Hey all. Sorry about the recent hiatus, I've been crazy busy with studying, writing my research paper, and training at my new job. You all know how it goes. Good news, though! After extensive research and editing thus far in the semester, I'm super close to being done. Just have to do a little bit more tweaking and then I'll have a published paper! Yes, I'm a nerd :)
Now that the semester is almost over (just 4 more weeks!), and I've learned a bunch in my ecology and intro classes, I feel confident enough to blog about something environment-related. I want to provide you with the most accurate information since this is an important subject.
Air pollution is a serious issue with many different sources and deeply historic routes. The primary sources of particulate matter, or a mixture of solid particles, liquid droplets, and gases in the air, are the anthropogenic (human-influenced) burning of fossil fuels and poor soil conservation. The fossil fuels that we use include oil, coal, and natural gas; they are used for just about everything: electricity, warm water, gas and oil for our cars and other fuel powered machines/vehicles. The constituents of particulate matter make up the largest contribution to air pollution. Depending on the degree, air pollution can cause various types of illnesses and breathing problems. All that said, I'll let you do your own research on everything else, and I'll part with some ways that you can personally curb your contribution to air pollution!
Now that the semester is almost over (just 4 more weeks!), and I've learned a bunch in my ecology and intro classes, I feel confident enough to blog about something environment-related. I want to provide you with the most accurate information since this is an important subject.
Air pollution is a serious issue with many different sources and deeply historic routes. The primary sources of particulate matter, or a mixture of solid particles, liquid droplets, and gases in the air, are the anthropogenic (human-influenced) burning of fossil fuels and poor soil conservation. The fossil fuels that we use include oil, coal, and natural gas; they are used for just about everything: electricity, warm water, gas and oil for our cars and other fuel powered machines/vehicles. The constituents of particulate matter make up the largest contribution to air pollution. Depending on the degree, air pollution can cause various types of illnesses and breathing problems. All that said, I'll let you do your own research on everything else, and I'll part with some ways that you can personally curb your contribution to air pollution!
1) Don't smoke cigarettes - I know a lot of us are guilty of this, and it's a hard habit to break, but cigarettes contain so many chemicals that are being released into the air, not to mention your lungs. They also contribute to ground litter when you throw your butts on the ground.
2) Make your own cleaners/soaps - vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, washing soda, and borax are the basic ingredients in several different cleaners. Making your own cleaners is dirt cheap, easy, and quick. You can also make your own soap, which is a more difficult process,and laundry soap, which is fairly easy. Here are some websites with a bunch of recipes:
1, 2, 3
3) Plant more trees and other plants inside and outside - as you may know, plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
4) Buy local produce - did you know the average meal travels about 1500 miles to get to your plate? More often than not we have no idea where our food comes from, and more often than not our meats come from factory farms and other farms that highly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. When you buy locally, you know from who and where the produce is coming from, and you're supporting local farmers.
5) If possible, plant your own garden - it's hard work, but it's very rewarding and fun. Do some research on the type of soil you're working with and ways to improve fertility, also so you know what types of produce will grow best in your soil. Make a blue-print of what you want your garden to look like, and plan ahead so you don't plant too much or too little of one crop.
6) Fuel alternatives - this could be difficult considering alternatives can get pretty pricey and hard to keep up with. Corn stoves are awesome alternatives for furnaces. We had one in our basement that hooked up to the duct work that the furnace hooks up to. You literally burn corn kernels. It kept our floors and walls so warm, but the price of corn has sky rocketed for numerous reasons; now it's cheaper to run the furnace. There are also biofuels such as ethanol, methanol, and algae. Yes, algae. Research!
7) Air dry your laundry when it's warm - like I said earlier, heating basically anything requires burning fossil fuels, including laundry dryers. Hanging your clothes outside makes them smell like summer and costs nothing! Also, wash your clothes in cold water. Seriously! It's cheaper in more ways than one.
8) Push mower instead of gas mower - lawn mowers are EXTREMELY inefficient. Extremely. Or get goats!
9) Leave your leaves - what on Earth is the point of leaf-blowing and leaf pickup? I really don't get it. Leaves provide nutrients, like carbon, to the soil that could increase soil quality. Like lawn mowers, leaf blowers are super inefficient. And much more pointless. And leaves make your lawn pretty!
1, 2, 3
3) Plant more trees and other plants inside and outside - as you may know, plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
4) Buy local produce - did you know the average meal travels about 1500 miles to get to your plate? More often than not we have no idea where our food comes from, and more often than not our meats come from factory farms and other farms that highly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. When you buy locally, you know from who and where the produce is coming from, and you're supporting local farmers.
5) If possible, plant your own garden - it's hard work, but it's very rewarding and fun. Do some research on the type of soil you're working with and ways to improve fertility, also so you know what types of produce will grow best in your soil. Make a blue-print of what you want your garden to look like, and plan ahead so you don't plant too much or too little of one crop.
6) Fuel alternatives - this could be difficult considering alternatives can get pretty pricey and hard to keep up with. Corn stoves are awesome alternatives for furnaces. We had one in our basement that hooked up to the duct work that the furnace hooks up to. You literally burn corn kernels. It kept our floors and walls so warm, but the price of corn has sky rocketed for numerous reasons; now it's cheaper to run the furnace. There are also biofuels such as ethanol, methanol, and algae. Yes, algae. Research!
7) Air dry your laundry when it's warm - like I said earlier, heating basically anything requires burning fossil fuels, including laundry dryers. Hanging your clothes outside makes them smell like summer and costs nothing! Also, wash your clothes in cold water. Seriously! It's cheaper in more ways than one.
8) Push mower instead of gas mower - lawn mowers are EXTREMELY inefficient. Extremely. Or get goats!
9) Leave your leaves - what on Earth is the point of leaf-blowing and leaf pickup? I really don't get it. Leaves provide nutrients, like carbon, to the soil that could increase soil quality. Like lawn mowers, leaf blowers are super inefficient. And much more pointless. And leaves make your lawn pretty!
Alrighty, there are some things that you could do in your every day lives that could bring down your contribution to air pollution. Remember: the longer we put these types of issues at the end of our agendas, the worse things'll be later. Love your Mother.
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