CARS: Contaminated-Air-Remediation Strategies

There are all kinds of ways to make air cleaner – everything from the simple to the substantial and from the subliminal to the sensational.

From an earlier post – “Air pollution: The enormity of it all,” I listed various pollution sources. Repeating those here, these are:

• Agricultural
• Commercial (Business)
• Construction (and Demolition)
• Energy Production
• Industrial (and Dredging, Drilling, Excavating and Mining)
• Natural
• Residential
• Transportation
• Other

Strategies to reduce emissions from transportation have already been covered in very thorough detail as have energy-production-emissions-reduction strategies. (See: “Emissions reduction that works” and others).

For those covered in less thorough detail or not at all, it’s high time those sectors receive their due.

In agriculture, for instance, there are pollution-producing farm- or ranch-related activities.

Operation of on-farm equipment is but one, especially equipment like tractors, harvesters, etc. that rely on the use of fossil fuels. The same would be true regarding energy production, construction/demolition, industrial operations, etc.

For agriculture, replacing diesel pumps with electric pumps is far and away the most effective method of reducing on-farm emissions where pump use is concerned.

No connection to the electric grid? No problem.

Solar panel or wind-turbine (where applicable) installations can suffice quite nicely. Automatic farming equipment and implements that are able to burn fuel more cleanly and efficiently to cut down on harmful emissions is also quite helpful. And finding ways to prevent the kicking up of dust can go a long way toward helping improve air quality. Earth-friendly farm-byproduct disposal methods like in chipping or shredding capability instead of burning it in open-fields – prohibited in California – or in methane recovery and corresponding animal waste disposal (again, where applicable), all helps.

In commercial operations, any time driving in connection with respective operations can be reduced, corresponding air pollution coming from such can also be lowered. Barring this, by business embracing more sustainable forms of transportation such as electric/gas hybrid or clean-fuel or emissions-free vehicles, is a big plus. The same could be said for the construction and demolition trades.

For restaurants that rely on wood-burning open-pit grills with which to prepare food, if instead of burning wood for cooking, utilizing natural gas or electricity to do the same also helps cut emissions.

And last, but by no means least, is the pollution contribution coming from the residential sector. Even though discussed to some extent in: “Want a smaller carbon footprint? Think ‘inside’ the box,” more on the matter can be mentioned still.

Probably the biggest contributor to home-produced air pollution is outdoor pit and/or indoor fireplace use. Making such much more efficient when it comes to combustion of corresponding fuel sources can go far and do much to reduce negative environmental impact.

Use of solvents and cleaners in the home that either do not add or contribute minimally to air pollution can be chosen over such that are more environmentally harmful. Also residential upgrading techniques as in improving home insulation or employing ways to cut energy losses can be of tremendous environmental benefit. And when it comes to making choices in terms of meeting individual transportation needs opting for sustainable solutions such as in riding a bike, walking or taking public transportation where possible or in choosing where one lives, can provide enormous gains in terms of having a positive environmental impact.

There are, doubtless, more ways to remove contaminants from the air than what was covered here. But this “contaminated-air-remediation strategies” discussion should be of benefit even if all it does is prompt readers to be more mindful of pollution’s contributory causes and mitigation-wise, to be apprised of what’s available to enable one to reduce one’s individual contribution to pollution.

– Alan Kandel