World Environment Day is celebrated around the world on June 5, coinciding with the anniversary of the legendary 1972 Stockholm Conference , which marked a turning point in the development of international environmental policies. Every year, the United Nations chooses a topic to draw attention to, and this year it has wanted to focus on the problem of air pollution.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2016 91% of the population lived in places where air quality guidelines were not respected. And, according to the State of Global Air 2018 , an annual report from the Health Effects Institute (HEI), this figure would rise to 95% of people who breathe polluted air.
Sources of air pollution
According to the United Nations, the main source of pollution inside houses is the burning of fuels for cooking, heating and lighting fires. The vast majority of deaths from these causes occur in developing countries.
The major sources of air pollution, moreover, are industry, especially power plants, and transport, which accounts for almost a quarter of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions , a proportion that is also increasing. . Livestock, the burning of agricultural residues and organic waste in the open with other main sources of pollution.
Effects of air pollution
The health effects of breathing polluted air are well known and in Muy Interesante we have dedicated many contents to expose them. We already know that air pollution causes more deaths per year than tobacco, and that in addition to respiratory diseases such as lung cancer or pneumonia, breathing pollution also has other effects: premature births and problems of low birth weight, increased allergies and increased chances of suffering from breast and digestive tumors are some of them.
Solutions for cleaner air
At the global level, governments and leaders have a responsibility to implement policies that promote healthier air. Penalizing emissions, providing incentives to invest in clean technologies, committing to eliminate gasoline and diesel cars in the medium term, implementing policies to restrict the use of cars in cities and sustainable mobility plans are some of the measures that can be taken and that are already being taken in some countries and cities.
This year, China will host the global Environment Day celebrations. According to a new United Nations report on air pollution in Asia and the Pacific, the implementation of technology policies in that region could lead to a reduction of up to 20% in carbon dioxide emissions and a 45% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. methane globally, which would prevent 0.3˚C of global warming.
