Air pollution can be described as a mixture of gases and solid particles in the air. Car emissions, factory chemicals, pollen, dust and mold spores can be suspended as particles. Ozone, a gas, is a major component of air pollution in cities. If ozone creates air pollution, it is called smog. I chose air pollution as the problem because some air pollutants are toxic and inhaling them can increase the risk of having health problems. People with lung or heart disease, the elderly and children are at higher risk of being affected by air pollution. Air pollution is not limited to the outdoors. The air inside buildings can also be polluted and harm people's health. For nearly four decades, federal and state governments have regulated pollutant emissions through permits with enforceable requirements, and monitored and measured levels of air pollution. The Environmental Conservation Department (DEC) is the state office that carries out federal and state air pollution monitoring and control programs. The problem of air pollution in New York is widespread. Air pollutants come from many human activities. The majority of pollutants come from industries that manufacture chemicals, electrical equipment, and off-road and on-road vehicles, as well as energy facilities that burn coal, oil, or gas. Pollutants released from tall smokestacks travel high into the air, plunging to the ground and causing damage miles downwind from the source. Air pollution destroys the environment and health in many ways. Hot summer weather promotes the formation of ozone (O3) and PM2.5 (fine particles), which are the two pollutants that affect human health. Wildlife and fish show damage...... middle of paper ...... eaten, modified or preserved the existing state of affairs. This creates a very effective way to influence the federal and state governments to address the problem of air pollution in New York City by creating and changing policies regarding this problem. Works cited Moussiopoulos, Nicolas. Air quality in cities: Saturn, final report of the Eurotrac-2 sub-project. Berlin: Springer, 2003. Hagevik, George H.. Decision making in air pollution control: a review of theory and practice, with emphasis on selected management experiences from Los Angeles and New York. New York: Praeger Publishers, 2007. Castells, Manuel. The city and the grassroots: a cross-cultural theory of urban social movements. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983. Dwyer, Augusta. Broken but Unbroken: Grassroots Social Movements and Their Radical Solutions to Poverty. Halifax: Fernwood Pub. ;, 2011.