This is a term paper on AIR pollution. It has some causes and effects, etc. It mainly has to do with how and why the pollution is occurring.

Essay by unclesam132Junior High, 8th gradeA+, January 2004

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Air pollution is one of the most devastating forms of pollution. It occurs almost everywhere on Earth, especially in large cities. It harms people by causing breathing problems and sicknesses like cancer. Many plants, animals, and their habitats are damaged by air pollution. Many pollutants do not disappear from Earth's atmosphere, returning as acid rain and snow. CFCs, or chlorofluorocarbons, destroy the ozone, allowing in more of the sun's dangerous radiation. Moreover, our atmosphere is becoming an increasingly better insulator, as it prevents heat from escaping into space. This is leading to a rise in average global temperatures. Countless scientist believe that global warming will have an influence on sea level, world food supply, tropical diseases, and result in more extreme weather.

Air pollution is produced in many ways. The most common way is by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, to power cars and heat homes.

Between 1900 and 1970, nitrous oxide emissions increased by 690 percent as a result of automobile expansion. When incompletely burned, these chemicals can cause great harm to the environment. There are also other ways pollutants are produced. Garbage that is decomposing in landfills gives off methane gas. Natural causes can also cause air pollution. For instance, forest fires can emit particulates that cause acid rain. Sulfur dioxide may be discharged from a volcano's eruption. If the eruption is large enough, the sky in the surrounding area can become covered in ash particles, causing vast darkness. Contrary to man-made pollutants, natural pollutants do not remain in the atmosphere for long.

In the majority of cases, the pollutants are confined in a small area surrounding a polluted area such as a city or a factory. If the pollutants were evenly distributed, they would be barely noticeable. The land shape...