Climate Change and Infectious Diseases in Europe, Term Paper Example

Introduction

The modernized world has faced the challenge of pollution since the industrial revolution. Urban areas are affected more by air pollution than rural areas. During the early 19^th century, the steam engine was the forerunner of air pollution before people even knew enough about air pollution to worry about it. The steam engine burned coal to produce mechanical energy. Many countries benefited from this invention, but were later hit by unexpected consequences like adverse health conditions and air pollution.  In 1952, it is estimated that 12, 000 people were killed in 5 days due to the London Smog (Semenza & Menne, 2009   ). It’s amazing to fathom that decades later air pollution is still one of the underlining causes of untimely death across the nation. According to statistics, more than 2 million people die each year due to pollution (Saracci & Vineis, 2007).  Today, scholars have determined that pollution is a multi-faceted problem that not only affects humans, but ecosystems and agriculture production. Pollution has been recently linked to climate problems and the infamous global warming phenomenon. Consequently, many believe that air pollution and climate change are linked.

In order to combat the degree of pollution, many countries and communities have adopted regulations that citizens and companies must abide by. Vehicle emissions are one of the main causes of pollution. As a result, 67 countries have adopted an emission standards guideline. (Vedal, Brauer White, & Petkau, 2003). Recently, China has been under attack by other countries because it has the most untimely deaths due to pollution. Vehicles in China emit sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and carbonaceous aerosols. Carbon dioxide has been named the most important ingredients in the greenhouse gases, which are linked to global warming.  The actions of China and other countries have caused the United States to create a better framework to monitor causes of pollutions, and thus enact more stringent regulations. Air pollution is a combination of substances that can prove volatile. Winds are able to transport pollutant very long distances away from the pollutant site.  Pollutants can be inhaled and absorbed through the skin. Once those pollutants enter the person’s bloodstream, they are carried to the heart and distributed to every organ in the body.  Some effects of pollutant exposure can be experienced shortly after exposure. For example, nausea, headaches, upper-respiratory infections, and frequent medical visits. Air pollution is a world problem that will take the efforts of everyone to eradicate the problem one small step at a time.

World Problem

Air pollution affects the entire world. There are no boundaries that pollution refuses to cross. According to research, two of the worst pollution problems in the world are urban air and indoor air quality (Saracci & Vineis, 2007).  Air pollution can lead to both long-term and short-term health problems. Researchers have concluded that the elderly and small children are most affected by air pollution (Saracci & Vineis, 2007). Short term effects can be as minor as nose and throat irritation and long term effects can be as devastating as lung cancer, brain damage, and heart disease.  Air pollution also effects the environment. Air pollution can cause damage to water supplies, crops, animal habitat, and forests. Air pollution has been linked to the depletion of the ozone layer, which protects the earth from the sun’s UV rays. Over a period of time, pollution in some areas has led to acid rain. Acid rain can damage or destroy trees, soil, rivers, lakes, and wildlife. Some pollution is unavoidable, but others are caused by human activities. Some natural causes of pollution are biological decay and natural sulfur released by volcanoes. Forest fires and dust storms in extremely dry areas can lead to pollution. However, many human causes of pollution can be lessened or eliminated with a little effort. Some human causes of pollution are domestic smoke and heating method. Some people also incinerate their household waste.

How Pollution Affects US

One’s environment plays a dominant role in one physical, mental, and social well-being. Although the United States has been making drastic changes in pollution regulations, there is still a huge gap between the quality of life of people living in European countries and the United States. Ironically, nearly 75 percent of people in Europe live in urban area.  According to an EEA Report,

“The quality of life and health of urban dwellers depends strongly on the quality of the urban environment, functioning in a complex system of interactions with social, economic, and cultural factors. Green urban areas play an important role in this context. A multifunctional network of green urban areas is capable of delivering many environmental, social, and economic benefits: jobs, habitat maintenance; improved local air quality and recreation, to name a few” (EEA, 2009).

