Transcript Air Pollution - University of Connecticut

Air Pollution
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Types of Air Pollution
• Smog
• Acid rain
• Fossil fuel exhaust
Photo credit: Peter Essick, National Geographic
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What Makes Up Air Pollution?
• Air pollution is made up of solid particles
and chemicals. Natural processes
impacting the atmosphere include
volcanoes, biological decay, and dust
storms. Plants, trees, and grass release
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such
as methane, into the air.
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Human-made Air Pollution
• Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxides. The largest source of
human-made pollution is the burning of
fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and gas, in
our homes, factories, and cars.
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Air Pollution and Global Climate
Change
• Some types of air pollution (increase in
green house gases) cause global warming
to speed up.
• Others (aerosols) cause global warming to
slow down by creating a temporary cooling
effect for a few days or weeks.
Source: http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/pollution_climate_change.html
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Overall Impact of Air Pollutants
• Tiny aerosols cause about half as much
cooling as greenhouse gases cause
warming.
Source: http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/pollution_climate_change.html
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