Perhaps singer Dean Martin overlooked an important fact when he uttered the words, “Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning.”
As it turns out, there are about 45 finer states to be in than North Carolina.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, North Carolina ranks fourth in the nation among states with the highest pollution and poor air quality levels.
“It presents one of the greatest pollution challenges in the country,” Bob Bruck, professor of plant pathology and forestry, said.
According to Bruck, North Carolina is caught in a transitional state as it is shifting away from its historically agricultural roots.
“We aren’t a blue-collared economy anymore,” Bruck said.
Bruck said the rate at which the state’s population is growing is one reason the pollution levels are so high.
North Carolina is second only to Texas in its rate of population growth over the last 40 years, according to Bruck.
What concerns Bruck more than the growth rate is the number of non-commercial vehicles owned by North Carolina residents.
“The state’s population is currently at 10 million people and there are 12 million vehicles on the road,” Bruck said.
Bruck said North Carolina is in a unique position because of its geography, being “at the buckle of the Sunbelt.”
He said the state’s hot, sweltering summers provide the right conditions for photochemical oxidation to take place. The process essentially cooks pollution particles in the warm, stagnant air.
Urban areas across the North Carolina are forced to deal with unsafe and unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone, according to Bruck.
The Asheville valleys region, the Charlotte metropolitan area, the Triad and the Triangle regions experience some of the worst air quality readings in the United States.
Coal-fired power plants were once used heavily to help meet the energy needs of a rapidly increasing population.
After it was discovered that the power plants were responsible for the hazy and smoggy conditions, laws such as the N.C. Clean Smokestacks Act of 2002 were passed to cut down on harmful emissions.
Bruck said the state must look toward forms of alternative energy such as wind or solar power.
According to a 2012 press release from Environment North Carolina, the state now ranks in the top five nationally for photovoltaic or solar-powered installations.
The Wolfpack Environmental Student Association is a group of N.C. State students dedicated to advocating for clean, sustainable energy and a healthy environment.
WESA recently organized a campaign with the goal of eliminating plastic items on campus called Plastic Propaganda.
“I think North Carolina is such a high polluter because energy in this state is mainly powered by coal and it is really cheap,” Lee Howe, co-president of WESA and a senior in natural resources policy and administration, said. “With cheap energy, not many people think about the consequences of over consumption.”
North Carolina has a lot of potential for implementing renewable and efficient energy sources, especially wind power, according to Howe.
Howe said he is concerned for the future because House Bill 298 is being debated in N.C. legislature.
According to Howe, if the bill is passed, it will nullify the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard of 2007.
Howe said WESA partners with a new student group called Fossil Free during Earth Week.
Fossil Free is dedicated to 100 percent renewable and sustainable energy initiatives at N.C. State.
The group is participating in a global day of action against Arctic drilling Thursday. Those who are interested are encouraged to meet on the lawn by the Wolf Ears at noon.
