Current Situation

Worldwide

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated SEVEN MILLION PEOPLE worldwide every year. 9 out of 10 people breathe contaminated air containing pollutants that are harmful to health. 

From smog over cities to smoke inside homes,  air pollution poses a serious threat to our health as well as that of the planet. 91% of the world population live in places where the air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits. 
The above image given by NASA offers a global view of Health sapping air pollution

India 

India suffers from a number of environmental issues  such as air pollution, water pollution, solid waste etc. Though the country has made progress in addressing its environmental issues, India still has a long way to go to reach an environmental quality similar to developed economies. 

To meet the needs of the growing population, forests are depleted and agriculture is exhausted thus cause the degradation of land. This in turn causes an imbalance in the eco-system. 

Air Pollution, poor management of waste, water scarcity, reduction in groundwater, water pollution, biodiversity loss, quality of land etc are all problems faced by India today. 

Air Quality Index in India 

How much trouble are we in

We are all well aware of the adverse health effects caused due to pollution in our environment. Air pollution causes all sorts or respiratory problems, heart attacks, lung damage etc. Drinking water that is contaminated with pollutants can make matters worse. 

However, the most serious issue due to pollution is climate change. Air pollution and climate change are two sides of the same coin. 

NASA research on CO2 levels

Pollution caused by human beings over the years has led to an increase in the global temperature. This heat is also absorbed by waterbodies leading to the warming of oceans. The increase in Global temperature has caused seal levels to rise and snow caps to melt. Global warming causes natural calamities that cause an increased loss of life. 

The United Nations has stressed upon climate change in the recent years. With increasing pollution, the time we have to save the planet has been reduced to merely 18 months.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

Image
Now that we know the adverse effects pollution has on the planet, it is important to reduce pollution so as to protect our planet and ourselves.  Pollution prevention is any action that reduces the amount of contaminants released into the environment. By implementing it, we reduce the threat posed to public health and environment. Steps taken to protect the environment  If we heal the earth, we heal ourselves. Therefore, each individual must take responsibility to protect the environment. The following are few ways in which we can prevent pollution- 1) Eco-friendly Transportation - Fumes from vehicles cause considerable amount of pollution. To prevent this, one must opt for electric transportation or choose to use public transport to reduce the number of vehicles. For short distances, we must try to walk or use bicycles.  2) Dispose waste responsibly - To prevent the accumulation of waste, one must adopt the 3Rs of solid waste management- red...
Read more

Where it all began......

Image
Air pollution goes hand in hand with the formation of civilizations. Pollution began in the pre-historic time when man created fire. Early Man used fire for warmth,  protection, to create tools and cook food. Evidence of soot on the ceilings of caves proves that high levels of pollution were caused by the open fires having inadequate ventilation in the caves. The forging of metals was one of the main contributors of air pollution at the time. However, pollution as we know it today is quite different from that seen in pre-historic times. The Industrial Revolution brought with it an infusion of chemicals and wastes into the local streams that supplied water thus causing water pollution. It was the Industrial Revolution that gave birth to environmental pollution as we know it today. Emissions from industries causes considerable amount of water and air pollution  The emergence of great factories and consumption of imm...
Read more