Persuasive Speech: We Must Control Air Pollution

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Summary

The topic of air pollution is often overlooked, but it can have serious consequences for our health and the environment. This is especially true for those with sensitivities like asthma, the elderly, and athletes. There are many types of air pollution, including ozone, acid rain, carbon monoxide, and toxic air contaminants. The utility sector is a major contributor to pollution, with power plants from before the 1977 Clean Air Act still emitting high levels of pollutants. These pollutants can travel for hundreds of miles, causing damage to forests and bodies of water. Mercury is a particularly harmful pollutant that can damage the nervous system and affect reproduction and prenatal development. Finally, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane contribute to the greenhouse effect, which traps heat in our atmosphere.

Table of Content

Today, attention is directed towards the often overlooked yet constantly presumed existence of air. However, the air we breathe contains harmful pollutants that can put our health at risk. Certain groups, such as asthma sufferers, senior citizens, and athletes, are particularly vulnerable to high levels of air pollution. Different types of air pollution include ozone, acid rain, carbon monoxide, and toxic air contaminants. Ozone is formed when hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide react in the presence of sunlight.

Acid rain deposits are found in fossil fuels released by utility and industrial sources. Power plants that were built before the 1977 Clean Air Act came into effect were exempted and were supposed to be gradually eliminated. However, many of these plants still operate today, emitting much more pollution than modern plants. The utility sector is accountable for 97% of sulfur dioxide, which leads to acid rain and haze, 85% of nitrogen oxide, which causes ozone smog, and 99% of toxic mercury pollution.

During their journey of hundreds of miles, weather systems have the ability to transport pollutants in the atmosphere. This transportation can cause various forms of damage, including depletion of plant nutrients such as calcium and magnesium. As a result, trees might experience mortality and forests can be severely affected. Acid deposits from these weather systems also contaminate lakes and streams, leading to a decline in fish production. It is important to note that mercury is another pollutant that poses a threat to both humans and wildlife.

Coal-burning power plants release this substance into the air and water, resulting in harm to the nervous system and adverse effects on reproduction and prenatal development. Moreover, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane absorb energy from the Earth and subsequently emit it back as heat into the atmosphere, a phenomenon referred to as the greenhouse effect.

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