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Large industries that do not have filtration mechanisms on their smoke stacks are also contributors. Every government which does not pass or passes but does not enforce strict air pollution legislation is also destroying the atmosphere. One may wonder why these three aspects of society show such a lack of concern with the air they breathe. Well, the underlying cause which motivates all three groups is money. Legislation and enforcement of laws and installation and maintenance of filtration systems cost money. The majority of these three roofs seems content to save a bit of money now and sacrifice an invaluable commodity later.
The effects of air pollution and disregarding its warning signals influence present life styles and determine the future. Now people are only inconvenienced by air pollution. Large urban areas such as Beijing have pollution alerts which warn elderly people and those with pulmonary diseases to stay indoors. For those intrepid enough to venture outdoors, alerts mean stinging eyes, irritated sinuses, and scratchy throats. Even though people living outside urban areas are seldom inconvenienced today, no one should e complacent about what the future holds.
If pollutants keep building up in the atmosphere at present rates, only a few years into the 21st century will find the delicate layers of the atmosphere so damaged as to admit the sun’s ultraviolet rays full throttle, or the atmosphere will be so clogged with pollutants that not enough of the sun’s warming rays will filter through to support life. Whatever happens in the upper air, the city streets will surely be nonnegotiable without a gas mask, and every home will have to have special filtration devices to make air breathable.