Air Pollution is the WORST!!!!

When we think of Air Pollution, we automatically think that it has something to do with the well-being of our health. This is true on many different levels, but Air Pollution can also harm the environment we live in. The formal definition of Air Pollution is the "introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment, into the atmosphere" (Reilly 2010). With this definition of Air Pollution, Do you think that the city we live in has a high density of Air Pollution that can harm our health and our environment? Or do you think that our city is clean enough for us to escape this problem? From an ecological standpoint, air pollution is very harmful to the environment.

Many people in St. Louis, however, do not know that their city ranks 9th on the list of the 25 worst polluted metropolitan areas (Reilly 2010) which is sad because their health and environment is in great danger. The Air Pollution in St. Louis will eventually cause long term affects, specifically, on children with Asthma. In order for the children to have at least some type of future, citizens particularly in St. Louis must take action to prevent an amount of Air Pollution from endangering the environment they live in and the health of their children. 

If citizens are educated, they will have some background as to what air pollution does to the environment and they can begin to make a change in their everyday lives. Think about it. If the people in St. Louis and in the city we live in could make a SMALL change, like taking public transportation to work and school at least 2 times a day, this could eventually lead to a MAJOR change. 

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the first-ever national standards for air pollution from power plants. The new rules would require many power plants to install technologies to control mercury, arsenic and other toxic air pollutants" (LaCapra 2011).

My opinion of the Air Pollution in St. Louis is that the government should educate the people and let them know exactly how much of the air is being polluted and what they can do to minimize it. I believe that the St. Louis citizens love their environment because it is a tourist city and to keep tourist coming back, it would be a great deal to them to help clean the environment. I remember my grandmother saying life is too short to sit around and waste it. Little did I know that what she was implying was that if you enjoy your life, you should keep it clean of waste!! How awesome!

Reilly, A (8 July 2010). Major issues facing St. Louis: air pollution. St. Louis Liberal Examiner.

http://www.examiner.com/liberal-in-st-louis/major-issues-facing-st-louis-air-pollution

LaCapra, V (16 March 2011). EPA proposes first-ever national air pollution standards for power plants. 

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/epa-proposes-first-ever-national-air-pollution-standards-power-plants