Air Pollution in America - Term Paper Example

In this paper, it will be discussed that the Raponos's plans had a negative effect on the environment , which particular involves the wetlands. The paper will also prove their plans went against the Clean Air Act while others believe it did not. Furthermore, this paper will bring a debate between the court's decision and the United States' position. Introduction America is the melting pot of the whole world, the New World, seen by the rest of the world as the land of opportunity, the land of the free, the green pastures, and the crossroads where virtually all nationalities and races meet. The study of America's environment would not have aroused studies and researches a few centuries ago because air pollution was not a big concern until the twentieth century. This is due to the fact as time goes by, people breathe in so many things that can be considered liter of air. In the course of a day, we breathe 5,000 to 15,000 liters of air. With each breath, we inhale life-sustaining oxygen, which is absorbed in our lungs and carried throughout our body. Air also contains pollutants, including pollen, microbes, particles such as soot and dust, and gases such as carbon monoxide-substances that can harm the human body. Contact with these harmful substances, which are filtered through the lungs and can also irritate the eyes and skin, triggers several defense mechanisms such as coughing, sneezing, and the production of secretions. When these defense mechanisms are overwhelmed, human tissue is damaged or destroyed. Chronic or severe exposure may hasten the onset and progression of disease and even result in death (Myer, p.43). Even though this study would have been conducted in other countries, almost all the world's countries and their people possess unifying attributes that make them distinct and unmistakable for any other nationality, race, culture and language. America possesses the probability of encountering this problem because of countless causes such as cultural differences and differences in opinions while having environment issues that could very destroy the earth. This is why there has been discussion of air pollution contributing to health issues in such a way, which gives a bleak future. This is why there was a court case between the United States vs. Rapanos was an issue because they went against the Clean Air Act. Discussion It is easy to gather that Americans want a future that has economic prosperity and clean air that will be more abundant. This is because the American life consists of material prosperity as much as in civil liberties or political democracy is an old on as the content of what people believe it to be. However, since the structure of globalization has to be reconstructed while the greenhouse effect is being dealt with through the air pollution issue, the planet's air is being destroyed by carbon dioxide and other pollutants.. "There is only one way to pacify our inflamed atmosphere: The climate challenge requires all the countries of the world to adopt a common framework with mandatory reduction targets. Within such a framework, countries can find their own ways to meet the shared goal. Since the United States emits at least twenty percent of the world's greenhouse gases - with only five percent of the world's population - it clearly needs to take a prominent role in any global solution. Here is a concrete framework for change that is financially sensible, politically feasible and based on existing technology" (Gelbspan). In the twenty-first century, economic changes and changes in the environment were threatening all American classes economically. . With addressing global solutions for the environment, the United States will force environmental laws onto the public such as the following. John and Judith Rapanos own three parcels of land in the State of Michigan known as the Salzburg, Hines Road, and Pine River sites. PA at A2. In the 1980's and 90's, the Rapanos hired contractors to prepare these sites for development. The government contends the site preparations resulted in the unauthorized filling of jurisdictional wetlands with sand and other materials in violation of 404(a) of the Clean Water Act. Therefore, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered the Rapanos to stop all land clearing activities and to restore the sites to their original condition. Id. at B30-B36. But the Rapanos refused based on their belief that the Act does not apply to nonnavigable intrastate wetlands far removed from any traditional navigable waters (Rapanos). Within society, the general statements that are made by the government authorities are true because they are the power among the people, which gives them more control and the authority to define what needs to be done to the planet in order to save it from air pollution (Cox p. 868). With that, proving new rules for the auto industry can help with the air pollution diesel exhaust particles, which is a huge issue in the Los Angeles, California area as seen from the following. Those particles can cause breathing problems. In 1999, British researchers exposed 15 volunteers to air mixed with diesel exhaust particles for the period of one hour-about the level you would inhale on a smoggy day in Los Angeles. Six hours later, the scientists found signs of inflammation in the lungs. In another experiment, researchers from the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center exposed immune cells called macrophages to ash collected from the Mount St. Helen's eruption and to airborne dust from St. Louis and Washington, D.C. Volcanic dust had no effect on the cells. The urban dust, on the other hand, caused macrophages that normally keep immune reactions under control to die. The result: overly aggressive immune responses that cause inflammatory damage to the lungs (Peter, 2008). By using government power, some political figures such as Al Gore can have the upper hand on air pollution, which motivate people to take an active role in environment issues. From there, they can be aware of what is happening to the planet. It also points out that if a plan of action is not taking soon, the future for this planet is extremely bleak, which leaves nothing for future generations to build on or strive for. At this point, it is apparent that some political figures, like