Air Pollution

Air pollution is at an all-time high, and changes have to be done in order to reduce it. It causes negative changes in our climate and has negative effects on our health. These changes can and have to start small, from us, our homes, and our living habits.

There are many things we do routinely, on a daily basis, that have a huge and harmful impact on our environment. As we develop and our cities develop, we leave greater damage behind us and a bigger carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide that each of us produces and lets out in the air, polluting it and contributing to climate change and global warming.

The levels of carbon dioxide have never been higher. It is a greenhouse gas, the main pollutant of our ozone, and the main cause of global warming. To nearly everyone, the most familiar and visible kind of pollution is probably smog. It can be seen above many cities, especially ones with a lot of power plants. Its precarious component is sulfur dioxide, another harmful pollutant and the cause of acid rains.

These gases, along with numerous other pollutants, have a negative effect on both the climate and our health. They cause many natural disasters, from hurricanes to drought and wildfires, and can have harmful effects on the health of some vulnerable social and age groups, such as the children, the elderly, and the poor.

Start with your own household. There are many things you can do that may seem insignificant, but are in fact rather significant and beneficial to the environment.

What can we do?

Start with your own household. There are many things you can do that may seem insignificant, but are in fact rather significant and beneficial to the environment.

The simplest and easiest thing to do in order to conserve energy is to turn off everything that consumes it when you are not using it. It will become easier once you make yourself and your entire household do it on a regular basis. Keep some kind of reminders and it will become a routine. This means turning off the lights when you are not in the room, using as much natural light as possible, turning off all the appliances when they are not in use, unplugging them because they drain the energy even when turned off. The same goes for phone chargers, don’t leave them plugged in when the phone is not charging, and don’t leave your TV on all day.

When it comes to appliances you should try to use energy-efficient ones – Energy star labeled. They use less energy and therefore create less pollution.

Recycling and reusing are also key in reducing air pollution. Make sure to recycle paper, plastic, aluminum, glass, and everything else that is recyclable. This will drastically decrease the amount of waste that goes to landfills which are a major source of pollution. Reuse and repurpose everything that you can and try to use as less plastic as you can since its production consumes a lot of energy and emits great amounts of pollutants into the air.

Growing your own food or buying locally would also help with the air pollution reduction. The food you buy at big shopping chains is transported from afar, and only the transportation of it greatly pollutes the air, along with the production itself and the packaging. If you buy locally or grow your own food, you automatically affect the reduction of air pollution, and you can be sure your food is organic and healthier.

On a larger scale, think about the sources of power for your home. Some of the best solutions for reducing air pollution and energy consumption are renewable sources of energy as your main power source. This means solar or wind power. There are several options to choose from, and you can undoubtedly find a suitable one for your own house. Solar electric systems, i.e. solar panels, use the sun’s energy, absorb it and generate your electricity. There are also solar water heaters that use solar energy to heat the water in your house. With them, you can avoid excessive use of energy as well as using fossil fuels that pollute the air.

Apart from conserving energy, reducing air pollution, and being beneficial to the environment, these renewable energy sources of power are cost-effective.

Author: Matt James of Tri-Star Heating, Air & Plumbing

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