Presented are a selection of the student writings online and in print.
Dear Editor,
“There’s so much pollution in the air now that if it weren’t for our lungs there’d be no place to put it all” – Robert Orben.
Have you ever wondered what causes the air pollution? Well, I have always wondered where it came from and why the air quality is getting worse and worse. What causes air pollution and how can we prevent the air quality from getting even worse? There are three types of air quality problems that are of concern: gas emissions from transport and factories, impurities in the air from dust and dirt, and pollution from burning garbage.
Firstly, gas emissions from factories and transportation.
We, humans, buy lots of clothes, furniture, and supplies. All of these are made from factories. While making them, factories burn coals and let out the smoke which causes the air to pollute.
People also burn massive amounts of fuel each day to keep ourselves warm from the chilly weather. Energy to heat places often comes from fossil fuels which also changes the air quality. Each day, everyone uses transportation to travel from places to places.
Transportation from ships, cars, trains, planes, and trucks are some examples of things that produces greenhouse gases. In 2018, greenhouse gases from transportation accounted for 28.2 per cent just in the US.
If we stop buying clothes, furniture, and supplies unless we really need them and try to walk, bike, and jog instead of cars, we might be able to reduce a bit of greenhouse gases.
Secondly, impurities in the air from dust and dirt, particle pollution. Particle pollution is a mixture of small particles. It is made up of dirt, dust, and liquid compounds. We pollute by allowing these small particles into the air. We cannot see small particles of dust with our eyes.
The dust particles are one of the many things that causes air pollution. These dusts give toxic effects on plants and animals, even us. If animals breathe in these particle pollution, it might damage their lungs, or it might go deep inside their blood. Even doing small things can reduce dust particles. We can vacuum regularly, dust and wipe down surfaces, and stick to a daily cleanup.
Lastly, pollution from burning garbage. Burning garbage makes the air quality gets worse.
Most of the time, people put their garbage outside of their house and the garbage trucks picks them up. Then, they go to the landfill but sometimes they burn garbage. People mostly burn solid waste, hazardous waste, and medical wastes. Burning these types of garbage creates toxic chemicals. These toxic chemicals affect the ozone layer by thinning it.
If the ozone layer gets thinner and thinner, it will not be able to absorb the certain amount of devastating UV light. The toxic chemicals can also affect humans if we breathe them in. We must make sure our garbage goes in the landfill or recycle them, so it turns out environmental-friendly, so our air quality gets better, and our ozone layer does not get destroyed.
In conclusion, air pollution not only affects the earth, but also affects humans and animals. Factories and transportation pollute the air by burning coals for clothing and furniture, particle pollution pollutes by letting small parts of dust into the air, and burning garbage creates toxic chemicals which is bad for the air. We can walk instead of moving around with cars, dust and wipe regularly, and make sure we don’t burn garbage.
Now that you know how and why air qualities change, would you like to cooperate with polluting less air?
Minseo, Grade 7, Gordon Greenwood Elementary
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