One major effect of air pollution is that of lung cancer and other related problems usually associated with the lungs.  The human lungs are so delicate that with the least amount of problems associated to it, it easily becomes inflamed.  The human lungs are noted or are developed purposely for inhaling and exhaling fresh air and nothing else and this is one of the reasons why it should be protected from debris.

Most of the pollutants in the air are usually forced into the human lungs and of course associated problems related to cancer are observed.  This is the major problem associated with this and has to be stopped.  Moreover, there are other respiratory problems associated with this sort of pollution.   Air pollution is a major contributory factor to global warming and as such global warming is very detrimental to our human health.  Many have testified that it makes the environment very uncomfortable to be in.  This is really a serious problem and cannot therefore be underestimated in any way.

Even sometime too much air pollution makes majority of people not being able to breathe very well.  The breathing is usually in a choking mood and can easily suffocate one if adequate care is not taken and this implies why adequate care has to be taken by one in order not to be a victim.

Air quality is very imperative to our human lives and health and is depended upon for its refreshing nature. Therefore it is often the right thing to find solutions to this sort of pollution.  One major solution to air pollution is that there should be awareness creation on the danger of air pollution.  Majority should be educated on the dangers of air pollution and as such once this sort of education is made, it makes things very easy.

Awareness creation is very vital when considering curbing the dangers of air pollution and its related or associated problems. There should be adequate measures taken on how to solve the problems of the major things that affect the air directly such as factories and other related issues.  When these measures are taken, it will be obvious that there will be a reduction in the way the air is polluted daily and hence will reduce its effects on man. Protecting the air around us is the duty of everyone and as such no one should wait for the other to start first!

One does not need to look to our Poles, however, to see the effects of global warming.  As the icecaps continue to melt, water levels worldwide are rising.  As temperatures continue to rise, the ice will continue to melt, endangering many coastal cities and villages worldwide.  As the water levels rise, there will be less oxygen in the water. While this amount will not be drastic, it will be enough to kill off or endanger some of the smaller sea life we’ve come to know.

Storms have been prevalent in the world in the past few years. The sudden and violent turn in the weather can be attributed largely to the effect of global warming as well.  As our atmospheric temperature rises, so does the amount of precipitation in the air, because more and more water is evaporating. Thus, we see higher rainfalls in areas that may normally see little. This results in the flooding and landslides that are making headlines world-wide.

As our global temperature continues to rise, the effect of global warming may actually inverse. It is thought that, instead of increased rainfall, we will begin to see a serious increase in the amounts of droughts around the world. This would have devastating effects on the world as a whole.  With droughts comes short of food supply.  Less food and an ever-growing world population do not lead to a good outcome. The violent fighting going on in the North Pole between polar bears and other animals could become a reality for humans as food becomes scarce.

Rising water levels, shrinking habitats, devastating storms, and food-stealing droughts are problems that affect us all, no matter where in the world we live, what our social class is, or how much money we have. The effect of global warming does not have preferences. It is all too easy and all too common to assume that someone else will fix the problems. But when we live in a world where everyone shares that mindset, no action is taken and we are left at the mercy of the effect of global warming.  The time for action is now, and the place is where ever you are. Act now, before it is too late.

How Does the Greenhouse Effect and the Greenhouse gases lead to Global Warming?  

During the entire process of greenhouse effect, the concentration of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere determines the quantity of energy being added to the atmosphere. However, man through his activities on earth causes the concentration of the greenhouse gases to increase. This means that more energy will be added to the atmosphere. When more energy is added to the atmosphere, the possible outcome is that the earth’s surface temperature will increase quickly. The increase in the earth’s surface temperature is what is known as global warming.

From the above you can understand why greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases are associated to the global warming. In fact they are regarded as the causes of global warming. In a sense, they are the cause of global warming but in another sense they are not. It is man that is causing global warming through his activities.

How do the Activities of Man lead to the Higher Concentration of Greenhouse Gases?

