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Pollution prevention and climate change or global warming are complex subjects requiring answers from the scientific community, the political community, and the economic community.
The primary pollutants today causing climate change are carbon dioxide emissions.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. In other words, it is a contributor to the greenhouse effect. Wikipedia defines the greenhouse effect as "the process in which the emission of infrared radiation by the atmosphere warms a planet's surface."

Other greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, ozone, and water vapor. Of these, methane is the most potent. It is about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. However, carbon dioxide is 220 times more prevalent than methane.

In 1960 atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide were measured at 305ppm (parts per million). Today they are measured at 385 ppm. (sydney.indymedia.org, October, 18, 2007)

Three major contributors to increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are: fossil fuel burning, deforestation, and cement production.

Methane emissions sources are landfills, mines, natural gas lines, fossil fuel production, rice paddies, wetlands, livestock, and irrigated crops.

The Natural Resources Defense Council states that coal-burning power plants in the United States produce about 2.5 billion tons of carbon emissions annually. U.S. automobiles produce an additional 1.5 billion tons.

The greenhouse effect and the acidification of our ocean's waters have combined to produce climate changes and polar ice cap melting. Scientists and meteorologists have observed global temperature rising over the last fifty years with the greatest increases being in the years since 1990. The Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology has observed the polar ice caps decreasing in size at a rate far faster than predicted.

As the earth become warmer, the oceans become warmer. The result of this will be many fold. Some predicted consequences are: increased severity of hurricanes, coastal flooding, loss of habitat to many arctic animals, danger to coral reefs, shellfish and other fish which are part of the eco-system of a reef, and inland, forest fires and droughts.

Currently the United States hold the onerous title of having the worst carbon footprint. But China is moving in as a close second. China has said that they will not make changes to decrease their carbon emissions until the United States does something about theirs.

The United States is responding to the problem. The Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, S.2191, is moving through Congress and is the strongest bill to address global warming thus far.

Pollution and global warming are part of the political conversation today. The question is no longer if we should do something about it, but what we should do about it.

Private citizens can decrease pollution and decrease carbons emissions by lowering their electrical and fossil fuel usage. Even small changes by many people can make vast improvements. Until our governments and economics experts can decide what we should do as a nation, it will be up to individuals to make good decisions and reduce pollutants that add to global warming.

Learn more about this author, Elizabeth Wordsmith.
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