Air Pollution in the United States

By Ally Da Costa 

Around the world, there are twenty eight megacities, defined by having a population over ten million people. Lots of people flock to big cities; in recent years, more than half the population lives in cities ( Parrish & Stockwell 2015). It is well known that large industrial and urban areas often have poor air quality due to high levels of emissions. There are examples of smog killing or making large amounts of people sick from the fumes. One famous event is The Great Smog of London which took place from December 5, 1952 to December 9, 1952. Urban city air pollution is a big issue not just in North America but throughout the world. 

Sources that cause air pollution come from cars, electrical power generation and industrial facilities. According to “Urbanization and Air  Pollution: Then and Now” by David D. Parrish and William R. Stockwell, the air in Los Angeles was so bad in the 50’s and 60’s that people kept their kids out of school and athletes trained inside. With advances in science and “societal and political commitment,” the California megacity was able to have a large improvement in air quality. LA took steps to reduce air pollution by “banning open burning and passed laws that curbed industrial pollution.” (Parrish & Stockwell 2015) They regulated emissions to make progress towards lessening air pollution. This shows that people can make changes to the effects of air pollution in cities. 

State of the Air reports show that the air we’re breathing in the United States is getting worse, The American Lung Association warns that “almost half of Americans- or a whopping 141 million- are inhaling unsafe air.” (Pesce 2019) The State of the Air report showed that 2015, 2016 and 2017 were the hottest recorded years in global history. The report also explains that “such climate patterns can spark wildfires” (Pesce 2019). This aligns with the wildfires in California in 2018. In addition to starting wildfires, it can also lead to worsened ozone pollution (smog). This air quality is especially hazardous to children and older generations or those with lung problems and other respiratory problems.

The 20th annual Air report again says that air quality is getting worse in the United States. In detail the report says that “the pollutants as particle pollution, or unhealthy particles in the air from wildfires. Wood-burning devices, coal-fired power plants and diesel engines (Pesce 2019).” Pesce explains that these pollutants go into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing lung cancer and trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks and even strokes. These reasons show that we have to act now and work to change our air quality before it ruins people's health and the environment. 

The corona virus has also shown how humans affect air quality. Since people are quarantining and remaining in their homes we have seen the effects on the environment.  While people have been inside their homes unless they are an essential worker or for things like food or household items, people have been using cars less and walking more, creating less emissions. Many businesses have not been working, also creating less emissions on the environment, it has been seen that the air is getting better for people to breath due to less emissions.

Within weeks of corona keeping people inside and halting businesses there has been a clear change in air quality for the better, showing that a change can be done. The reduced levels from fumes caused by burning fossil fuels have had a positive effect on people with respiratory issues. In addition those suffering from covid benefit from the decrease in air pollution. If people capitalize on this positive development we may be able to help lessen air pollution before it gets more serious. With a virus like corona in the United States it has been a way to show the real effects we have on our environment and hopefully show we need to start taking action now. 

Works Cited

Parrish, David D. “Urbanization and Air Pollution: Then and Now.” Eos, 13 Apr. 2017, eos.org/features/urbanization-air-pollution-now.

Pesce, Nicole Lyn. “Four in 10 Americans Breathe Unsafe Air - and These 8 Cities Are the Worst.” MarketWatch, MarketWatch, 24 Apr. 2019, www.marketwatch.com/story/four-in-10-americans-are-breathing-unsafe-air-and-these-8-cities-are-the-worst-2019-04-24.