Four Step Decision Making Model

Four Step Decision Making Model
Air Pollution Control
Name:
Institution:
Date:
Air pollution is a big problem affecting my county owing to the heavy commercial activities in the county. The increased level of air pollution is particularly of concern because it threatens the health of the residents since air pollution has always been associated with many respiratory and lifestyle diseases. Smog which originates from vehicle and factory emissions is one of the greatest contributors to air pollution in the county. Past reports by government agencies such as the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) indicated that many counties in the US violate the federal air pollution standards something which seems to be true in our county (Massachusetts Department of Environment, 2007). If the current air pollution levels in the county are not reduced, it is highly likely that more people will have asthma, eye problems, high lead levels in blood and other complications. For this reason, it is important to consider some of the measures that can be put in place to avert such problems.
Going by the international best practices, one of the policies local policymakers can adopt is to encourage residents to purchase cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. Based on recent studies, the large number of private cars, buses, police cars, trucks and fire engines operating in the county contribute to air pollution. However, if people switched to ‘greener’ cars the problem of air pollution can be reduced.

Green vehicles produce less emissions since they have high fuel-efficiency. Some of the green vehicle options include hybrid-electric vehicles which run on green energy such as compressed natural gas that produces less harmful emissions than vehicles that run on diesel. The use of such vehicles means less damage to the environment, healthier people, and reduced energy costs. Secondly, the policymakers may choose to develop a commuter option program. Currently, most residents use their private cars to and from work. As a result, the rate of emissions continues to rise by each day as the cars increase on the roads. Interestingly, there are other means of commuting that can help reduce air pollution. One such option is encouraging commuters to use transit options as opposed to drive-alone-trips thus reducing harmful emissions.
While both proposed policies have been tested and proven in other parts of the US and the world, I would recommend the policymakers to adopt the second alternative. This is because the first option of encouraging the residents to buy cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles is entirely dependent on the goodwill of the residents. As such, some may buy ‘greener’ vehicles while others may choose not to because no law compels them to do so. However, if the policymakers chose the second option, it would be easier to implement because they can directly or indirectly control and influence some things. For instance, municipalities in the county can offer incentives that discourage drive-alone-trips. Such incentives will include offering subsidies or tax-reliefs for using public transport and reserving parking space for vanpools and carpools. Also, the municipalities can encourage commuters to use bicycles by installing bicycle racks and awarding employees who do not use their parking spots (Massachusetts Department of Environment, 2007).
Promoting commuting options that discourage drive-alone-trips is highly likely to reduce air pollution because the number of cars on the roads will reduce significantly. Additionally, commuters are likely to embrace the policy because it will help them save time and money. However, some people may not see the need to leave their cars and use public transport or even to carpool. To counter this challenge, a public awareness campaign should be launched to educate the public on the importance of using public transport as opposed to private cars with regards to air pollution.
References
Massachusetts Department of Environment. (2007, December 14). Community Strategies to Reduce Air Pollution and Climate Change. Retrieved from http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dep/air/comstrat.pdf