Problem Statement
Over the last few decades, emissions from gas engines have contributed greatly to air pollution. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has found the short-term pollutants caused by vehicular emissions will constitute 20% of the predicted average global warming by 2050. Without adequate regulation, these emissions could advance global warming and air pollution, increasing the risk of respiratory ailments for residents of highly populated areas.
Justification
Over the last few decades, emissions from gas engines has contributed greatly to air pollution. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has found the short-term pollutants caused by vehicular emissions will constitute 20% of the predicted average global warming by 2050 (Franco, 2008). Without adequate regulation, these emissions could advance global warming and air pollution, increasing the risk of respiratory ailments for residents of highly populated areas.
The emissions of smaller combustion engines are particularly dangerous. Studies have shown that non-road engines in machines like lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and tractors contribute to the amount of pollutants in the air as much as cars do, without nearly as much regulation ("Small Non-Road Engines," n.d.). Realizing the significance these machines have in gas emission, some agencies have begun to roll out new mandates, though they’re either on too small of a scale or incredibly expensive. California, for example vowed to reduce the emissions of small engines by 85% in the near future by providing landscaping crews with the funds necessary to purchase newer, cleaner machines (Gorn, 2017).
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However, these efforts are far too expensive and require a lot of unnecessary work on the part of both the crews and the Californian government. On the other hand, a more effective way to combat the emission of smaller engines would be scrubbers – filters that can be attached to the machine’s exhaust to reduce the amount of pollutants allowed into the atmosphere. Scrubbers are a better way of reducing emissions as they are more flexible and budget-friendly compared to other alternatives.
With all of these unfiltered internal combustion engines on the market, several issues arise that lead to impacts to our worlds ecosystem, which includes the impact on the marine life and on large industrial cities. Without any regulations on small engines and no filter on the emissions produced on all types of vehicles, the chances of phenomenon like acid rain, smog, and "Dead Zones" in the marine ecosystems will occur more often.
The Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico, where the levels of CO2 are already affecting the marine life and commercial fishing.
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With CO2 having the ability to dissolve into water 200 times easier than oxygen, it allows for plant life in the oceans to flourish with the large amount of CO2 used during photosynthesis. However, in "Dead Zones," levels of CO2 become too high for the animals in the water to breathe in, since they take in oxygen. In extreme cases, it can suffocate the fish and lead to the death of the animals in the water. With the rise in CO2 levels, these Dead Zones can become a common occurrence, and it will become more difficult for commercial fishers to catch enough fish to sustain their companies, and provide food for the markets who might live off of the food they catch from the water.
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On the other hand, CO2 isn't the only thing people need to worry about. With acid rain becoming a common occurrence in countries like China, India, and in other low-regulated emission
References
Farr, H. (n.d.). Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). Retrieved from http://www.aqmd.gov/home/regulations/compliance/vocs
Franco, J. (2008, September 29). NOAA: Vehicular Emissions to Contribute to Global Warming in Latter 21st Century. World Refining & Fuels Today. Retrieved August 17, 2017, from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=tel_k_cmsmb&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE|A187416465&asid=eccd4b5a387f893a5c86b21a87ed1c5f
Small Non-Road Engines. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bordercenter.org/chem/smallengines.htm
Franco, J. (2008, September 29). NOAA: Vehicular Emissions to Contribute to Global Warming in Latter 21st Century. World Refining & Fuels Today. Retrieved August 17, 2017, from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=tel_k_cmsmb&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE|A187416465&asid=eccd4b5a387f893a5c86b21a87ed1c5f
Small Non-Road Engines. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bordercenter.org/chem/smallengines.htm