AIR POLLUTION PHENOMENON

The World Health Organisation defines Air pollution as the presence of materials in the air in such concentration which are harmful to man and his environment. It otherwise is the addition of foreign particles, gases and other pollutants into the air which has an adverse effect on human beings, animals and the environment as a whole.

The advancement of technology has had positive impacts to all people around the globe which has blindfolded us into embracing even the toxic innovations in the name of advancing technology at the expense of our very lives. We seem to not pay attention to the negative impacts of certain innovations because we spend much time focusing on the monetary value rather than our very own health and the  sustainability of such innovations per se because they are usually driven by money-minded capitalists who own the means of production and thus determines the course and direction of the society as much as it benefits them at the expense of the majority beings in the same society.

While we can debate all day about specific levels or exact factors actually harming our health, we know as a general knowledge that air pollution isn't a good thing to have a round. Sadly enough, with the rise of industrial development, access to clean air has become a luxury, not only to us but also to the animals and plants living in distant ecosystems. Air pollutants can travel long distances and do not respect regions of special ecological significance. Over the years, scientists have observed numerous effects of this worrisome phenomenon stemming from harmful particles emitted from power plants, mining sites or cars that are easily carried hundreds of miles away from their original source polluting pristine natural resources and the people thereof. 

Air pollution is the largest environmental killer, research shows that approximately 8 million deaths annually are attributed to air pollution, predominantly in developing countries. 4.2 million of these deaths are a result of exposure to ambient air pollution for example from combustion of natural gas, petroleum, coal and wood in industries, automobiles, thermal plants among others, and 3.8 million are attributed to the result of household exposure to smoke from dirty cook-stoves and fuels. This death toll is often related to short lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) consisting of particulate matter such as black carbon, or green house gases such as methane, which are common by-products of traditional combustion practices for heat or energy in developing countries, all of which are directly linked to respiratory diseases, cancer, strokes and heart disease among others. 

Due to excessive combustion activities, the content of carbon dioxide has been steadily rising. As carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere, it absorbs more of the reflected infrared radiation which causes an increase in temperature referred to as green house effect. This usually causes the polar ice caps to melt and glaciers which in turn causes sea levels to rise resulting into floods that affects the human settlements and animals. With close to 40% of global energy related carbon emissions being released, it represents the substantial input to anthropogenic climate forcing from carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide has a lifespan of hundreds of years meaning that emissions released today will impact the climate for generations to come.

Pollution disturbs the balance of our ecosystems giving rise to global warming. It is to this effect that we should walk and act towards pollution free world by adopting sustainable transportation means like electric cars, walking, or bike riding thus transitioning public mobility systems to renewable energy-based transportation means, shifting to sustainable clean energy to preserve both the environment and good health and well being, end subsidies for fossil fuels and industrial-scale bio energy, and reject any unsustainable and extractive industries that put short-term gains over the well being of people and nature.