This is a question that should be properly addressed. Many people do not know that they are contributing to the problem of global warming facing the earth today. Though, it seems that it will be difficult for man to avoid these activities because some of them make life easier and enjoyable on earth but they rate can be reduced with caution.

Owing to the industrial revolution, more fossil fuel is being burnt on daily basis. This increase the emission of more of the greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.  Some of the agricultural methods applied by some farmers lead to the emission of more methane and nitrous oxide to the atmosphere.

Today, owing to the economic importance of timbers more trees are felled on daily basis. Deforestation increase the amount carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere on daily basis. This is because trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. If a large portion of the world’s forests are cleared as trees are being felled, more carbon dioxide will be released to the atmosphere.

Other human factors which can lead either directly or indirectly to the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases include overpopulation, automotives and others.

Rain Forests and Tropical Forests

Forests have a huge impact on our climate and the deforestation in some parts of the world has already had an impact on changes in weather patterns.

The high humidity in rainforests, where giant trees soak up carbon dioxide from the air and store it, rises up to form rain clouds which periodically empty themselves back into the forests. Hundreds of thousands of plants and animal life exist in these forests and the trees are often referred to as our planet’s lungs.

In tropical forests the climate is less water logged but nevertheless humidity remains quite high and the temperatures are generally high. Less dense in growth tropical forests are a haven for animals, plants and insects. Both rainforests and tropical forests contribute to lessoning the impact of greenhouse gases and global warming.

Northern Climate

Across parts of Scotland and Scandinavia as well as Northern Germany the climate is damp and cold, with severe winters and short summers. Coastal regions are less severe but prone to strong winds and unstable weather patterns.

Mediterranean Climate

Famous for its warm, temperate climate the Mediterranean experiences far less rain fall than its northern counterpart. Some parts have very little rainfall and are as a result dry and hot but other parts are lush and green in vegetation with long summers and milder winters.

Extremes of Climate Change

One hundred million years ago the Antarctic was covered in rainforests and small dinosaurs roamed the shores, nibbling their way through vegetation. Today a 3 kilometre strong layer of ice buries their trace. Throughout our planet’s history there have been dramatic changes in climate, from the lush green forests of the Antarctic to the frozen icecaps of today’s poles.

Over the past half century, the Antarctic has undergone a warming up process at the rate of 2.8 degrees Celsius, a far greater increase than anywhere else in the world. Could rainforest thrive there once again in the future?

A cooling down of the Gulf Stream on the other hand would see harsher climate gripping Northern Europe, with Britain in particular losing out on the climate front. Harsher, much colder winters would follow shorter wetter summers. Greenhouse gas emissions are responsible for our predicament although many people still argue whether this is really our fault or whether this is just part of a climate change cycle which our planet undergoes over thousands of years.

The data locked away in the ice at our poles has already yielded some astonishing insight into our past climate. Growth rates of tiny sea creatures and dendrology tell us about the increase and decrease of growing during either longer or shorter feeding seasons. Explorer Scott and his crew could not have foreseen how important their collection of marine creatures and plant life would one day be to science, when they collated and recorded their finds in the early 1900s.

What the future holds for our established ideas of climate is hard to say. Yet one thing is for certain, and that is the climate is changing rapidly. Not necessarily for the better.

H1N1 is a viral disease and as you know the case with most or all viral diseases, the cure is almost impossible to get. H1N1 influenza viruses are responsible for the flu and thus there’s no treatment available. This shouldn’t worry you; your only concern should be finding the right drugs like oseltamivir and zanamavir. Besides, if you have good immunity you shouldn’t even bother about taking drugs to suppress the symptoms since they won’t be of much concern. Unfortunately, children below the age of 5, pregnant mothers and HIV positive persons still have to rely on these medications. If H1N1 flu isn’t treated at an early stage (especially for the people mentioned above) then it may lead to pneumonia or respiratory arrest which are other complications all together.

Another airborne disease that we should look at is perhaps the most common or at least it used to be some few years back. Without a vaccination for measles, you can’t imagine how many people would have been affected. Thousands to millions of people isn’t enough to give you a brief idea. Among the symptoms, things like coughing, fever, light sensitivity, muscle pain and rashes on the skin are a sure sign of measles. You should note that this disease is very contagious and can even spread through contact in addition to spreading through the air we breathe. Rashes usually start appearing 3 to 5 days after these symptoms.

