Poor Air Quality harms Wildlife and Nature
Animals breathe – so do plants. Pollutants eventually enter the water resources. Humans, animals and plants all need water. When we pollute the air with sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides we make our soil and water more acidic, which is harmful to many animals and plants. It can affect growth of certain plants, cutting down the number of plants available for shelter and food, having a devastating effect on delicate eco systems.
Improving Air Quality
Legislation over the last decade has improved air quality, since industry had to cut down carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions, cars had to switch and use petrol and diesel with less lead, carbon and sulphur emissions, and new technology has introduced electric cars as an alternative to petrol or diesel engines. Better cavity wall insulation and updated building and construction methods have seen us lose less heat and use less heating via fossil fuel burning in the process.
Energy efficient lighting helps to cut down on energy consumption, together with daylight saving summer and winter time introduction. More still needs to be done.
Individuals can address air quality issues by using public transport more and cutting out unnecessary car journeys. Commuters who are able to do so, can share cars or use bicycles or walk to work. Companies can provide buses which collect workers in the morning and return them home after their shift. Too many people still rely on their cars and make too many useless journeys, which could either be avoided by shopping online and letting the post deliver or by sharing cars – or combatting obesity and getting out with the help of their own two legs.
Families and individuals can cut down on air travel by going overseas only once every other year. Most countries now run schemes which encourage growing of trees – our staunch allies in the fight against air pollution and a regaining of good air quality. Every one with a garden or grounds that will support one tree or more is encouraged to plant a tree – this helps not only with air quality but provides wildlife with habitat, too.
Householders should avail themselves of grants made available for switching to solar energy or alternative energy sources. In Germany’s rural areas farmers use methane to produce energy – friendly cows produce the stuff on a daily basis whenever their digestive systems feel the urge.
Wind farms are a renewable source of energy which will help to reduce the number of coal burning power stations producing for our energy needs – coal burning power stations are a major source of pollution and poor air quality.
If we don’t want to see deaths of the old and the young during hot summer months or windless winters, we must cut down on pollution in our cities and increase the air quality with planting of green roofs. Great for heat insulation, “green” roofs help with filtering the air of dust, reduce CO2 and provide habitat for wildlife in our cities. Better architecture for new builds reduces waste of energy and heat loss.