Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Title:AirPollutioninPittsburgh
Iusedtothinktheonlypeoplewhogotlungcancerwere30yearsmokers,untilIwas
diagnosedwithstage3lungcancer,andhaveneversmokedadayinmylife.Itturnsoutthattheair
pollutionIthoughtwasjustsomethingmadeupbyglobalwarmingactivistsisquitereal.Whoknew
thatevenbreathingisdangerous.Ifonlypeopleknewtherisksofpollution,theymightcareaboutit
asmuchasInowdo.Thenagain,whyshouldanyonecareaboutsomethingthattheycantsee.I
knowIdidnt.Airpollutionisamassiveproblemthataffectsmanylives,andneedstobefixed.
Thefirstproblemthatcomesfromairpollutionisthemanyharmfuleffectsthatitcanhave
onthehumanbody.Amajorproblemitcancauseforthebodyistheincreasedchanceofgetting
asthma.Smallparticlescangetinthelungsincludingdust,soot,aerosols,anddieselfuels.More
than44millionpeopleliveinanareathatdoesntmeetthestandardsofgoodairqualitywithout
thosechemicals(AsthmaandAirPollution).Anotherproblemairpollutioncanhaveonthebodyis
thatitcausesskincancer.Theskinisatargetorganforairpollution.Whenpeopleareexposedto
ultravioletBirradiation,thechemicalscangetundertheskinbecausetheybeabsorbedbyit.This
canincreasethechanceofgettingskincancerby2percent(Wolf).Afinalproblemforpeopleisit
increasesthechancesofgettingAlzheimersDisease.Researchershavefoundthattheair
pollutantparticlesaresmallenoughtogetpastthebrainbloodbarrier.Thiscreatesawaxyplaque
buildupinthebrain.Thissameplaqueiswhatisfoundinthebrainsofpeoplewhohave
AlzheimersDisease(Wolf).
Althoughitistruethatairpollutioniscertainlydangeroustohumanhealthandwellness,
thisuncleanairalsoposesasanequallymajorthreattotheenvironmentandtheworldthatwelive
in.Scientistshavefoundpollutionintheairmergeswiththewaterintheclouds,causingacidrain,
whichisknowntocausestonetoerodeawayfaster,harmtrees,andinfectbodiesofwater(What
aretheEffectsofAirPollution).Theeffectofacidrainnotonlykillsthetreesandpollutewater,butit
poisonsthewildlifethatthrivesonandlivesintheforestsandinthewater.Airpollutionhasalso
beenshowntoinfectwildlifeinotherwaysaswell.Airpollutionisabletocauseavarietyof
mutationsandbirthdefectswithanimals.ScientistsinCanadastudiedmicethathadbeenexposed
tothegasproducedbynearbysteelmillsanddiscoveredthatthemicethatwereexposedtothe
badairhaddoubletheamountofmutationsasmicethatwerenotexposed(Shouse).Ontopofthat,
airpollutionandacidrainisconstantlychangingandruiningfertilesoilandland,causingevenmore
ofaproblemtotheenvironment.Consideringhowdangerousairpollutionistoorworld,itiswithout
adoubtsomethingthatneedstobedealtwith.
Studieshaveshowntheburningoffossilfuelsasoneofthelargestcausesofairpollution.
Motorvehiclesareamajorcontributortotheburningoffossilfuels,astheycontribute50to90
percentofallpollutionenteringouratmosphere(Smith).Althoughcarsandothervehiclesare
advantageousfortravelinglongdistances,intoday'ssocietytheycanalsobeagreathindrance.If
someonewantedtowalkorrideabikeastransportation,itwouldbeverydangerousduetothe
amountofmotorvehiclesontheroad.Whiledrivingtoschoolwhileinwalkingdistanceisdefinitely
easier,walkingorbikingdrasticallyreducesyourcarbonfootprint.Anothermainsourceofair
pollutionisindustrialization,suchassteelmills,factories,andpowerplants.Theseallusethe
burningofcoalandnaturalgassestofueltheirfacilities(Lieber).Thisreleasesadangerousamount
ofmercury,petroleumcoke,carbondioxide,radon,andformaldehydeintotheatmosphere.Some
companieshavestartedtofiltertheirwasteemissions,whichisatleastastepintherightdirection.
However,alternativeenergysourcessuchaswindturbinesandhydroelectricpoweraremuchmore
preferable.Inotherplaces,alternativesourcesofenergyarealreadybeingimplemented,but
Pittsburghislackingthese,despitebeingfilledwithwaterwaysandhavealotofwindactivity.One
lastcauseofairpollutionarehouseholdandfarmingchemicalssuchaspesticides,cropdusting,
andfumigatedhomes.Thisformofairpollutionhasthemostquick,shorttermeffectsonpersonal
health.Forexample,inhalingonlyanounceofpesticidecanmakeyoufeelill,andbeingexposedto
anysortofhouseholdchemicalorpesticideoverlongperiodoftimecanresultinnervedamage
andcancer(Schulze).Thesekindofchemicalscanbeabsorbedinmanydifferentways,suchas
beingingested,inhaling,andthroughtheskin(PesticidesHealthEffects).Overusageofchemicals,
industrialization,andvehiclewasteemissionsareallmaincausesofairpollution.
