Rethinking The Ozone Problem In Urban And Regional Air Pollution

Despite more than 20 years of regulatory efforts, concern is widespread that ozone pollution in the lower atmosphere, or troposphere, threatens the health of humans, animals, and vegetation. This book discusses how scientific information can be used to develop more effective regulations to control ozone. Rethinking the Ozone Problem in Urban and Regional Air Pollution discusses: The latest data and analysis on how tropospheric ozone is formed. How well our measurement techniques are functioning. Deficiencies in efforts to date to control the problem. Approaches to reducing ozone precursor emissions that hold the most promise. What additional research is needed. With a wealth of technical information, the book discusses atmospheric chemistry, the role of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ozone formation, monitoring and modeling the formation and transport processes, and the potential contribution of alternative fuels to solving the tropospheric ozone problem. The committee discusses criteria for designing more effective ozone control efforts. Because of its direct bearing on decisions to be made under the Clean Air Act, this book should be of great interest to environmental advocates, industry, and the regulatory community as well as scientists, faculty, and students.

Despite the many benefits of energy, most of which are reflected in energy market prices, the production, distribution, and use of energy causes negative effects. Many of these negative effects are not reflected in energy market prices. When market failures like this occur, there may be a case for government interventions in the form of regulations, taxes, fees, tradable permits, or other instruments that will motivate recognition of these external or hidden costs. The Hidden Costs of Energy defines and evaluates key external costs and benefits that are associated with the production, distribution, and use of energy, but are not reflected in market prices. The damage estimates presented are substantial and reflect damages from air pollution associated with electricity generation, motor vehicle transportation, and heat generation. The book also considers other effects not quantified in dollar amounts, such as damages from climate change, effects of some air pollutants such as mercury, and risks to national security. While not a comprehensive guide to policy, this analysis indicates that major initiatives to further reduce other emissions, improve energy efficiency, or shift to a cleaner electricity generating mix could substantially reduce the damages of external effects. A first step in minimizing the adverse consequences of new energy technologies is to better understand these external effects and damages. The Hidden Costs of Energy will therefore be a vital informational tool for government policy makers, scientists, and economists in even the earliest stages of research and development on energy technologies.

In light of recent evidence on the relationship of ozone to mortality and questions about its implications for benefit analysis, the Environmental Protection Agency asked the National Research Council to establish a committee of experts to evaluate independently the contributions of recent epidemiologic studies to understanding the size of the ozone-mortality effect in the context of benefit analysis. The committee was also asked to assess methods for estimating how much a reduction in short-term exposure to ozone would reduce premature deaths, to assess methods for estimating associated increases in life expectancy, and to assess methods for estimating the monetary value of the reduced risk of premature death and increased life expectancy in the context of health-benefits analysis. Estimating Mortality Risk Reduction and Economic Benefits from Controlling Ozone Air Pollution details the committee's findings and posits several recommendations to address these issues.

The formation, transport and impact of photo-oxidants, e.g., ozone, is a major environmental problem in densely populated areas with corresponding high emissions of ozone precursor substances such as NOx and volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC). Although major progress has been achieved within the last decade, there are still significant uncertainties in our understanding of the chemical behavior of the polluted atmosphere, in particular the interaction between cities and surrounding areas as well as the contribution of pollution to the global changes, e.g., the oxidation capacity of the troposphere. This book focuses on specific issues related to the chemistry of polluted atmospheres. The main issues cover areas such as modelling, emission inventories, chemical transformation as well as transport of pollutants on an urban/regional scale. The overall topic of the book is addressed in an interdisciplinary approach. The book is of specific interest for advanced researchers in tropospheric chemistry, from the PhD or post-doctoral levels and beyond.

Examines the successes and failures of the Clean Air Act in order to lay a foundation for future energy policy.

Climate Change and Cities bridges science-to-action for climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in cities around the world.

Many regulations issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are based on the results of computer models. Models help EPA explain environmental phenomena in settings where direct observations are limited or unavailable, and anticipate the effects of agency policies on the environment, human health and the economy. Given the critical role played by models, the EPA asked the National Research Council to assess scientific issues related to the agency's selection and use of models in its decisions. The book recommends a series of guidelines and principles for improving agency models and decision-making processes. The centerpiece of the book's recommended vision is a life-cycle approach to model evaluation which includes peer review, corroboration of results, and other activities. This will enhance the agency's ability to respond to requirements from a 2001 law on information quality and improve policy development and implementation.

Fundamentals of Air Pollution, Second Edition discusses the basic chemistry, physics, and engineering of air pollution. This edition explores the processes and equipment that produce less pollution in the atmosphere. This book is comprised of six parts encompassing 28 chapters. This text starts with an overview of the predominant air pollution problems during the Industrial Revolution, including smoke and ash produced by burning oil or coal in the boiler furnaces of power plants, marine vessels, and locomotives. This edition then explores the mathematical models of atmospheric transport and diffusion and discusses the air pollution control in communities. Other chapters deal with atmospheric chemistry, control technology, and visibility through the atmosphere. This book further examines the regulatory concepts that have become more significant, such as the bubble concept, air quality, emission standards, and the trading and banking of emission rights. Air pollution scientists, atmospheric scientists, ecologists, engineers, educators, researchers, and students will find this book extremely useful.