Table of Contents

1. Cover page——————————————————————————————1
2. Table of contents———————————————————————————–2
3. Introduction—————————————————————————————–3

.4. Background of the study————————————————————————–3

5. Pollution control legislation for point sources————————————————–3
6. Encouraging alternative transportation, walking, and cycling——————————–4
7. Promoting fuel efficient cars———————————————————————–4
8. Improving roads————————————————————————————-4
9. Effectiveness of pollution control for the chosen methods————————————5
10. Tradeoffs for the pollution-reduction measures————————————————6
11. Conclusion——————————————————————————————6
12. References——————————————————————————————-8

Measures to Address the Pollution Issues and Reduce Carbon Emissions

 Introduction

Pollution is a term that refers to the introduction of harmful substances into the natural environment, which lead to adverse climatic changes. Some major forms of pollution are noise, light and heat (Bettle, Pout, & Hitchin, 2006). This proposal will deal with the measures that can help to address pollution and how to reduce carbon emissions to the atmosphere. The paper will discuss such measures as pollution control legislation for point sources, encouraging alternative transportation, promotion of fuel-efficient cars, and improving roads. The effectiveness of the mentioned measures to curb pollution and carbon emissions will be under the scope of this report. The other area of importance in this proposal will be the trade-offs of adopting the above-mentioned measures to control pollution.

Background of the Study

Pollution is on the increase in many countries all over the world due to human activities and industrialization. The major forms of pollution involve air, water, land, and noise. The causes of pollution can be due to natural disasters such as hurricanes, which may involve contamination of water from the sewers; petrochemicals from damaged boats, or automobiles (Judith, 2012). The emission of gases such as carbon dioxide causes the greenhouse effect, which leads to global warming. Many countries are putting up measures to help reduce the rate of pollution in order to enhance environmental management. The main practices of several countries involve prevention and management of pollution rather than direct control.

Pollution Control Legislation for Point Sources

Point source pollution originates from a single source, for example, a wastewater treatment or a factory (Jeffry & Kurkpatrick, 2014). Legislation on this source of pollution sets restrictions on the kind of pollutants that industries can dispose of into the rivers, oceans, and lakes. Different governments from different countries have the clean water act, which outlines the laws that guide the industries on what to drain into the water sources (Sharon, 2011).

Encouraging Alternative Transportation, Walking, and Bicycle use

There are programs in several countries that encourage the use of bicycles, as well as walking in order to reduce traffic on roads, and pollution as well. The main groups that implement the programs are the cycling organizations, employers, local transportation agencies, transportation management associations, and individual businesses (Wilson, Muller, & Renou-Wilson, 2013). The campaigns for non-motorized transport may lead to a long-term change in the travel habits of the people. For this kind of program to kick off, the people implementing them should provide good conditions for cycling and walking, such as cycling lanes, bike parking facilities, and pedestrian walking tracks.

Promoting fuel-efficient cars

The agencies are adopting the use of fuel-efficient hybrid cars, which do not run on petroleum products as a way of reducing emissions in the atmosphere. Some cars can be electric-hybrid, designed to run on electricity or gas (Sharon, 2011). There are other cars called water-hybrid cars, which can run on water and gas as fuel. Hybrid cars reduce the amount of fuel consumed and are very effective in reducing pollution since they do not emit poisonous gases into the atmosphere.

Improving Roads

Another measure to take in order to reduce emissions and pollution is the improvement of the roads so that vehicles do not spend a lot of time in jams before they reach their destination (Zhang & Wang, 2015). One way of improving the roads is having the dual carriageways in the major highways so that the flow of vehicles is smooth. The road construction agencies and the government can invest in building different roads for different vehicles, such as the smaller cars and the heavy vehicles. This action will reduce accidents, and congestion on the roads, which will help to reduce the time the vehicles spend on the road, hence reducing the amount of gas emitted.

Effectiveness of Pollution Control of the Chosen Methods

There are several benefits of enacting pollution legislation on the point sources, such as reduction of pollution in the water, which saves aquatic life. The laws ensure that the water for domestic use is free from the toxic contaminants from the industries. Clean water reduces health risks such as waterborne diseases, ingestion of heavy metals, choking off the water plants, and clogging of the gills in fish and other aquatic life (Clack, 2014).

