EDSA: Extremely Dangerous Smokey Atmosphere

Air pollution is the disturbance with the equilibrium in the atmosphere. It introduces foreign particulates, molecules and other materials that causes abnormality with the air's concentration.it makes important elements that should be present in the atmosphere to be reduced. Reduction of the important elements that should be present in the atmosphere affects the environment and all living things. Air pollution slowly causes death and if it persisted for a very long time it can even annihilate at living things present under the air pollution. One of the main contributors of air pollution is vehicles. Air pollution can be observed in urban areas especially in places where vehicles are great in numbers. One of the places in Philippines that have high number of vehicles thus, making air pollution present is EDSA. Due to high number of vehicles in EDSA it produced large amount of air pollution especially in peak traffic. The vehicles get more congested at this point producing more air pollution. Due to these pollution people in the affected area suffers asthma and other lung ailments.

Why EDSA? From motorcycles to buses, EDSA has been the popular road for years, and the site has served as the turning point for vehicles as they go to their destinations. It could actually be considered as the “busy road”. As some people commend EDSA as the dirtiest because of its air, citizens who suffer asthma or lung ailments are suggested not to visit the vicinity. It is where we think the pollution is three times more than what is tolerable, thus ending in air poisoning. What more for those people who are smoking?

As concerned graphic artists, we support the recently introduced product of BOYSEN, KNOxOUT paint. Small portions of EDSA have been painted and honestly, that’s a good start. But should it stop there? The country has lots of spaces for improvement, especially on solving pollutions. We believe that in this way, not only that people could show their artsy side, but could also help lessen pollution by changing EDSA’s mainstream color and lifestyle. 

Every Drop Counts

What is once destroyed, sometimes can be built again. Imagine living in a world without water - knowing that from the smallest creature that has ever existed to the biggest ones – what could happen? We’ve seen a lot of children (even ourselves) being potty about water because it makes them happy, disregarding the fact that they are or might not be trained to conserve water. Remember when we didn’t care about what becomes of the water we played with? The water we accidentally or intentionally spilled? What if water – just water – is the only thing that could fix everything? How careful would we be? What if the water that is once perfect and got destroyed could go back to how beautiful it was before?

This is how DLSUD do it.

Situated at the back of the old CEAT building, all waste waters that come from the campus are treated here at De La Salle University – Dasmariñas’ Sewage Treatment Plant. Although only waters coming from the University’s west side campus are only brought here and waste waters from the east side is soon to be constructed according to Mr. Dinglasan, the one who explained and shared.

Pipes carrying waste waters are then brought to the plant to be treated by air. The air treatment or Aeration tank, as what they call it, is responsible for the not-so-stinky smell of the STP. Large objects are withdrawn. Oil and water are also being segregated. Dirt particles are collected by adding other chemicals to the water. Accumulating all the dirt then later becomes heavy enough to sink at bottom. Waters on top sometimes solidifies and when that happens, the chamber cleans it so that the tubes will not be clogged and won’t overflow. Solidified waters are then brought to the last chamber which dissolves it and converts and joins other liquid. The process is then repeated until it becomes clean. Chlorination is the last step, where the waters are disinfected making the waters Class C which is suitable for drinking. The final treated waters are then released to the rivers, just beside the site. 

Using the sewage treatment plant, they clean the water coming from the sewage of the university so that dirty waters will be clean again and can be used for watering plants and if the water is totally 100% clean it can be use drinking waters. The main reason why they clean this waters is to prevent polluting the river which can be harmful for Mother Earth. Sewage water or waste water treatment makes unusable water usable again. The benefits on this treatment depends on the nature of contamination of the water. Water sources are increased because unusable water can be used again reducing the consumption of water from natural sources. New research and improvements are being made to make all kinds of waste usable. These waste water treatments removes diseases and other potentially harmful substances from the water that can enter other water sources that will affect other living things. Because of these water waste treatment jobs are created. These water treatment facilities reduce water pollution and help the environment.

Air Pollution

Air pollution is one of the problems in the environment. People and other animals will not die from starvation or thirst but without air we will die immediately. It affects the Respiratory system. It came from chemicals released into the air. It is mainly caused by factories, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other organic compounds and particulates.

Air pollution destroys the balance of air's components. It mainly affects the respiratory system. Breathing polluted air can make your eyes and nose burn because of the abnormal levels of the chemicals and components that should not be present in the air. Air pollution also affects the ozone layer. Chemicals released into the air reaches the atmosphere and deteriorates the ozone layer. The ones that will suffer first from air pollution are the young and elderly. Air pollution worsens body problems like asthma. Air pollution can also cause cancer. Continuous Air pollution will eventually kill all living organisms in the environment.

It is enough that we are warned about air pollution. But nothing will happen if we only decide to just see and hear these things. As individuals, we think that perhaps these might contribute to the solutions to air pollution: 

•  The government could continue promoting the campaign for clean air around the state, especially in developed and crowded areas like manila through multimedia.

• Manufacturing companies should be more responsible with their activities so that even if they cause air pollution, it is still controlled.

• Production of less pollutant cars.

• Riding bicycles, trains, or buses instead of riding your own car with fumes.

• Wise using of energy. Cutting down the use can also cut down the amount of pollution.

• The three R’s. If we consider doing these as much as possible, companies that cause pollution may slow down their activities on creating new products and so lessening the pollution.

Credits:
http://frozenyearning.deviantart.com/art/It-s-a-sad-story-102652365
http://kopfinger.deviantart.com/art/Dyspnea-193520899
http://cristianac.deviantart.com/art/Air-Pollution-343797359