Running Head: AIR POLLUTION: A GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM OR NOT?

Air Pollution: A Global Warming Problem or Not?

Jami Chung

Arizona State University

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Abstract

This paper discusses a big problem in today’s world. Air pollution is the release of harmful or

poisonous substances into the air and is one of the largest issues that impact the world all around.

This topic looks at air pollution and its effect on global warming. It can be problematic because

the pollutants that enter the air can be hazardous to our lungs which lead to sickness. However,

it can also be beneficial to the planet by providing nutrients to the land and ocean while cooling

the atmosphere to decrease global warming.

​ ir Pollution, Global Warming, Problem, Sickness

Keywords: A
AIR POLLUTION: A GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM OR NOT? 3

Air Pollution: A Global Warming Problem or Not

Air pollution is the release of substances with harmful or poisonous effects into the air

and is probably one of the most serious environmental problems confronting our world today,

especially in Los Angeles where I grew up. Air pollution can be problematic because the

pollutants that enter the air can be a health hazard and effect the environment with global

warming. However, critics believe pollutants can also be beneficial to the planet by providing

nutrients to the land and ocean while cooling the atmosphere. What are the effects of pollution

on global warming, and why are there differing opinions?

“Air pollution in the form of carbon dioxide and methane raises the earth’s temperature,”

John Walke, director of the Clean Air Project, says in an article by Jillian Mackenzie for the

Natural Resource Defense Council. “Another type of air pollution is then worsened by that

increased heat. Smog forms when the weather is warmer, and there’s more ultraviolet radiation.”

Climate change also increases the production of allergenic air pollutants including mold (thanks

to damp conditions caused by extreme weather and increased flooding) and pollen (due to a

longer pollen season and more pollen production) (Mackenzie, 2019).

Researchers have found a wide array of health effects which they believe are associated

with air pollution exposure. ​Among them are respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases,

adverse pregnancy outcomes, and even death. In addition, “ammonia can react with other air

pollutants to create tiny particles that can lodge deep in the lungs, causing asthma attacks,

bronchitis, and heart attacks.” (Stokstad, 2017, para.1)

Outdoor air pollution is a major cause of death and disease globally. According to the

World Health Organization, one-third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer, and heart disease are
AIR POLLUTION: A GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM OR NOT? 4

due to air pollution. As stated, ​“​poor air quality is linked to over three million deaths each year,

and 96% of people in large cities are exposed to pollutant levels that are above recommended

limits. The costs of urban air pollution amount to 2% of gross domestic product in developed

countries and 5% in developing countries” (Edwards, Lewis, 2016, para. 1).

There have been many studies connecting air pollution and its relation to children’s poor

health. Worldwide, up to 14 percent of children age 5-18 have asthma related to factors

including air pollution. “Ch​ildren exposed to high levels of pollution also have poorer outcomes

than children exposed to lower levels of pollution.” (Currie, Neidell, Ray, 2011, para. 2).

Although adults may be affected by the poor air quality, children are among the most at risk

because their lungs are not fully developed. This indicates that children breathe in more air than

adults do and have a lower ability to fight the effects of pollution.

Motor vehicles powered by fossil fuels are some of the causes of air pollution. Robert

Bienenfeld, the ​leading U.S. expert on energy and the environment at American Honda Motor

Co., stated that the company wants to make ​vehicles that will reduce the amount of pollution for

vehicles. “W​e’ve always had a very clean fleet and have been at the leading edge of reducing

smog forming emissions from tailpipe,” he said. “Now, the auto industry as a whole is really

clean and getting cleaner all the time, and the automotive contribution to air quality problems has

gone from 70-80% of the problem to less than 10%. Now, the big contributors are diesel trucks,

ships, rail, and airplanes” (Bienenfeld, 2019).

All these factors of air pollution play a role for causing global warming. However, a

news report by Geoff Brumfiel of National Public Radio contradicts the belief that carbon

dioxide or other pollutants are a major cause of global warming. Brumfiel’s report includes
AIR POLLUTION: A GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM OR NOT? 5

comments from the head of the Environment Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, who thinks there is

scientific uncertainty over whether humans are changing the climate. As a representative of the

EPA, which regulates CO​2​ and other greenhouse gases as pollutants, Pruitt says that "measuring

with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do, and there's

tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact," (Brumfiel, Pruitt, 2017, para. 3). This

opposes scientists and environmentalists who argue that air pollution is causing harmful effects

on health and climate change.

In conclusion, there are many factors that cause air pollution, but the real concern is to

determine if it is a global warming issue or not. Some say pollutants that cause global warming

are creating the biggest global health threat of the 21​st​ century, but others think it isn’t a bad deal

after all.
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References

Bienenfeld, R. (2019, March). Interview and (2014, F​ebruary 14). Rearview Report. Retrieved

from

https://www.torquenews.com/1574/honda-promotes-blue-sky-s-philosophy-never-ending

-race-video

Brumfiel, G. (2017, March 09) National Public Radio –

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/09/519425866/epa-chief-scott-pruitt-q

uestions-basic-facts-about-climate-change

Currie, J., Ray, S., & Neidell, M. (2011, Dec.). Quasi-experimental studies suggest that lowering

air pollution levels benefits infants' and children's health. ​Health Affairs (Project Hope),

30​(12), 2391-9. Retrieved from

https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/docview/910128691/fulltext/5B1C7584

9764103PQ/1?accountid=4485​ ​or

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/pdf/10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0212

Edwards, P., Lewis, A. (2016, July 06). Validate personal air-pollution sensors. ​Nature,

535​(7610), 29-31. Retrieved from

https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/docview/1809934956/fulltext/2A8B904

9503B4077PQ/1?accountid=4485

​Mackenzie, J. (2019, February 13). Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved

from​ ​https://www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution-everything-you-need-know
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Stokstad, E. (2014, Jan. 17). Air pollution. Ammonia pollution from farming may exact hefty

health costs. ​Science (New York, N.Y.),​ ​343(​ 6168), 238. Retrieved from

http://science.sciencemag.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/content/343/6168/238