Cycling and walking reduce congestion on traffic and parking costs as there will be fewer vehicles on the roads at any particular time (Dunkelberg, Finkbeiiner, & Hirchl, 2014). The major impact of using a non-motorized transportation is conservation of energy and reduction in carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Reduction of carbon emissions is due to shortened motor vehicle trips, which consume a lot of fuel for every mile traveled. Statistics show that the use of non-motorized transportation reduces energy consumption and pollution emission by about two to four percent per mile (Judith, 2012).

The use of fuel-efficient cars such as the hybrid cars helps to reduce pollution and promote a clean environment since they emit fewer toxins into the atmosphere. These cars are very efficient and have a better mileage with a high performance that lowers maintenance costs. Using the electric and water hybrid cars make some countries self-reliant, since they do not need to import petroleum fuels from the producers.

Improved roads minimize pollution and emissions since the vehicle can reach its destination in a shorter time, which reduces the time for emission. Improved roads also save costs in terms of the fuel consumed, especially in jams and reduction in wear and tear on vehicles.

Tradeoffs for the pollution-reduction Measures

Imposing legislative measures on industries may face rejection from the factory owners and the business organizations, because of the costs involved in the purchase and installation of the devices required for the treatment of the wastes, which leads to reduced profits. Imposing tough legislative measures will discourage investors from investing in the countries with very strict health measures on the ecosystem, leading to under-development of the nation. The measures can also lead to strikes by business owners, who engage in industrial production, an action that can destabilize the economy.

The use of non-motorized transportation such as walking and cycling increases the number of road accidents to pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users (Clack, 2014). The other setback to this mode of transport is the health risks resulting from colds and adverse weather conditions like the rain and the hot weather. Another challenge is the cost incurred in the implementation of the measures, which consists of expenses for facilitating the program.

The use of the fuel-efficient cars may be expensive, especially if one is buying a new one, which makes it difficult for many people to acquire one. The other setback to the use of hybrid cars is that they require charging when the power goes off, which may be inconveniencing, especially in places without electricity. The main tradeoff for improvement of roads is the cost incurred by the road authorities

Decision-making about environmental issues necessitates the maintenance of a fine balance between the effectiveness of measures and the public reaction towards them. Any decisions made by the law enforcers on environmental conservation and maintenance must be acceptable to the public for them to be effective. For instance, any policies for preventing pollution and emissions should be clear to the public, who must understand and accept them before the implementation. If the public rejects the laws, then it is impossible to implement them.

Conclusion

Pollution and emission of carbons in the atmosphere are of great concern in many countries, especially the ones with many industries. Some of the causes are emissions from motor vehicles and the industrial wastes dumped into water sources, or on land. There are various methods to control pollution, including controlling the use of motored automobiles and imposing environmentally-friendly legislation. According to this research, there are many benefits of using the methods of reducing pollution and carbon emissions. These include saving on costs, reduction of pollution levels, reduction in global warming, independence for oil importing countries, and efficiency in the transport sector. However, there are some setbacks to the methods discussed in this research paper, which include high costs of implementation, conflict with the industry owners, and closure of some industries. There is the need for more research on this topic since pollution is on the increase leading to global warming. A research on how the above causes of pollution can lead to global warming is a necessity.

References

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Clack, H. (2014). Particulate carbon emissions from electrostatic precipitators used for mercury emissions control: operational factors and implications. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 7(2), 155-163. doi:10.1007/s11869-013-0226-7

Dunkelberg, E., Finkbeiner, M., & Hirschl, B. (2014). Sugarcane ethanol production in Malawi: Measures to optimize the carbon footprint and to avoid indirect emissions.BiomasandBioenergy,71,37-45. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2013.10.006

Jeffry, M., Kurkpatrick, D. (2009). City, Country, Empire: Landscapes in Environmental History. US: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Judith,  A.  (2012) “Love Canal: hazardous waste and politics of fear” in Layzer, The Environmental Case, 56-82.

Sharon, M.  (2011) “Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima: An analysis of traditional and new media coverage of nuclear accidents and radiation.” Bulletin of the atomic scientists, 67, 55-65.

Wilson, D., Müller, C., & Renou-Wilson, F. (2013). Carbon emissions and removals from Irish Peatlands: present trends and future mitigation measures. Irish Geography, 46(1-2), 1-23. doi:10.1080/00750778.2013.848542.

Zhang, X., & Wang, F. (2015). Life-cycle assessment and control measures for carbon emissions of typical buildings in China. Building and Environment. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.01.003.

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