The symptoms may last for almost ten days and all along, you will notice the rashes becoming more red, flat and very itchy. Additionally, your eyes will be a little red; you’ll have a little sore throat and a runny nose. Unfortunately there’s no treatment for measles only vaccinations are available. The only ways of reducing these symptoms is by taking acetaminophen but that won’t guarantee that you will be less ill for long.

Now that you know of some of the airborne diseases, you should be asking yourself how you can avoid spreading or contracting the disease. One way to reduce their spreading is by covering your mouth or nose when sneezing and to avoid spitting in the open. Come on, handkerchiefs are quite cheap and its actually good manners to always have one in your pocket if you don’t want to be embarrassed some day in the future. Remember that some of the airborne diseases are incurable and you have to rely on vaccinations to shield yourself from them. It would thus be wise to still become immunized against them before anything bad happens.

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.

How can global warming give rise to drought? Drought will affect those in the tropic region due to high temperature. The rivers and lakes will dry up. This will spell doom for both man and wild animals.  Many people will die as a result of lack of food. There will be no agricultural produce because trees and plants will be scorched to death by the heat of the sun. Besides, there will be no river for irrigation which will help to supply water to the plants in the farm lands.

Wild animals will die of dehydration. Once the source of their drinking water has been dried due to prolong drought, they will die of dehydration. Besides, herbivorous animals will die due to lack of plants and trees to feed on.

Global warming does not affect weather alone. The sea and oceans together with the lives that it supports will be affected also. Global warming will give rise to the increase in the sea level. The more the icebergs are melting away the more the sea levels are increasing. When this happens, the coastline regions will suffer greatly. Coastal floods will obliterate some island nations. The coast will be eroded. The effect of global warming on the ocean level seems to be worst because a reasonable percentage of population of the world is living in coast areas.

The marine lives will also suffer greatly. Definitely, those in coastline region will build high solid walls in order to prevent the rising sea level from devastating their lands. This will also affect the marine lives that are looking for escape to cooler region of the sea. Some marine lives that prey on wild animals that come to the sea side o drink will totally be blocked away from their prey.

The ecosystem, carbon cycle and man himself will also be affected by the global warming. We are already seeing the effect of global warming today.

Every time transport workers strike in London, Paris or other large cities, commuters discover there are alternatives to taking individual cars, buses and even trains. Suddenly car-sharing schemes spring up, people discover the use of those two limbs dangling off their bodies – yes, we have legs – and they walk or cycle to work. Many discover they prefer this mode of cheap, air friendly transport and never go back to using the car, bus or underground train.

Newly build houses and office blocks fall under more stringent building regulations, taking better care to introduce better insulation, better use of passive solar energy efficient material and even the use of solar panels themselves. More office blocks and high rise buildings have green spaces on their roofs – roof gardens help with filtering of air, with dust particles and CO2 being taken care of by plants. These gardens are now highly sought after spaces of recreation and relaxation among office workers and provide valuable space for urban wildlife to thrive, too.

How to Improve Air Quality around the Globe

More must be done by developed countries to assist developing countries in avoiding our mistakes. America, China and Russia in particular are the main polluters or air. If anything good has come out of the recent disaster in Japan, then it is that is has shown how an economy that is reliant on nuclear power can be extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and how quickly a nuclear power station can deteriorate into a disaster zone.

Improving our air quality by reducing the number of coal burning power stations is a good thing, but replacing them with nuclear plants is not. For the first time in some twenty years countries around the world are addressing this serious issue in the light of safety – not with the usual eye on short term profit for the economy.

The other meltdown is happening in Middle Eastern countries across the whole region and this political and social upheaval has exposed the West’s over-reliance on fossil fuel burning energy. If we want to improve air quality, cut down on pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and gain freedom from being held to ransom by oil and gas producing countries, then governments in developed countries must act to find more funds for research into truly renewable, sustainable sources of energy, which neither put our air quality, water purity, soil condition nor wildlife at risk.

