Protect Our Parks

From the previous post, we’ve learnt that certain control strategies have been developed in the U.S. to curb air pollution, such as the federal law of the Clean Air Act (CAA), and there has also been evidence that air quality has improved over the years. While there has indeed been some long-term improvement, can we really say the same for the short-term?

Upon closer inspection of the two graphics that I’ve highlighted in my previous post, you can see that there has actually been an increase in the national air pollutant concentration averages and an increase in the number of unhealthy days among major U.S. cities. Funnily enough, this short-term drop in standards coincided with none other than the Trump administration taking charge of the country from 2017. In fact, there is a whole LIST of the Trump administration reversing environmental rules and affecting its national parks as a result. You can view the comprehensive list over here, compiled by the New York Times, and here, arranged in chronological order by the National Parks Conservation Association.

In fact, just last month, under President Trump’s Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth, the EPA announced its final rule to gut standards needed to reduce methane and other pollution from oil and gas development. Extensive scientific evidence has shown that methane, being a potent greenhouse gas, contributes heavily to climate change that is putting national parks and the wildlife and visitors at risk. Is this not taking a step backwards in the transition to clean energy and the fight against the climate crisis to protect the health of the environment and the people?

Hence, there is clear evidence that the Trump administration has undermined and weakened some of the important rules and standards that have been put in place by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve the country’s air quality. And yet He claims that he cares about the environment…

Well.. it sure doesn’t seem like it!

Till next time,
Irsyad

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References:

National Parks Conservation Association. 2020. Administration Guts Methane Rule, Allowing More Air Pollution To Harm National Parks And Communities. [online] Available at: <https://www.npca.org/articles/2631-administration-guts-methane-rule-allowing-more-air-pollution-to-harm>

National Parks Conservation Association. 2020. The Undoing Of Our Public Lands And National Parks. [online] Available at: <https://www.npca.org/articles/2171-the-undoing-of-our-public-lands-and-national-parks> [Accessed 12 September 2020].

National Parks Conservation Association. n.d. Trump Administration Seeks To Undermine Methane Rules. [online] Available at: <https://www.npca.org/advocacy/55-trump-administration-seeks-to-undermine-methane-rules>

Popovich, N., Albeck-Ripka, L. and Pierre-Louis, K., 2020. The Trump Administration Is Reversing 100 Environmental Rules. Here’S The Full List.. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks.html>

US EPA. n.d. Summary Of The Clean Air Act. [online] Available at: <https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-air-act>

We all know by now that ground-level ozone can be harmful to us and the environment. Therefore, you ought to wonder, is anything being done to mitigate the air pollution issues of the national parks in the U.S? And if so, how effective are they? Let’s take a look and find out!

The Clean Air Act
The battle against air pollution in the U.S. revolves around control strategies that are developed by state governments, where state implementation plans are submitted and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA is therefore responsible for ensuring that the law of the Clean Air Act (CAA) is obeyed.

The CAA is the comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Since 1970, its implementation and technological advancements have dramatically improved air quality in the U.S. The CAA also authorizes the EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and five other pollutants that are considered harmful to public health and the environment. Hence, the EPA will have to periodically review the standards through various processes, to ensure that adequate health and environmental protection is provided. More information on the process of reviewing the NAAQS can be found here.

Areas in the U.S. that do not meet the NAAQS are identified as Nonattainment Areas, and state, local and tribal agencies involved must therefore develop plans to reduce air pollution and attain the NAAQS. An example of such an area is the San Joaquin Valley, California, which is regarded as one of the most polluted areas in the nation where residents are frequently exposed to unsafe air due to the vehicles and the agriculture industry. As a result, parks in neighbouring states, like Sequoia and Kings Canyon Park, suffers from air pollution due to the pollution in San Joaquin Valley, despite being several hundred miles away.

There are many examples of the different ways in which the EPA monitors compliance of regulated operations pursuant to the CAA. For instance, the EPA’s Clean Air Act Mobile Sources Program ensures that vehicles and engines used in the U.S. are manufactured under the terms of an emission certificate of conformity issued by the EPA. Another example is the Wood Heater Compliance Monitoring Program, which ensures that residential wood heaters comply with applicable emission standards, by having manufacturers to participate in an EPA certification program and testing at an EPA accredited laboratory.