SO, it would be safe to conclude that the quality of life of people living in urban areas depends upon the quality of the urban environment. In 2003, a heat wave in Europe was estimated to have killed more than 70, 000 people. This fact increased the need for ways to adapt to climate changes. According to Semenza & Menne, 2009 “In congested urban areas with high soil sealing and heat absorbing surfaces, the effects of heat waves can be exacerbated due to insufficient nocturnal cooling and poor air exchange” (Semenza & Menne, 2009  ). Scientists and scholars are trying to figure out ways to create more green areas in places that are experiencing heat fluctuations. Evidence has shown that contact with wildlife is beneficial for social and mental development. People who live in natural environments, agriculture land, forests area, etc. seem to have healthier lives (EEA, 2009).

Some even believe that there is even a relationship between economic growth and the environment. The economy suffers greatly when dealing with pollution. Many of the losses that the economy suffers are indirectly caused by pollution. Human life, livestock, and plants are lost as a result of pollution. Chemical waste can cause erosions, while acid rain wears away the protective covering materials. For example, acid rain quickly wears away roofing on farm equipment and barns.

What Can be Done?

Protecting the environment is a global issue; consequently it must be dealt with globally. This is not a government problem. This is a task that the ordinary man has to take on within his own neighborhood. Once everyone has taken on this idea of save the planet, progress will be made. According to the numbers, the human race has about two generations left to save itself from self-destruction.  Currently, 420 million people are living in areas where they couldn’t grow their own crops even if the wanted to (Vedal, Brauer White, & Petkau, 2003). They have to rely solely on imports.  Another 500 million are living in areas that are prone to severe droughts (Vedal, Brauer White, & Petkau, 2003). The previously mentioned conditions are due to global warming, which is directly linked to air pollution. There are many things that people can do to help keep the air cleaner. First, conservation of energy is very important because many sources of energy like electricity, diesel, kerosene, and gasoline help to contribute to air pollution. Many poor families in rural area steal use traditional biomass fuel to heat their home in the winter. Such fuels are the leading cause of indoor pollution. For example,

“Global estimates show that about 2.5 million deaths each year result from indoor exposure to particulate matter in rural and urban areas in developing countries, representing 4-5% of the 50-60 million global deaths that occur annually (Bruce et al., 2002). However, the transition to cleaner fuels among the poor has been slow and there is evidence that reliance on biomass is increasing in some parts of the world” (Vedal, Brauer White, & Petkau, 2003).

Although indoor air pollution is a private matter, it does help to contribute to the overall pollution problem. When it is possible a person can walk or ride a bicycle to work or to run errands rather than driving a vehicle. Reducing trips and using public transportation will also help. People should also avoid burning trash, leaves, and other yard debris when possible. The use of gas operated garden tools should be limited as well. It is also important that vehicles are maintained by having regular tune-ups and replacing air filters. Although these may seem like very small things, when done collectively they can make a big difference in the world’s environment.

Air Quality Plan

Every community can help to eliminate air pollution in their areas. These plans will help to eradicate many forms of air pollution. Maricopa County in Arizona implemented the trip reduction plan in the late 1980s in order to reduce air pollution. The plan focused primarily on employers and schools. The plan called for employers and schools to reduce single occupant vehicles miles traveled by 10 percent over a period of five years. This was expected to continue until a 60 percent SOV travel was reached. They tracked progress of the program through an annual commute survey.  After realizing that citizens were unwilling to abide by guidelines of the program, a Trip Reduction Task Force was appointed through the local sheriff’s office.  Citizens who fail to comply with SOV guidelines can be fined up to 300 dollars a day (Maricopa County, 2013). The organizers of the plan also partnered with the Valley Metro public buses to entice more people to ride public buses to work, school, and running errands. The results of their survey were: Students used carpooling for 32.5 percent of their trips. Alternative modes of transportation for students were 17 percent. Eight percent of students walked. Employees carpooled about 10 percent, about 3.3 percent or employees used alternate modes, and the bus was ridden 2.6 percent day (Maricopa County, 2013). According to this data, students are more likely to change their mode of transportation than adults and carpooling is the favored mode of transportation among children and adults.  Consequently, by these numbers alone, the Maricopa County was able to reduce an estimated 18, 430 tons of pollution. Pounds of pollution were calculated by dividing the miles that were not driven by commuters by using an alternative mode of transportation by 49.6 day (Maricopa County, 2013).

