Pollution

The Clean Air Act is a piece of legislation that is designed to improve the health of every American citizen through regulation of pollution and strict attention to air quality. Pelican Refining Company LLC, a Texas-based oil company operating in Louisiana, was found to be in violation of the Act and received its sentencing this month - a fine of $12 million for purposely causing the violations and attempting to cover up its wrongdoing.

The cost, a $10 million fine for criminal wrongdoing and an additional $2 million to be spent on community service-based environmental improvements, is the largest of its kind in Louisiana and is a good reminder that though much progress has been made in keeping the air clean and healthy, there is always room for improvement.

While the majority of companies take steps to comply with regulations, the upcoming tightening restrictions on the Clean Air Act may reveal that companies that value profits over public safety will do everything they can to avoid reducing their emissions at the expense of their bottom line.

Rather than waiting for those corporations to fall in line, protect your family from harmful pollutants now by investing in a medical-grade air purifier to keep the air in your home fresh and healthy.

After hearing the words "air pollution," the majority of people will jump immediately to thinking about factories, coal, oil and cars. But there are many different kinds of air pollution, and recent findings have shown that wood smoke is a major contributor of airborne toxins.

It may be hard to believe that campfires could contribute significantly to air pollution, but old-fashioned wood-burning stoves and furnaces, along with fireplaces and any other wood-burning heater, all contribute greatly to air pollution, not in the least because many of these apparatuses predate the kind of filter they should be equipped with.

The real problem comes from the fact that, while industry emissions are closely controlled, the soot particles from private homes are not, so when the winter comes around and the wood starts burning, it can be difficult to even walk outside.

If you want to protect your home this winter, consider investing in a medical-grade air purifier. With powerful filters that remove up to 99.5 percent of airborne toxins, you can breathe easy knowing the air in your home is clean and healthy.

Pollution in India has been a problem ever since the country went through a major industrial revolution following its independence from Britain. Cities like Ludhiana in Punjab have gotten so bad in this regard that the majority of flights from the area are unable to take off for days at a time. Recently, a group of international beauty queens visited the city, and the common complaint about the city was the state of the air.

Punjab Agricultural University is located a few miles away from the city proper and has recently become an extremely popular place for walking as a result of the city's high pollution. It has become so popular, in fact, that the university began requiring permits from those on the campus. Still, despite the permit fee, many city dwellers are paying it happily and travel for miles for the opportunity to take a walk and clear their lungs of the dirty city air.

This clamor for clean air is a strong indicator of the difference it makes not only to one's energy, but also health. If you want to make a similar stand for your health and energy level, consider investing in a medical-grade air purifier and fill your home with clean, fresh air.

This week, air pollution in China became a national concern as heavy smog in Beijing grounded hundreds of flights due to visibility issues. The U.S. Embassy in China now routinely takes samples and studies of the air quality for study, and the information is available through their Twitter feed. Their readings during the worst of this smog crisis were literally so high that the chart the American EPA uses to classify pollution-related health risks didn't have a rating high enough.

In the meantime, Chinese government readings were significantly lower due to the fact that they have created a different scale that ignores many of the pollution-causing particles and only measures certain pollutants. This allows their readings to be significantly lower.

While the average Chinese citizen has no access to Twitter, the embassy's readings have been reposted in so many places that the news was received by the public and has been the cause of a rising online protest.

If nothing else, this event shows that all forms of pollutants are dangerous, regardless of context. If you want to protect your family, whether traveling overseas or just in your own home, invest in a medical-grade air purifier and keep the air in your home fresh, clean and healthy.

Residents of Beijing, China, have had it worse than Los Angelenos do when it comes to dealing with smog. Images from this major city are often full of members of the public wandering the streets with gas masks over their faces.

The 2008 Olympics were a positive step for the city, and to appeal to the world audience and dignitaries, China took many emergency measures to clean the air in and around the city. This improvement lasted for a short time after the games, but it seems the city has since taken a turn for the worse, as smog became so heavy recently that Beijing's International Airport had to cancel and ground hundreds of flights until the smog cleared four days later.

U.S. pollution measurements are measured on a scale of 500, where the higher number indicates the worst air quality. During the worst part of the smog issue, readings in Beijing were literally greater than the index allowed for.

Though the smog has lifted and the air is now listed at a moderate rating, if you or someone you know plans to make an extended trip to Beijing anytime soon, it may be a good idea to send them with an IQAir HealthPro Plus air purifier to protect their health during their travels.

