The Effects of Pollution in the United States

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The Effects of Pollution in the United States

The United States is arguably the epitome of civilization in contemporary society. Unfortunately, this elevated status is accompanied with a multiplicity of demerits central among them being pollution. Owing to their highly industrialized society and the ease of accessibility to automobiles, the US retains its leadership baton in air pollution. These benefits of modernization lead to particulate pollution and ozone depletion respectively. Pollution has significantly reduced the life expectancy of the citizens of the US. A 20% increase in hospital admissions has been attributed to lung and heart illnesses related to pollution. Nonetheless, the US government has taken tangible steps towards minimizing this fatal factor. It is true to posit that US pollution crisis can be traced to its economic prosperity.

Water pollution exacerbated with the onset of the Industrial Revolution. The US is a key proponent and beneficiary of this revolution. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio ruptured into flames owing to the chemical waste being released into its waters. The event was a milestone showing the negative implications that industrial pollution had on the country’s natural resources. In response, a legislative policy, the Water Act of 1972 was enacted (Davies, Clarence, & Mazurek 56). Though the legislation was strengthened in the ensuing decades, its efficacy has been hindered by rogue industries, about 70%, who still release their industrial wastes into water bodies contravening their permits. The US is technologically advanced enabling it to carry out offshore oil mining and subsequently take it on specialized ships. Regardless of the precautions taken, there have been several cases of oil spills along the US coast. The most enduring example is Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989, where about eleven million gallons of unrefined oil was dumped into the sea off the coast of Alaska.

The US’s high population is directly related to the increase in land and air pollution. The proliferation of landfills robbing landscapes of its esthetic value is attributed to the citizens’ negative consumption habits. The average American throws away materials that he can find a secondary use for simply because it is relatively cheap. Over 47% of the US population lives in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Air pollution is by far the most lethal form of pollution as it is linked to the other major forms of global degradation. When material waste decomposes, it removes nitric acid, some water contaminants take gaseous form when heated by the sun, and air is the medium for noise pollution (Levinson 89). Particulate pollutants merge with moisture in the air condensing and falling as acid rain or in a milder form. This ability has been instrumental in alteration of the US ecosystems concomitantly endangering biodiversity. It is imperative for the US to tighten its stand on air pollution. However, the US openly refused to ratify the Kyoto protocol, as they would not compromise its economic growth objectives. As air pollution does not recognize any territorial boundary, curtailing its effects demands global cooperation. Nonetheless, the Clean Air Act promulgated in 1970 has reduced air pollution locally by over 41% by 2010 (Davies, Clarence, & Mazurek 75).

The pollution in the US is on the decrease due to increased emphasis on environmental sustainability. The high pollution in the United States can be attributed to the technological and industrial progress that characterizes civilized societies. Pollution in the US has led to development on new strains of diseases like aggravated asthma. The legislative policies enacted have been effective in reducing pollution. Nonetheless, capitalistic industries often circumvent the system to optimize profits. A more stringent approach has to be taken to reduce pollution in the US.

Works Cited

Davies, J. Clarence, and Jan Mazurek. Pollution Control in United States: Evaluating the System. Routledge, 2014. Print.

Levinson, Arik. Technology, international trade, and pollution from US manufacturing. No. w13616. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2007. Print.