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How to reduce pollution in cities

Pollution in cities has become one of the most serious environmental problems for the planet. The air in cities is full of carbon dioxide or C02 and other gases that are harmful to health and contribute to the greenhouse effect. In cities, large amounts of waste are also generated that, if not treated correctly, can contaminate water, soil and air.

If you are concerned about this problem as much as we are, continue reading on AgroCorrn, because we are going to give you a series of tips on how to reduce pollution in cities .

You may also be interested in: Cities with greater visual pollution
Index
  1. Using public transport to reduce pollution in cities
  2. Traffic restriction
  3. Recycling to stop pollution in a city
  4. Use renewable energy
  5. Green areas in cities to end pollution

Using public transport to reduce pollution in cities

Using public transport such as the train, the subway or buses reduces the number of vehicles that circulate on the roads and reduces the emission of greenhouse gases . Another alternative can be car sharing, as there are more people in a vehicle, there will be fewer vehicles on the road.

The different greenhouse gases , such as nitrogen oxide (NO2) and respirable particulate matter (PM10), are responsible for the so-called “berets” of cities. These “berets” resemble brown or gray clouds that can be seen over cities. All of these gases are toxic to human health. In addition, they react with sunlight to form other even more dangerous compounds.

Another advantage of public transport is that it is currently more efficient and uses electrical energy to function, cleaner energy than fossil fuels.

Traffic restriction

Related to the above, when the levels of polluting gases exceed those allowed by the regulations, the municipalities have to take measures to reduce the levels of atmospheric pollution . Some of these measures are the limitation of speed or the prohibition of circulation in the city center. In this way, people are forced to share a car and use public transport. Cities like Madrid have adopted these measures to reduce air pollution.

On the other hand, from the town councils and other government agencies, projects are being developed to install charging points for electric cars . There are already many buses with this technology and more and more electric cars are being seen in our cities, so it is necessary to install more charging points and promote the use of these vehicles, perhaps through financial aid.

Recycling to stop pollution in a city

Recycling allows us to reuse certain materials, either to give them the same use or to find a new one. In this way, the pollution caused by the factories that produce them is also reduced. The landfills where the garbage that we throw away unsorted normally accumulates are a great source of contamination. On the one hand, the gases resulting from the decomposition of waste, such as methane, are highly polluting and contribute to the greenhouse effect. On the other hand, soils are polluted and these pollutants can reach groundwater and surface water.

In some cities such as Oslo, buses run on biogas produced by the decomposition of organic matter contained in the city’s sewage. Other cities propose the use of organic waste, such as natural compost, to fertilize the land or the heat from its burning could be used as an energy supply to cities.

In addition, to help reduce pollution in cities, it is better to avoid buying those products that have complex recycling processes, such as plastics. Plastic single use as straws, bottles, cups and cutlery or plastic bags are easy to manufacture and use, but are difficult to recycle, so it is better to buy more durable materials and / or recyclable, and so is they will generate less waste in cities .

Finally, it is worth noting the existence of so-called clean points where we can dispose of more toxic and dangerous waste for the environment such as oils, batteries, batteries, electrical appliances, tires and more. Thus we avoid their appearance in the natural environment.

Here we explain how to recycle garbage at home so that it is easier for you to do your bit to reduce pollution in your city and around the planet.

Use renewable energy

Many citizens have taken the initiative to use renewable energy in their homes. For example, we can use renewable energy such as solar, by installing solar panels, we can have electricity and hot water in our homes. Another option is that all the energy consumed in the house comes from electricity in this way, it would not be necessary to use fossil fuels, such as natural gas for cooking or heating. Here it is important to know where this electrical energy comes from because it is not the same that it comes from nuclear power plants than from renewable sources such as water, wind or the sun.

Energy use in buildings can be reduced through insulation, such as with double-glazed windows, using energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances, or by setting heating and air conditioning to mild temperatures. It is also important to turn off and unplug electronic devices when we are not at home, as well as to turn off the heating. In this way we will save on our electricity bill and avoid polluting our environment (by spending less, less energy is produced).

Green areas in cities to end pollution

The green areas are very important in cities because they act as our lungs, exchanging gases. Plants fix the CO2 in the atmosphere and release oxygen, for this reason they contribute to cleaning the atmosphere and purifying the air . Citizens can promote actions for municipalities to create these green spaces.

Here we show you more about The importance of green areas in cities .

If you want to read more articles similar to How to reduce pollution in cities , we recommend that you enter our Pollution category .

Maria Anderson
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Hello, I am a blogger specialized in environmental, health and scientific dissemination issues in general. The best way to define myself as a blogger is by reading my texts, so I encourage you to do so. Above all, if you are interested in staying up to date and reflecting on these issues, both on a practical and informative level.

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