Smog isn’t the prettiest word, but then it’s not a very pretty thing to begin with. As a big city pollutant, smog can be found in just about any urban setting and even someone in rural environments can be introduced to a lot of pollutants. While factories and plants contribute a large portion to air pollution, gasoline powered cars are also a huge issue. This is why we see higher levels of smog pollution in big cities where a larger congregation of people are. While it’s not a problem that’s easily fixed, especially in today’s world and operations, it is something that can be prevented and controlled if done right.
What is Smog?
Smog is essentially a fog or haze in the air due to smoke and other atmospheric pollutants. In short, smog is some nasty stuff and in big city environments, it seems to spread like wild fire. Unfortunately, when smog is introduced to our breathable air, we’re accepting those harmful pollutants into our bodies. It’s not that any of us choose to breath in smog-laden air, it’s just unavoidable at times, depending on where you live. Smog emissions produced by cars come as a by-product from burning gasoline. I’m sure you’ve all seen a car that has a nasty dense trail of black smoke spurting out of the tailpipe. That’s when you know a car is producing a very unhealthy amount of smog.
Where is Smog the Worst?
Beijing, China
In recent years, air pollution has gotten so out of hand in Beijing that residents have been forced to wear masks while outside. Walking through the city, you can visibly see the smog in its thick, nasty glory.
Ahwaz, Iran
Being a city whose main production processes include oil, metals, and natural gases, it’s no wonder that Ahwaz is mostly associated with its dense levels of smog. Look at a picture of it and you might literally think there’s been a photo filter added, but no, that’s just the heavy smog.
Ulan Bator, Mongolia
Ulan Bator is one of the coldest capitals on the planet. Because of its notoriously cool weather, residents themselves produce up to 70% of the city’s smog alone through domestic coal and wood fireplaces. Talk about a catch 22.
Lahore, Pakistan
As Pakistan’s second largest city, Lahore is a bustling environment filled to the brim with smog-heavy air. There’s an obscenely high volume of road traffic, which is a big reason for the smog in the first place. That, trash incineration, and desert dust all comes together to make it hard to see very far ahead.
New Delhi, India
Within the last thirty years, New Delhi’s population has increased by almost 20 fold. With this rapid rise, the city has seen some rough times when it comes to smog. While the high population is a big problem, the city’s coal powered plants are the main problem here, contributing about 80% of the total air pollution.
Preventing Smog Emissions
It starts with each individual. For each car driven, there’s a certain amount of pollution being added to an environment’s air. Of course, with high populations in a given environment, there’s a higher amount of air pollution being created by cars alone. There are ways to keep your car’s smog emission levels down. Here’s a good checklist to make sure that you’re producing the smallest amount possible.
-Keep your car well-maintained
o This means that you should be going in for regular tune-ups and making sure that oils and other parts are being replaced as needed to keep the emission levels down.
-Trade in for a new car
o It’s no big secret that cars will eventually begin to produce more and more smog. Instead of keeping the clunker, trade in for a newer car that produces less smog.
-Get an Eco-friendly car
o With today’s auto technologies, we can all be driving very clean and efficient vehicles that will help decrease the overall amount of smog entering our environments. Consider purchasing a battery-powered car or a car that runs off of E-82.