Gore wanted to address air pollution so that more people could be aware of the issue that destroying the earth on a daily basis to the point that as this essay is being written, the planet is being dissolved by unnatural affects. Therefore, the government should present the issue of air pollution in a way that is informative and less boring so that the audience will understand that the issue needs to be addressed before it is too late, which would eliminate pollution problems in the future for future generations. "In a memorandum issued jointly by the Corps and EPA that accompanied the ANPRM, the agencies expressly recognized that there was a lack of consistency in the courts concerning the meaning of SWANCC. At the time of the ANPRM the post-SWANCC case law was still developing, but "[w]hile a majority of cases hold that SWANCC applies only to waters that are isolated, intrastate and non-navigable, several courts have interpreted SWANCC's reasoning to apply to waters other than the isolated waters at issue in that case."40 It was hence the view of the Corps and the EPA that further regulatory action was required to clarify the scope of their section 404 jurisdiction after SWANCC. In the atmosphere of agency jurisdictional uncertainty the joint memorandum also counseled the respective agency field staff to obtain formal approval from headquarters on a project-by-project basis before claiming jurisdiction over waters where after SWANCC jurisdiction was far from clear.Alas, as recognized by Chief Justice Roberts in his concurring opinion in Rapanos, the ANPRM did not result in a new post-SWANCC regulatory definition of "waters of the United States."42 The agencies were apparently content to live in a world of ambiguity; no regulatory action resulted from the ANPRM despite the express recognition by the agencies of the state of uncertainty surrounding section 404 jurisdiction after SWANCC."(Raponos case). Furthermore, if air pollution and the affects of the greenhouse effects are not addressed properly within a timely manner, there will be no earth to save in the future, which leads to the end of the human race and God's earthly creatures. Within society, the statements that are made by the government authorities are true because they are the power among the people, which gives them more control and the authority to define what needs to be done to the planet and wetlands. The United States as a whole gets about half its electricity from coal, the most carbon-intense of fuels, and coal generation accounts for more than a third of its greenhouse gas emissions. So if the United States decided to get with the Kyoto program, it could comply just by replacing half its coal-fired plants with proven low-carbon sources like wind, natural gas and nuclear energy. A simple tax on carbon emissions or a national cap-and-trade system could get the job done (Clean Air, Murky Precedent). When studying pollution on the earth, people's thoughts on the environment must be understood in order to make a difference. From there, people must understand the effects of pollution so that we can have a future and if they do not, there will be no future to conserve. For example, fugitive dust is an issue because it is caused by the new housing tracts in Phoenix. This dust can cause people feel like they have the flu. Indeed, airborne dust may become a rallying cry for those opposed to development. In Phoenix [Arizona], one of the biggest sources of air pollution is "fugitive dust," whipped into the air by the area's booming new housing tracts. The dust poses a special danger because it has been shown to contain a fungus called Coccidioides immitis, which normally resides in the soil. Once inhaled, the fungus causes valley fever. Symptoms resemble a bad case of the flu, but if the fungus spreads from the lungs into other parts of the body, the disease can be fatal (Peter, 2008). Unfortunately, unclean air can cause death because the damage it does to human lungs. This has been an issue for many years. The human body has to deal with many unrecoverable issues that bring on death sooner. With that, pollution should be considered as a contributing factor to death. Although the Defendants claim that the evidence did not support these conclusions, the record demonstrates that there were hydrological connections between all three sites and corresponding adjacent tributaries of navigable waters. ("Because the wetlands are adjacent to the Drain and there exists a hydrological connection among the wetlands, the Drain, and the Kawkawlin River, we find an ample nexus to establish jurisdiction."). Moreover, the Defendants are certainly unable to show that the district court's conclusions were clearly erroneous. The district court was in a far superior position to judge the complicated facts of this case after presiding over the lengthy proceedings and the bench trial (Appeals). Pollution has caused major issues in health concerns with humans and animals as well as the whole environment. Modern day political figures like Gore want to change the environment, however the answer is to address the issue while providing concrete solutions. Any effort on the government and American citizens would improve the quality of the environment and protect everyone's life from an early death. This is important due to the evidence that air pollution does contribute to many death. "One alarm sounded [in the summer of 2000] when a comparison of levels of particulate matter and death rates in the nation's 90 largest metropolitan areas was released. The study, conducted by scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, found that for every cubic meter of air, an increase of 20 micrograms of airborne particulate matter (that's a scant 70 millionths of an ounce) brought a 1 percent rise in the death rate. Hospital admissions for elderly people exposed to the increased pollution rose between 2 and 4 percent (Peter, 2008). Unfortunately, this is the harsh truth about the effects of air pollution, which is not decreasing on its own. As it should be understood people must ban together in order to make a difference on their environment and the overall planet. From there, people must take notice of their environment before the affects of air pollution destroy the planet, which will leave them very ill or for dead, which will make the