Air pollution
Several people
complain about air pollution, and say that pollution is destroying thousands of
persons. But most of them don't know what air pollution is.
According to
the environmental protection agency, air pollution is a mix of particles and
gases that can reach harmful concentrations both outside and indoors. Its
effects can range from higher disease risks
(heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory
diseases, including asthma) to rising temperatures. Soot, smoke, mold, pollen,
methane, and carbon dioxide are just a few examples of common pollutants.
Also,
according to the World Health Organization, air pollution kills an estimated
seven million people worldwide every year. WHO data shows that 9 out of 10 people
breathe air containing high levels of pollutants and also that more than 80% of
people living in urban areas that monitor air pollution are exposed to air
quality levels that exceed WHO guideline limits (PM10 and PM2.5 of exposure),
with low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures,
both indoors and outdoors.
Most of the
pollution we find its outside; "Ambient air pollution accounts for an
estimated 4.2 million deaths per year due to stroke, heart disease, lung
cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases. The major outdoor pollution sources
include vehicles, power generation, building heating systems, agriculture/waste
incineration, and industry." says The World Health Organization.
Most people
think that pollution is only outside, I used to think
With all these
statistics we can affirm that it is a big problem that can affect not only the
enviroment but also our health. And you can't escape from it, everyone has to
breathe. And what is everyone doing about it?
We know that
many cities have different ways and programs to reduce air pollution. For
example, Paris, bans cars in many historic central districts at weekends,
impose odd-even bans on vehicles, make public transport free during major
pollution events and encourages car- and bike-sharing programs and Bangalore
that is converting its 6,000 buses to compressed natural gas and discouraging
the car. So far it has reduced traffic pollution by about 20% in a few years
and one in four people who used to travel by car now use public transport.
But what is
our country doing about it?
In Colombia,
outdoor air pollution is a real problem, causing about one in 20 of all deaths
in the metropolitan areas of Bogota, Valle de Aburra and Cali. But for rural
residents the situation is much worse; household air pollution is responsible
for an alarming 17% of all deaths.
There are
basic solutions that Colombia has included in their daily routines in many cities; for example, "The day without cars", pico y placa, and electric
bicycles that citizens can rent for a cheap price. But I think that it has to
improve a lot more, and not only staying in the basic ones, but to go on and see
more options that may improve the quality of life for many citizens, so let's join any of these initiatives and strive for a better air quality to ensure healthier standards.
By Manuela Orozco, Step 9