Airpollutionisaproblemthatnegativelyimpactsalllifeinthecommunity.Asolutiontothis
problemwouldbetoinsertbikelanesthroughoutourlocalcommunity.Theycanbeplacedamongst
theamenitiesinthecommunityandalsoalongthemainroadsinthetownship.Ifbikelaneswere
incorporatedintoHamptonTownship,morepeoplewouldfeelliketheycouldsafelyridetheirbikes
asopposedtodrivingorusingamotorizedvehicle.Morepeopleusingbikelaneswouldresultin
muchlesstrafficontheroads.Becausecarsandbussesreleaseharmfulpollutantsfromburning
fossilfuelintotheair,cuttingbackontheamountofcarsontheroadwouldalsomeancuttingback
ontheamountofairpollution.Tohelpmakethisideaintoareality,wewouldneedtoreachoutto
andreceivepermissionforthisprojectfromtheLandUseAdministratorofHampton.Heisin
chargeofmaintainingrecordsoflandandthelandusethroughoutthetownship.Theywouldhelp
usbyprocessingapplicationsforlanduseandassistingwiththeplanningofthecommunityland
use.SincehewouldbetheonetogiveustheOKandbecauseheisinchargeofthelandin
Hampton,hewouldlogicallybethemainpersoninchargeofourproject.Hewouldhelpusby
figuringoutwheretoputthebikelanesaswellasgatheringuptheroadandconstructioncrewthat
wouldactuallycreatethesebikelanes.Togetthefundingforthiscostlyproject,wewillstarta
kickstarterorstartafundraiser.Wewillalsorelyonthegovernmenttohelpusoutwiththefunding.
Ourproposedsolutionofimplementingbikelanesintothecommunityisaprovenidea.
Multiplecitieshavealreadyusedthisstrategyandseenitsbenefits.Forinstance,Davis,California
hasthehighestpercentageofcyclistsinthenation(ARBBicycleAwarenessProgram).Amongits
64,000residents,17percenttraveltoworkbybicycleand41percentconsiderthebicycletheir
primarymodeoftransportation(ARBBicycleAwarenessProgram).Currentlytheresulting
statewideeffectofpeoplechoosingtorideabikeinsteadofdrivingresultsinaround7tonsof
smogforminggasestonotbereleasedandalmostatonlessofinhalableparticles(ARBBicycle
AwarenessProgram).IfonlyonepercentoftheCalifornianpopulationweretousebikesasmain
transportation,thentherewouldbe20tonslesscarbonmonoxidereleased(ARBBicycle
AwarenessProgram).Thisisnotonlyaneffectivemethod,butaneasilyfinanciallybackedoneas
wellasseeninthebayareaofCalifornia.From1996through2006,theDistricthasawardedover
$33millioninfundingforbicycleprojectsthroughouttheBayArea(BicyclesandAirQuality).The
stateandfederalgovernmentshavemultipleincentivesforwaystohelpreduceharmfulemissions.
Forexample,thecityofChicago,Illinoisafterhiringaconsultanttofindthemoststrategic,safest,
andleasttrafficimpactingroadswasabletosecurefundingforbikelanesfromthefederal
CongestionMitigationandAirQualityprogram(Bike).Bikelanesarenowcommonlyincludedand
createdinanyroadconstructionjob.Now,Iknowthatwiththisproposal,somequestionswillpopup
concerningmanythings,suchasfinances,safety,andwilltheyevenbeused?Luckily,these
questionscaneasilyberefutedwithsomeevidence.Firstofall,financewilldefinitelyhavetobe
consideredinthisproject.Nottoworry,forbikelanescost130,000permileonaverage,wellwithin
Hamptonsbudget(BicycleLanes).Secondly,thesafetyofbikelanesaremoredeterminedbythe
driversthanthebikers.Lessthan10%ofallcyclingaccidentsarecausedbythebikersthemselves
(Alter).Lastly,bikelanesareaprovenandeffectivemethodoftransportation.Peopleridetheir
bikesonthestreetanyway,soitislogicaltoputinthebikelanes.
Tosummarize,airpollutionisaproblemthatisalreadyaffectingeveryone'slives,
regardlessofwhethertheycontributetoitornot.Likewise,wearealsotheonlyoneswhocanhelp
preventit,withdoingthingssuchascuttingbackontheuseofmotorizedvehiclesandother
machinesthatgenerateharmfulgas.Withoutalltheemissionsbeingreleasedbycars,ourworld
canbeagreener,healthierplace.Ifeverypersonweretouseabikeinsteadofdrivingatleastonce
aweek,justimaginetheimmensechangeintheair.WIthbikelanes,morepeoplewouldusebikes,
andwithmorebikesbeingused,thatwouldmeanlesscarsontheroad,whichmeanslesssmoke
andexhausttopolluteourair.Whowouldwanttoliveinaworldwhereyoucannotbreathewith
ease?
(Smith)http://auto.howstuffworks.com/percentageofairpollutionduetocars.htm
(Lieber)http://planetsave.com/2013/12/07/pollutionairpollutionwaterpollutionhealthprobl
ems/
(PesticidesHealthEffects)
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/pesticides/health_effects.html
(Shuelz)http://www.headlice.org/faq/treatments/signssymptoms.htm
(ARBBicycleAwarenessProgram)http://www.arb.ca.gov/planning/tsaq/bicycle/factsht.htm
(BicyclesandAir
Quality)http://www.baaqmd.gov/Divisions/CommunicationsandOutreach/SparetheAir/Bi
cyclesandAirQuality.aspx
http://news.sciencemag.org/2002/12/airpollutionlinkedmutations(Shouse).
http://eschooltoday.com/pollution/airpollution/effectsofairpollution.html(Whatarethe
EffectsofAirPollution).
(BikeLanes)
http://www.sustainablecitiesinstitute.org/topics/transportation/bicyclesandpedestrians/bik
elanes
(BicycleLanes)http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/planning/facilities_bike_bikelanes.cfm
(Alter)
http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/cyclistscauselessthan10ofbikecaraccidents.html
(AsthmaandAirPollution)http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/fasthma.asp
(Wolf)http://www.cleanhouston.org/health/health_effects/health3.htm
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