Dear future President

     Air pollution is definitely a problem that pretty much the entire world is facing. It is also one of the causes of global warming, which leads to rising sea levels and more natural disasters. It‘s a huge issue that we have discussed in my earth science class many times, but I’ve seen it in other places such as in numerous science articles and shows. Even though most of the world knows about it, I don’t think that we are doing enough to stop it.

     Air pollution is quite a big deal as it causes major health problems such as aggravated asthma, difficulty breathing, future cardiovascular problems, and can even cause premature death. But these are only a few of the many difficulties that air pollution presents. The World Health Organization also said that air pollution has become the single biggest environmental health risk, causing 1 in 8 deaths. In addition, scientists also think that air pollution is the reason for inflammation in the heart which leads to chronic problems or a heart attack. Another report from the World Health Organization (WHO) says that 7 million people worldwide die every year to due stroke, heart disease, and cancer. Each one of the many issues above can all be caused by the same thing, pollution. Air pollution to be exact. It isn’t something that we can just overlook as we can clearly see that the consequences can be devastating. That is why, future president, I believe we should take a stand to fight against air pollution.

     Air pollution is affecting about 47% of Americans or about 14 million Americans, and each one of these Americans is at risk for catching a terrible sickness. Air pollution isn’t anything that will go away over time though. This year, the finding of a, ”great increase in ozone pollution is of great concern,” as said by Dr. Norman Edelman, a professor of preventive and internal medicine at Stony Brook University. This means that if we don’t do anything, the situation of air pollution can grow to an even more dangerous scale. With no near end in sight, we should take action to stop it now before it gets any worse.

    Future president, I ask of you to please act quickly before the air pollution becomes too great for us to handle. This issue will continue to affect us and the future generation as well. And if this continues, this might go on forever. The United States gets 84% of all of its energy from fossil fuels. That is over half of all our energy! Since fossil fuels are one of the main contributors to air pollution, there is is an unhealthy level of pollution is certain areas. One of those places is California. The 5 worst air polluted communities were all found in California with Los Angeles-Long Beach having the highest ozone levels. California is also the biggest state in the US at a total population of 38.8 million people in 2014! With all those people at risk, it really shows how dangerous air pollution can be.

     One way we can help stop it is by converting to green and renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy, and hydroelectric energy for example. These energy sources won’t be contributing as much air pollution as the ones we use today. If we can gradually replace our current energy sources with green ones, the situation can become better! So, for the sake of us and the future generation, please take a stand to fight against air pollution

Thank you for doing what is best for our country

-Wesley H.

Sources Used:

Jaslow, Ryan. "Air Pollution a Top Global Killer, Warns World Health Organization." CBS News. CBS Interactive, 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 08 Nov. 2016.

Roppolo, Michael. "Air Pollution Dangerously High for Almost Half of U.S., American Lung Association Reports." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 30 Apr. 2014. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.