Air pollution kills around 7 million people every year, accounting for one in eight deaths worldwide, according to the World Heath Organization (WHO). Pollution levels in Beijing has been getting the most attention but New Delhi is finally getting noticed. China and India are some of the countries that have the lowest air quality score. Most of the entire populations of both countries are exposed to harmful particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, known as PM2.5, which can penetrate human lung and blood tissue and contribute to lung disease and premature death. However, attention is just on China and India while there is air pollution in other countries. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) of 2014 says that that 1.78 billion people are exposed to PM2.5 levels 250% higher than that threshold deemed “safe” by the WHO. Almost half of the world's population, 3.87 billion people, live in areas that exceed this threshold. The primary causes of air pollution, industry and transportation, have grown fast in emerging economies like China, India and Brazil because the regulation and monitoring of emissions has not kept pace.
I never knew that air pollution in China and India were so serious. It's makes me glad and thankful that I am not living in areas that surpass the threshold for safe air. To improve air quality, we need to prioritize the importance of clean air if we want to improve people's lives. Secondly, an international agreement on air pollution reduction targets should be created. However, since the sources of air pollution are widely distributed, from industry and energy production to waste management and household cooking, finding the main source is difficult. Governments also need to stop being scared of revealing the realities of air pollution and need to improve their monitoring. Improving air quality is going to be hard but if we work together we can solve this air crisis!
Source: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/china-india-smog-rivalry-a-sign-of-global-menace/
Article by Angel Hsu and Jason Schwartz
I never knew that air pollution in China and India were so serious. It's makes me glad and thankful that I am not living in areas that surpass the threshold for safe air. To improve air quality, we need to prioritize the importance of clean air if we want to improve people's lives. Secondly, an international agreement on air pollution reduction targets should be created. However, since the sources of air pollution are widely distributed, from industry and energy production to waste management and household cooking, finding the main source is difficult. Governments also need to stop being scared of revealing the realities of air pollution and need to improve their monitoring. Improving air quality is going to be hard but if we work together we can solve this air crisis!
Source: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/china-india-smog-rivalry-a-sign-of-global-menace/
Article by Angel Hsu and Jason Schwartz