future non-existent (Jennings p.14). From there, upgrading businesses must be inclusive of employing energy saving technologies wherever possible. For example, solar power might be utilized to generate energy as opposed to using energy derived from coal which pollutes the environment. Along with that, buildings would have to be fitted with such technologies so that new building can be constructed that are fitted with solar panels or some other type of clean energy (Gelbspan)."In fact, switching to clean energy will create wealth and jobs: Developing and installing renewable technologies demands much more labor than the coal and oil industries, which are highly automated. And by spearheading the transfer of clean energy to the developing world, America can turn impoverished and dependent countries into robust trading partners - an expansion of global wealth that would make the tech boom of the 1990s look like a lemonade stand. In the end, the real issue isn't whether the world has enough money to stop global warming - it's whether we have enough labor to accomplish the task in time to meet nature's rapidly approaching deadline" (Gelbspan). Finally the last solution would be carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions affects climate change, however, people have the option to make a positive impact by choosing to go carbon-neutral by purchasing carbon offsets to subtract the polluting emissions, which adds to the atmosphere (Bayer p. 104). By doing this, it would help the environment as well as being cost effective for people. Conclusion As Americans, we can try to preserve the planet by understanding and taking care of it. If we do not understand it, we will not know how to take care of it, which will eventually kill everything on the planet. Furthermore, we need to support one another in order to overcome the environment issues. Support, as a construct, has been defined as a sense of belonging, specifically among peers, teammates, community or family members. People that are reporting strong social support/low isolation exhibit higher levels of resilience and lower levels of aggression, which allows to express themselves freely to help the planet. People are also less likely to be suicidal if they perceive their family, friends, and peers to be more accepting in their environment concern, and if they have more positive friendships, which can be reflected in a positive setting. Those who feel supported by counselors, parents, or peers exhibit healthier coping mechanisms and maintain a more positive outlook about their future with the environment. If people have socially supportive arrangements as the attributes of socially legitimate roles which provide for the meeting dependency needs without loss of esteem, they are less likely to show aggression while suppressing destructive behavior. From there, socially supportive environments were presented as pattern interpersonal relationships mediated through shared values and sentiments as well as facilitate the performance of social roles through which needs are met. In summation, social support has been defined as an intervening factor tied directly to the coping process, which helps them to want a cleaner environment will have a future (Pearson, 1986) From there, people must take notice of their environment before the affects of global warming destroy the planet, which will leave them for dead. "Carbon dioxide () is one of the greenhouse gases. It consists of one carbon atom with an oxygen atom bonded to each side. When its atoms are bonded tightly together, the carbon dioxide molecule can absorb infrared radiation and the molecule starts to vibrate. Eventually, the vibrating molecule will emit the radiation again, and it will likely be absorbed by yet another greenhouse gas molecule. This absorption-emission-absorption cycle serves to keep the heat near the surface, effectively insulating the surface from the cold of space. Carbon dioxide, water vapor (), methane (), nitorus oxide (), and a few other gases are greenhouse gases. They all are molecules composed of more than two component atoms, bound loosely enough together to be able to vibrate with the absorption of heat. The major components of the atmosphere ( and ) are two-atom molecules too tightly bound together to vibrate and thus they do not absorb heat and contribute to the greenhouse effect.( The Greenhouse Effect). Bayer, Rita. "Balancing the emission debt. Alive: Canadian Journal of Health & Nutrition. 296. (2007): 104. EBSCOHOST. 11 December 2008. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detailvid=6&hid=106&sid=bef8d63e-98af-43da-9c89-2fd1e1a9ae6a%40sessionmgr106 Cox, Rachel S. "Ecotourism." CQ Researcher 16.37 (2006): 865-888. CQ Researcher Online. CQ Press. Your library's name, city, state abbreviation. 11 December 2008 . Gelbspan, Ross. "The Solution" Rolling Stone. 987. (2005): EBSCOHOST. 11 December 2008 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detailvid=11&hid=6&sid=bef8d63e-98af-43da-9c89-2fd1e1a9ae6a%40sessionmgr106#toc Goode, Darren. "Auto Industry Briefings take aim at California Emissions Plan. Congress daily. (2008). 5 EBSCOHOST 11 December 2008 http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detailvid=12&hid=105&sid=62b2153c-bcb8-4e64-a3f8-ef9fd0e4a5a0%40sessionmgr107 Jennings, Lane. "No Single Way to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions." Futrist 42-3. (2008). 14-15. EBSCOHOST. 11 December 2008. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detailvid=6&hid=101&sid=943e0dd1-4b45-4225-9b9a-0ba113985bfb%40SRCSM1 Kushner, David. "Better Air" Discover 29 (2008): 34-35 EBSCOHOST. 11 December 2008 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detailvid=6&hid=15&sid=943e0dd1-4b45-4225-9b9a-0ba113985bfb%40SRCSM1 Myer, Pamela, , David Mannino, David Homa, Luke Naeher, and Stephen Redd. "Air Pollution and Health: An Overview."At Issue: Is Air Pollution a Serious Threat to Health. Andrea C. Nakaya. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. CUNY - College of Staten Island. 11 December 2008 . Peter, Janet "Air Pollution Remains a Threat." Opposing Viewpoints: Pollution. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. CUNY - College of Staten Island. 11 December 2008 . Revkin, Andrw C. "Record Ozone Hole Fuels Debate on Climate," New York Times, October 10, 2000 Read More