Has Air Quality Improved Over The Years?
According to the annual report, Our Nation’s Air, that summarizes the nation’s air quality status and trends, there have been significant improvements in the air quality in the U.S. across different categories. This one-page flyer is a good summary of the entire report, but I will still highlight the more significant ones below.

Furthermore, there has also been an improvement in air quality in the nonattainment areas over the years, as seen in the interactive maps here. Sullivan et al., (2018) also concluded that air pollution in the U.S. has decreased in response to policy informed by monitoring and research, which in turn provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

Till next time,
Irsyad

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References:

2019. Our Nation’s Air 2019. Our Nation’s Air. [online] United States Environmental Protection Agency. Available at: <https://gispub.epa.gov/air/trendsreport/2019/#nonattainment_areas>

National Parks Conservation Association, 2019. Polluted Parks: How America Is Failing To Protect Our National Parks, People And Planet From Air Pollution. [online] National Parks Conservation Association, pp.5-10. Available at: <https://npca.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/NPCAParksReport2019.pdf>

Sullivan, T., Driscoll, C., Beier, C., Burtraw, D., Fernandez, I., Galloway, J., Gay, D., Goodale, C., Likens, G., Lovett, G. and Watmough, S., 2018. Air pollution success stories in the United States: The value of long-term observations. Environmental Science & Policy, 84, pp.69-73.

US EPA. n.d. Managing Air Quality – Control Strategies To Achieve Air Pollution Reduction. [online] Available at: <https://www.epa.gov/air-quality-management-process/managing-air-quality-control-strategies-achieve-air-pollution#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20control,submitted%20and%20approved%20by%20EPA.>

US EPA. n.d. Summary Of The Clean Air Act. [online] Available at: <https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-air-act>

In my introductory post, I briefly mentioned about the problem of air pollution that is persistent in the national parks in the U.S. This is reflected in a report that is published by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in 2019. The key finding from the report is that 96% of the 417 national parks assessed in the U.S are plagued by significant air pollution problems, and 85% of the parks contend with unhealthy air. This is mainly due to the respiratory toxin that is regularly created in the cities, called Ozone. So what exactly is Ozone and why is it so significant? First, let’s take a look at this diagram below.

What is Ozone?
Ozone is a highly reactive gas that is composed of three oxygen atoms. As seen from the image above, depending on its location in the atmosphere, ozone affects life on Earth either positively or negatively. In the stratosphere where it forms naturally through the interaction of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation with molecular oxygen (O2), ozone is beneficial as it shields us from most UV rays through absorption. On the other hand, the ozone that is present at the ground level is formed primarily from photochemical reactions between volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). As the primary sources of VOC are from industrial areas such as chemical plants, and NOx from high-temperature combustion, the ozone at this level is very much man-made, and sadly, isn’t very healthy.

How does Ozone harm us?
Breathing in ground-level ozone is harmful and may have adverse effects on our health. Some of the effects include induction of respiratory symptoms, decrements in lung function and inflammation of airways. Respiratory symptoms include coughing, throat irritation, chest tightness or shortness of breath, as seen in the image below. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S, children, people with lung diseases, and adults who are active outdoors are especially sensitive. This is a major concern, as visitors of National Parks are often engaged in some form of physical activity, such as hiking, jogging or trail running, which may cause them to breathe faster and more deeply, and as a result, causes the ozone to enter into the deeper parts of their lungs that are more vulnerable to injury.

How does Ozone harm the environment?
While ozone makes it harder for people to breathe, the same can be said for the trees and plants in our national parks. Some parks are home to sensitive vegetation and ecosystems. Therefore, the presence of ozone at ground-level is also causing harm to nature. Ozone pollution stifles tree and crop growth, and cause leaves of common tree species to blacken and wither, thus negatively impacting the appearance of the vegetation. Additionally, ozone slows the growth of plants and interferes with their ability to store and produce food. This is because high concentrations of ozone cause plants to close their stomata, which slows down photosynthesis and plant growth. This would then increase their vulnerability to certain diseases, insect damages, other pollutants and harsh weather. Crop yields may also be affected, which may potentially impact the species diversity in ecosystems.