Travel Plan

A travel plan will help to eliminate air pollution as well as save money for participants.  People use their vehicles daily for running errands, taking children to and from school and activities, going to work, etc. Parents need to band together and offer carpooling for students who live in the same neighborhood. Some neighborhoods have as many as 20 children going to the same school. That means a great number of cars are making at least two trips to the same place in one day. Parents could come up with driving schedules; parents will large vehicles could take a group of children to and from school. This would eliminate some emission pollution. In order to encourage parents to do this, school districts could charge parents a parking fee to use parking space to wait on children in the afternoons. Another way to eliminate emission pollution is to use public transportation.  Offering free bus travel to persons over 60 would encourage using public transportation. This would help to eliminate congestion on city roads and lower the amount of emission each car would expel while waiting in traffic. Finally, another way to eliminate vehicle emission is to promote other modes of transportation like cycling. Communities could give incentives to entice people to use other forms of transportation. For example, fast food restaurants could offer a free coffee or drink to anyone using an alternate method of transportation, like cycling.

Economic Perspective

This plan will cost very little to implement. Some people who choose to cycle to work or schools may have to purchase bicycles, but other than that there will be no extra costs. Essentially, money will be saved. Parents who drive their children to and from work will save on the costs of gas because of the car pools. For those parents who choose to continue driving their children to and from school, they will have to come out of pocket for whatever the school charges for parking pick-up. Senior citizens will also save money from lesser purchases of gas for their vehicles. Those who choose to ride public buses. City buses will not lose any financial contributions either.

Environmental Perspective

Less vehicle emission will be of great benefit to the environment. Air pollution has an obvious negative affect on the environment. Air pollution has been linked to climate changes known as global warming. Air pollution also depletes the ozone layer; therefore exposing humans to harmful rays from the sun. Finally, acid rain destroys wildlife habitats, pollute water, and threaten wildlife ecosystems. When pollution plans are implemented, these problems can be limited are eradicated.

Social Perspective

In today’s society, it is common for people to live next door to each other for years and never exchange words. If the travel plan is implemented in communities, neighbors will meet and possibly form friendships. Often when senior citizens retire, they are cut off from the world they know. When senior citizens ride city buses they will have the opportunity to meet others. Possibly forming relationships with other will help senior citizens continue socializing beyond their work environments.

Conclusions

The plan that was implemented in Maricopa County is feasible. This plan allows people to make choices for themselves that will benefit the environment. Understandably, everyone will not abide by the guidelines. It was a great idea to get the sheriff’s office involved to help entice people to abide the rules. Pollution must be handled one person and one community at a time. The federal government is unable to enforce pollution laws state wide. Therefore, each community must implement its own plan of action.

References

EEA. (2009). Ensuring quality of life in Europe’s cities and towns — tackling the environmental challenges driven by European and global change. EEA Report No5.

Saracci, R.; Vineis, P., (2007). Disease proportions attributable to environment. Environmental Health, 6(38).

Semenza, J.; Menne, B., (2009). ‘Climate change and infectious diseases in Europe.’ Lancet Infectious Disease, 9(1) 365–375.

Maricopa County (2013). Trip reduction program: Annual report

Vedal, S., M. Brauer, R. White, & Petkau (2003). Air pollution and daily mortality in a city with low levels of pollution. Environmental Health Perspectives, 111(1) 45-52.