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recently released a report that details the effects of the large number of electricity-producing power plants in North America. Specifically, the report focuses on six of the most dangerous and damaging toxins they release into the air.

The purpose of this report is to illustrate the dangers of mankind's reliance on fossil fuels, and some of the conclusions might just succeed in that regard. According to the report, fossil fuel-burning power plants are responsible for the majority of all pollutants that contribute to smog, climate change and even asthma. These plants are single-handedly responsible for 71 percent of reported sulfur dioxide emissions, a toxin that is a major component of acid rain.

The news from the report isn't all bad, as there are indications that positive steps have been taken in the past few years to reduce emissions while maintaining power output. Still, the numbers can be alarming.

Until the global society finds and implements a clean energy solution, it's unlikely anyone will be able to escape the dangers of these emissions. If you want to avoid as many of these toxins as possible, consider investing in a medical-grade air purifier to keep the air in your home fresh and clean.

There was a brief period of hope for environmentalists during the worst of the recession, when carbon emissions fell for the first time since scientists began their scrutiny. The 7 percent drop during 2009 was not to be continued, however, as findings about the 2010 carbon emissions indicate a rise of 5.9 percent.

Some experts believe this to be the largest single increase in carbon emissions since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Since then, the amount of carbon forced into the atmosphere has risen steadily, but such a large jump within a single year has some people worried - and perhaps rightfully so.

Carbon emissions are a large culprit for the global warming phenomenon, and the constant increase may make repairing the planet's ecosystem a near impossibility. Attempts to change the emission guidelines have been consistently met with opposition from those concerned with the potential cost of the change.

Still, while politicians debate, carbon continues to increase. To ensure that your home remains free of these pollutants, invest in a medical-grade air purifier. The filtering technology in these powerful purifiers can keep the air in your home or office fresher than it has been in years, and help protect you from the effects of rising emissions indoors.

Deciding on a way to reduce pollution levels has been a major debate between those who take great stock in the environment and those who hold stock. The economic implications of reducing air pollution and tightening air laws has always been one of the main reasons not to make huge changes all at once.

Now, with the recently proposed tightening of restrictions, one of the major arguments against the change is that the cost of implementing such a thing is a poor decision, especially in the face of the recession.

Now, however, according to statistics by the EPA, many of those claims regarding the economic instability these changes would cause are shortsighted and ultimately incorrect. Within four years, the cross-state air pollution rules are projected to avoid nearly 34,000 deaths and could save $120 billion in healthcare costs, which would more than offset the projected $800 million cost of implementing the rule.

Still, the debate continues, as those concerned for the environment butt heads with those concerned for the economy. If you, like many, feel like you want cleaner air sooner than the debates will allow, consider investing in a medical-grade air purifier to remove the majority of toxins from the air in your home, office or recreational space.

While there has been much debate over the newly proposed changes to the regulation of pollution, energy consumption may no longer be part of the argument. When the proposals were first put forth, many opponents of the changes cited concerns that further reducing the allowable pollution would not only hurt the economy, but also cause problems with energy consumption.

This defense against the proposed tightening regulations was based on the idea that the machines and materials needed to implement the change would be almost useless because the increased energy consumption would be worse in the long run than putting off pollution reduction.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation study shows that the technologies already exist to create a manageable solution to this objection. This NERC announcement has taken away one of the main arguments standing in the way of clean air reform.

Still, there is much debate and the proposed changes aren't likely to take effect immediately. If you're concerned about the health of your family, invest in a medical-grade air purifier. They can remove up to 99.5 percent of airborne toxins, and keep those breathing inside your home as healthy as possible.

Bronchitis is an issue in which the passage to the lungs becomes inflamed and tight, allowing less air than usual to pass through. This breathing issue isn't fun for anyone, though there are treatments. Still, it can be especially difficult for young sufferers.

A recent international study seems to show that the excessive presence of nitrogen oxides in the air due to air pollution has made young children more susceptible to bronchitis. Lower respiratory problems have been held accountable for nearly 20 percent of the deaths in those less than 5 years old.

This study goes on to show that the current accepted level of nitrogen oxide that's considered safe may not be so for those with developing respiratory systems. The nine-year study showed that the level of pollution may end up increasing young children's chance and frequency of developing acute bronchitis.

If you have children and wish to protect your family from these harmful toxins in the air, consider investing in a medical-grade air purifier. The models we sell at FreshAirPro can remove up to 99.5 percent of airborne pollutants that pose a risk to your family.