors and activities that contribute to air pollution and lessen the release of foreign particles into the atmosphere.
Laws and regulations can also promote positive behaviors to reduce air pollution in Columbus, OH. The authority can take action against individuals and institutions that pollute the air. Laws and regulations of the city should support such actions. It would show that environmental pollution is a serious offense, and it, therefore, should be minimized. It is expected that action against air pollution would deter activities that lead to air pollution and promote positive behaviors.
On the other hand, incentives would reinforce positive behaviors in people. This strategy promotes positive behaviors among people who have realized the benefits of maintaining clean air. In addition, it would also ensure that other people adopt behaviors that protect the atmosphere from pollution. As a result, protecting air against pollution may become a habit among the public.
How positive and negative consequences can increase pro-environmental behavior
The positive and negative consequences of air pollution in Columbus, OH, can result in enhanced pro-environmental behavior among the public. While it is difficult to believe that the negative impacts of air pollution can result in pro-environmental behavior, this can happen when such consequences have noticeable detrimental impacts on public health and the environment. Generally, the negative impacts of air pollution have detrimental effects on the environment, increase the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the rate of climate change, and lead to poor health in humans and animals. For humans and other animals, air pollution has resulted in increased cases of morbidity and mortality, particularly among groups at high risks (Brunekreef & Holgate, 2002). Consequently, people have noted these negative impacts of air pollution and focused on promoting pro-environmental behavior. In this regard, the need to protect the air from pollution, protect human health, and mitigate the negative impacts of climate has facilitated such behaviors (Liao, Amar, Tagaris, & Russell, 2012). Today, there are environmental laws and regulations to ensure that individuals and organizations limit air pollution by complying with the set standards. In this regard, one can assert that people learn from the negative consequences of air pollution and change their behaviors to support environmental conservation.
Conversely, positive consequences on the environment can reinforce pro-environmental behavior. In this sense, people understand that controlling negative impacts of air pollution can result in positive outcomes such as clean air quality, reduced cases of morbidity and mortality, and low impacts on climate change. These outcomes encourage the public to behave in pro-environmental manners in order to reduce the hazardous effects of air pollution. In other words, positive messages and communications about the benefits of healthy environments promote pro-environmental behaviors among the public. Such positive behaviors are likely to persist into the future and ensure sustainable environments for future generations.
One positive and one negative example of how technological advances have impacted the environment
Technological advances have changed the way people interact with their environments. Most importantly, technology is critical in reducing the costs of extracting natural resources and enhancing efficiency. In fact, neoliberals believe that technological advances would provide alternatives or solutions to environmental challenges and therefore result in sustainability (Davidson, 2011). Technological advances have provided efficient means of reducing negative human activities, such as extraction of resources, on the environment. Consequently, people can extract resources with limited impacts on the environment. At the same time, they can also minimize air pollution. While there are positive impacts of technology advances, there are also its negative impacts on the environment.
For instance, the use of hydraulic fracking technology to extract shale gas in Columbus, Ohio, has reduced emissions of volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. The previous technologies could not offer such advantages. However, some environmentalists have demanded a total ban on technology because of several complaints related to polluted drinking water from wells and its long-term impacts on the environment. Specifically, critics have linked the technology to contaminated water from fracture formations and other drilling activities. In addition, others have linked hydraulic fracking to the possibility of causing earthquakes following a series of earthquakes in Ohio (Stuart, 2014).
There are major reasons for supporting hydraulic fracking. First, hydraulic fracking involves the production of clean energy, which reduces the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Second, the technique relies on sophisticated technologies, which reduce risks associated with conventional drilling. Finally, the technique can boost the economy and create millions of jobs for Ohio and the US.
The use of hydraulic fracking technology to extract shale gas shows how technological advances can bring about positive and negative impacts on the environment. Therefore, concerned parties must enhance their efforts to develop environmentally friendly technologies for extracting natural resources without harmful effects to humans and the environment.
The influence of environmental policies
Sound environmental policies can promote pro-environmental behaviors, while poorly formulated environmental policies could result in the environmental pollution in Columbus, OH. Environmental policies reflect the obligation to protect environments from destructive behaviors. People and institutions should comply with environmental policies. Environmental policies are meant to create change and reinforce pro-environment behaviors.
A number of policies could be detrimental to the environment because they may serve the interest of few while causing harm to majorities. Well-developed environmental policies have beneficial outcomes for society and sustainability. Lawmakers, policymakers, and individuals have critical roles in ensuring that policies are formulated and implemented to protect the environment and its inhabitants.
While there are state and federal laws, regulations, and policies on hydraulic fracking technologies, hydraulic fracking issues have continued to be controversial. For instance, environmental policies require oil and gas companies to disclose a list of toxic chemicals they use in the extraction of shale gas in Ohio, but this rarely happens (Smyth, 2012). The debate of hydraulic fracking in Ohio and other areas in the US shows how hydraulic fracking issues are controversial. As these debates rage on, the perceived detrimental effects of the technology continue on the environment.
Well-formulated environmental policies aim to create positive consequences on the environment through protection. Therefore, local, state, and federal authorities should implement environmental policies that specifically target hydraulic fracking technologies and their potential impacts on the environment. Such policies would influence shale gas drillers to change their behaviors and protect the environment and its inhabitants from their harmful activities.
Hydraulic fracking is a new technology for extracting shale gas. It shows that state and federal policies should change as new technologies, which could have positive or negative impacts on the environment, emerge.
Conclusion
This essay has evaluated strategies for promoting positive environmental behavior in Columbus, Ohio, using an environmental problem, air pollution. It shows that Columbus, OH, has relatively clean air. Nevertheless, there is a need to protect the environment from pollution through positive behavior change.
Social awareness, laws, regulations, and incentives may facilitate the adoption of pro-environment behaviors. While technological advances have positive impacts on the environment, they also present serious challenges to the environment and its inhabitants. Well-formulated and implemented environmental policies should protect the environment from detrimental activities and ensure positive outcomes. This would result in sustainable environments for the future generation.
References
Barrett, J. (2012). Air Pollution Intervention: Study Links Use of Face Masks to Improved Cardiovascular Outcomes. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(3), A122. Web.
Brunekreef, B., & Holgate, S. (2002). Air pollution and health. Lancet, 360(9341), 1233-42.
City of Columbus, Ohio. (2014). Columbus Public Health Air Quality. Web.
Davidson, K. (2011). A Typology to Categorize the Ideologies of Actors in the Sustainable Development Debate. Sustainable Development, 22(1),1-14. Web.
Liao, K., Amar, P., Tagaris, E., & Russell, A. (2012). Development of risk-based air quality management strategies under impacts of climate change. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 62(5), 557-565.
Smyth, J. C. (2012). Ohio Fracking Rules Signed By Governor Kasich, But Debate Isn’t Over. The Huffington Post. Web.
Stuart, H. (2014). Ohio Fracking Operation Halted Following Area Earthquakes. The Huffington Post. Web.