A lot of public confusion exists over this matter because there is a deliberate effort by some politicians and others to use the term "pollution" to boost their particular bandwagons, notably the supposed need to reduce CO2 emissions which they say causes global warming and climate change and this is assumed to be undesirable.

What actually are we talking about by the term "pollution".

A broad definition of "pollution" is anything unwanted or found in the environment that is, or could be harmful, or undesirable, to the welfare of mankind.

Undoubtedly, pollution by definition, is a bad thing and should be eliminated as much as possible, if it is possible.

For example, we can do nothing about the poisonous gases and ash belched forth during a volcanic eruption but there is much that we can do about our smoggy cities that have man-made pollution of the atmosphere. Smoggy cities represent a bad micro-climate. They are a health hazard to the inhabitants and detract from tourism.

Much is being done and has been done about this problem and it has nothing to do with CO2 gas.

The great wealth of the civilized world is due to the burning of carbon-based fuels, especially coal, natural gas, petroleum and wood. This liberates vast quantities of CO2 and water vapor into the atmosphere, which I shall soon explain is perfectly harmless, actually beneficial to the environment.

For example, the uncontrolled burning of coal and wood, besides producing CO2 and water vapor, releases many nasty components such as SO2 and sulphuric acid (from pyrite inclusions in coal) which causes acid rain that corrodes building stones and destroys vegetation. Other poisonous gases are nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. Mineral impurities present produce ash and particulate matter which are the prime cause of a smoggy atmosphere. Smoke wafting from a log cabin in the forest is a delight to see but this type of domestic cooking and heating in a city is a disaster in the making.

So what to do about it? Readers of Sherlock Holmes detective novels may get the impression of London city being engulfed in perpetual smog, which it once was, but today the air quality is far better than what it was many years ago. A sensible Clean Air Act was enacted banning the domestic burning of coal and wood in the city. A switch was made to cleaner fuels including gas and oil products, and electricity for cooking and heating. Now many large cities where smog was a problem have

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