In the next blog post, we will be discussing more about the ways in which the U.S. combats the problem. Stay tuned!

Till next time,
Irsyad

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References:

Air Central Texas. n.d. What Is Ground-Level Ozone?. [online] Available at: <https://aircentraltexas.org/en/regional-air-quality/what-is-ground-level-ozone>

Brust, G., 2013. Air Pollution Effects On Vegetables. [online] University of Maryland Extension. Available at: <https://extension.umd.edu/learn/air-pollution-effects-vegetables>

National Parks Conservation Association, 2019. Polluted Parks: How America Is Failing To Protect Our National Parks, People And Planet From Air Pollution. [online] National Parks Conservation Association, pp.5-10. Available at: <https://npca.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/NPCAParksReport2019.pdf>

Scdhec.gov. 2019. Effects Of Ozone. [online] Available at: <https://scdhec.gov/environment/your-air/most-common-air-pollutants/about-ozone/effects-ozone>

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. n.d. What Is Ozone?. [online] Available at: <https://www.epa.gov/ozone-pollution-and-your-patients-health/what-ozone>

When we think of environmental pollution, the images that tend to pop into our minds are probably that of thousands of plastic bottles floating around in our rivers, or oil spills in our oceans. Have you ever wondered if national parks and nature reserves around the world are prone to pollution as well? Let’s take a look at the image below for example.

Blue skies, rugged peaks, and lush greenery. Surely there isn’t much wrong going on there?

Well, believe it or not, the air pollution level in King’s Canyon National Park, is THREE TIMES higher than levels in densely populated cities such as Los Angeles and Houston. This seems pretty ironic, isn’t it? As an outdoor enthusiast myself, I’m always looking forward to breathing the crisp, mountain air again when I’m overseas for a hike.. but what if its air that is filled with ozone, which makes it harder to breathe, while inflaming and irritating our lungs? In reality, the National Parks Conservation Association has reported that 96% of the 417 national parks assessed in the U.S are plagued by significant air pollution problems in at least one of the four categories, as shown below.

Besides air pollution, there are also other pollution issues in parks that should not be ignored. According to researchers at the National Park Service and Colorado State University in Fort Collins (CSU), noise pollution is pervasive in U.S protected areas, where anthropogenic noise doubled background sound levels in in 63% of protected areas, and caused a 10-fold increase in 21%. While excessive noise may annoy visitors, it could also disrupt communities of plants and animals and affect habitat suitability.

Looking closer to home, even Singapore has its fair share of environmental pollution in its parks. Take a look at this video that was taken in Potong Pasir, which is part of the Kallang River that is perhaps less frequented than other areas such as the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.

Although this video was taken a few years back, specifically after an event of a large downpour, it is still a concern that even a country that prides itself as a clean and green city, experiences some form of environmental pollution in its parks.

From the examples above, we can see that national parks/reserves around the world are prone to many different types of environmental pollution. Therefore, through this blog, I hope to be able to raise more awareness about these issues and dive into the root of the problems. Only through a better understanding of these issues can we then think of possible solutions to tackle them and protect our beloved parks.

Till next time,
Irsyad

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References:

Buxton, R., McKenna, M., Mennitt, D., Fristrup, K., Crooks, K., Angeloni, L. and Wittemyer, G., 2017. Noise pollution is pervasive in U.S. protected areas. Science, [online] 356(6337), pp.531-533. Available at: <https://science.sciencemag.org/content/356/6337/531?utm_source=SciPak%20%2528updated%204%252F28%252F2017%2529&utm_campaign=56b439ab60-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_04_28&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10c5e799a3-56b439ab60-126516961>

National Parks Conservation Association, 2019. Polluted Parks: How America Is Failing To Protect Our National Parks, People And Planet From Air Pollution. [online] National Parks Conservation Association, pp.5-10. Available at: <https://npca.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/NPCAParksReport2019.pdf>

Tan San Tek, J., 2016. Don’t overlook rubbish in less-frequented areas. The Straits Times, [online] Available at: <https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-on-the-web/dont-overlook-rubbish-in-less-frequented-areas>

Tan, J., 2016. Polluted River In Potong Pasir. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwn208Kde7U&feature=youtu.be>