China-India Smog Rivalry a Sign of Global Menace
According to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) released March 25, 2014, air pollution kills around 7 million people every year, accounting for one in eight deaths worldwide. People are wondering whether if China or India had the smoggiest capital city. The rivalry between the two cities is trivial and pointless. "According to the 2014 edition of our EPI (Environmental Performance Index), a biennial ranking of countries produced by Yale and Columbia universities, India and China both tie for dead last in terms of populations affected by poor air quality. Nearly the entire population of both countries is 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". The problem is becoming worse in many parts of the world due to growing industries and transportation, which are the main sources of air pollution. "The 2014 EPI reveals that 1.78 billion people are currently exposed to PM2.5 levels 250 percent higher than that threshold deemed “safe” by the WHO. More shockingly, 3.87 billion people worldwide -almost half of the global population- live in areas that exceed this threshold". Almost 50% of everyone on the planet lives in an area that exceeds the safe levels for air pollution.
Although it is bad that air pollution is so prominent and killing so many people today, it is good that it is getting more attention so that people are aware of the problem. After all, how can people fix a problem if they don't know there is a problem. However, focusing our attention on just India and China is a mistake and could result in a lot of deaths. Those two countries are not the only countries with a deadly air pollution problem. It's a global problem that is not only happening in developing countries; severe air pollution in Paris in 2014 forced officials to temporarily impose a partial driving ban and provide free public transportation. It's frightening that someday the whole planet could be full of air pollution, which in turn leads to global climate change. That could lead to even more air pollution. Air pollution is a cycle and we need to get out of it soon so that we're not trapped in it. If we don't, we'll be stuck in it and we could never get out. To fix the problem, we need to reduce the emissions at the main sources: industry, energy production, waste management, household cooking, and more. Also, governments and officials should monitor air quality. Last of all, air quality information should be available to citizens so they are aware what is going on. They deserve the right to know.
Source: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/china-india-smog-rivalry-a-sign-of-global-menace/
Article in source written by Angel Hsu and Jason Schwartz on March 26, 2014
Although it is bad that air pollution is so prominent and killing so many people today, it is good that it is getting more attention so that people are aware of the problem. After all, how can people fix a problem if they don't know there is a problem. However, focusing our attention on just India and China is a mistake and could result in a lot of deaths. Those two countries are not the only countries with a deadly air pollution problem. It's a global problem that is not only happening in developing countries; severe air pollution in Paris in 2014 forced officials to temporarily impose a partial driving ban and provide free public transportation. It's frightening that someday the whole planet could be full of air pollution, which in turn leads to global climate change. That could lead to even more air pollution. Air pollution is a cycle and we need to get out of it soon so that we're not trapped in it. If we don't, we'll be stuck in it and we could never get out. To fix the problem, we need to reduce the emissions at the main sources: industry, energy production, waste management, household cooking, and more. Also, governments and officials should monitor air quality. Last of all, air quality information should be available to citizens so they are aware what is going on. They deserve the right to know.
Source: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/china-india-smog-rivalry-a-sign-of-global-menace/
Article in source written by Angel Hsu and Jason Schwartz on March 26, 2014