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Pollutants have been in the air for as long as there has been air. The problem arises when the levels become so high as to cause health problems in humans or animals, or when they begin to cause property or environmental damage. Pollutants are gases, fumes, dust and even odors in amounts that can cause harm.

Usually the earth's atmosphere filters them out and they become harmless. Many of these pollutants, like carbon dioxide, are found naturally within our environment. With the industrial revolution, however, over the last 2000 years they become so prolific that they have caused many different problems. Currently, the atmosphere simply does not have the power to overcome the massive amounts of material in the air which means we must have pollution control now.

One of the most abundant types of air pollution is carbon dioxide. Coal combustion is a major factor behind this, as carbon dioxide is a product when coal is turned into energy. Exhaust from vehicles is one the biggest issues involving air pollution. Tobacco smoke and methane gas are also affecting the quality of our air.

Aside from the fact that these problems can lead to acid rain and (in the case of some large cities) air that can cause major defects in living things if breathed, there is also the theory that some of these greenhouse gases are causing the temperature of the earth to increase. This, of course, is called the Greenhouse Effect. The theory, in simplicity, states that carbon dioxide and a multitude of other, less prominent greenhouse gases in the air, are getting trapped into our ozone layer.

The greenhouse gases are, in turn, are not allowing the sun's heat to escape into the outer atmosphere, which is causing the entire earth to become steadily warmer. There are many reasons why this is considered a bad effect, one of which is that the polar ice caps could begin melting. If they do, more water will flood into the ocean and eventually, the ocean could take over the land, which, in case you haven't noticed, we all live on.

This would be bad. Another issue is simply that a higher temperature could throw off sensitive ecosystems. All ecosystems, including our own, are in a delicate balance with one another. If even one plant becomes extinct because of this it could theoretically cause many other species (even the human species) to die out. I would have to say that might be a negative outcome.

There is only one way to avoid any of these problems, and that is prevention. We must exercise pollution control to cut down on the pollution that we put into the air that we breathe. By finding alternative energy usage, we can use less coal, which will put less carbon dioxide in the air. We also need to require car manufacturers to make cars that produce less exhaust, as this is one of the biggest causes of air pollution. With so many drivers on the roads, to reduce the exhaust each car produces by even a tenth, the effect it would have on the environment would be enormous.

Each person has to do their own part as well in pollution control. Simply buying a long lasting, energy saving light bulb, or turning the heater down a few degrees, can make such a difference if everyone participates. We all live here, so we should all have a helping hand in making sure we can stay here.