How can we achieve this when countries are ruled by greed not sense? Maybe it’s time for another revolution – maybe it’s time people, instead of politicians started to run the world. We all have it in our power to change the world – we just need to want it badly enough. Who needs politicians? Belgium has shown us that we don’t actually need governments – their wonderful little country manages quite well without one, thank you very much.

Although we are looking at record amounts of rainfall now, it may not be long until we are seeing quite the opposite. Scientists across the world predict that if global warming continues as it is, we will begin to see less rain.  In fact, many parts of the world will face long-standing droughts. These droughts will lead to drastically less crop production.

With about 133 million babies born each year, our worldwide population is constantly growing.  World-wide hunger is an issue we already face today. Were we to lose a large portion of our crops, we’d be looking at a global crisis. Simply to stay alive, we’d have to eat more meat. This would put more animals on the break of extinction, if not pushing them over the edge. While this may seem like an extreme example, it is nevertheless an example of what is likely to happen.

It is too easy to think “I am one person, and one person cannot change the world”. But the fact is change starts with one person.  But knowing where to begin can prove to be one of the toughest decisions of all. The truth is, however, that there are many ways, both big and small, that you can help the environment.  To begin with, there are a multitude of “green” products on the market now that are not only made using planet-friendly methods, but also have safer, degradable chemicals as opposed to the harmful chemicals in many other products. That can be a great place to start. If you feel like taking it a step further, find a location where you can plant a tree. Trees are becoming scarcer and our population grows. The earth would certainly appreciate more oxygen.

A step up from that would be attempts to reduce your driving time. For example, are there times when you could bike, walk, or jog somewhere instead of driving or taking the bus? Not only would that solution help the environment, it would keep you healthy in the process.

There are also plenty of “green” organizations out there who would appreciate your support in their activities. Some have converted heavily polluting companies to greener, safer factories through demonstrations and negotiations.

Damage has been done to our planet. However, this damage is not irreversible, and does not have to get worse than it already is. Simply by taking a few small steps in order to reduce your carbon footprint, you can begin moving the world toward a green future, and secure the fate of future generations. Indeed, it is our responsibility to save the atmosphere from decay.

Smog is not only caused by vehicle exhaust fumes or other industrial emissions, there are also some natural occurrences that can give rise smog. Volcanic eruption for instance can release huge amount of sulphur dioxide and also particulate matter. These two elements are also instrumental to the formation of smog. When smog is formed as a result of volcanic eruption, it is referred to as vog. The term is used specifically to differentiate the naturally caused smog from man induced smog.

Some studies on the distribution of smog have also revealed that plants can also help in the distribution of smog through their radiocarbon content. Typical example of this is Creosote bush found in Los Angeles. It has been discovered that the bush enhances the distribution of smog even more than the combustion of fossil fuel.

The question then is: has smog any effect on health to spark off such concern nowadays? Definitely, the answer to the above question is yes. There are some dangerous health issues that are associated with smog. People with heart and lung disease can be affected by smog. It has been discovered that greenhouse gases like nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, ground-level ozone and sulphur dioxide can enhance heart and lung disease. Senior citizens and children are also affected by these gases.

These gases can cause decrease in the functionality of the lung, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing due to pain, coughing. This is one of the downsides of the greenhouse gases like ozone which protects us from the scorching heat of the sun. Up there in the atmosphere, ozone can be helpful to man but ground level ozone can also lead to burning eyes and noses and other respiratory problem that are associated with smog when it is trapped close to the ground level in situations of heat inversion.

Smog can lead to untimely death in some cases especially when people who are suffering such respiratory problems like asthma are exposed to it.

Besides the above mention people, those who are involved in some outdoor exercise are vulnerable to smog effect. This is because during exercise the rate at which we breathe increases and this exposes the lung to ground-level ozone. Children are also vulnerable to smog especially during summer. This is because, the play more outside during summer and this time favors smog.