40pages Information on Air Pollution

Causes of Air Pollution
   
There are many reasons for the increased amount of air pollution in the atmosphere today. Sadly, industrialization is quite possibly the biggest threat to mother earth, and it shows not signs of slowing. Power plants and our reliance on fossil fuels for transportation make up the biggest percentage of air pollution. And although the issues have been addressed over the years, countries are slow to develop alternatives. At the current rate of pollution and global warming, the children of this country will live in a different world than we know it today.
Causes of Air Pollution
Power plants represent a very grim sector of business when it comes to the contribution to air pollution. Did you know that hundreds of power plants have no cap on the amount of smog and global warming toxins it can spew into the air? It is true; power plants represent nearly 40 percent of the air pollution problems in the United States alone. Although any new power plant that comes into existence must follow stricter guidelines, most of the power plants in operation were simply “grandfathered” in when the new guidelines took affect, making them unaccountable for the severe problems they create for the environment.
Next to power plants, transportation accounts for a majority of the remaining air pollution problem. Our reliance on fossil fuels is just as much crippling this country, as it is the earth. The only way this problem can be addressed is to find an alternative source of energy. This has been in the works for years, but is extremely slow to happen. The Toyota Prius, the first hybrid electric and gas vehicle, was introduced in 1997. The problem is that not much has followed behind it and the Prius is very highly priced, making it currently difficult for the average American to get their hands on it. The current administration needs to see the urgency and step up production of these cars.
Light pollution is another source of concern. Light pollution...