Mitigation Strategies and Solutions

Mitigation Strategies and Solutions

Stephen C. Jeffery

Axia College University of Phoenix

For my mitigation strategy I would like to discuss the problems of atmospheric pollution and some steps that can be taken, and are being taken, to fix these problems. To understand the problem of atmospheric pollution it is important to understand just what atmospheric pollution is. I will show examples of how it is caused and what impacts it has on the environment. In addition I will outline a plan as to how the pollution of the atmosphere can be slowed down, or even reversed. Finally I will give examples and information on how everyone from individuals to governments and industries can do their part.

The composition of the earth’s natural atmosphere is 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and .9 percent argon. The other 0.1 percent of atmosphere consists of trace gasses such as carbon dioxide, neon, helium, methane, and water vapor. Most pollutants are considered trace gases and do not greatly alter the overall composition of the atmosphere. Even at extremely low levels, however, gaseous pollutants can have serious health and environmental consequences. A list of the more key gaseous contaminants includes: Carbon monoxide (CO), which is formed when carbon based substances, such as gas, coal etc., are burned without the proper air supply. When inhaled, the health effects of CO include headaches, respiratory illness, and in extremely high doses can cause death from asphyxiation. Chlorofluorocarbons, (CFCs), were used in the past for refrigeration, cleaning solutions, and in aerosol cans. The ban on use of CFC’s was initiated under the 1987 Montreal Protocol because of its impact on the ozone layer. The long atmospheric lifetime of CFC’s ranges from 55 to 140 year, CFC’s are especially damaging to the upper atmosphere due to their regenerative capabilities. Nitrogen oxides, (NOx), are a combination of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Over half of...