The World Health Organization’s Report on Air Pollution
Hello guys! I hope you guys had an amazing weekend. I did, except for the air pollution that covered the air in Seoul. I am experiencing firsthand the pains of carbon emissions. When I look out the window of my apartment, I see smog. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to see clear skies here. This is a problem that CyClean intends to solve. This is a problem we all want to solve, and that is why we mention it quite often on our blog.
Today, we want to give you an overview of the problem, but we’re going to do it with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO). The World Health Organization is the authority on international health within the United Nations’ system. The WHO is a leader in doing research, setting standards, and providing overall leadership on matters related to health. In other words, the WHO knows what it is doing when it comes to global health issues.
Let’s take a look at the WHO’s findings on air pollution.
(Source: http://www.who.int/sustainable-development/AirPollution_Climate_Health_Factsheet.pdf)
Household air pollution and ambient air pollution were the cause of 7 million deaths in 2012. Heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease, respiratory disease, and lung cancer were the reasons for these deaths. Ambient air pollution refers to outdoor air pollution, which is in part caused by gas emissions. The air pollutant that is correlated to death and disease is particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Black carbon is one example of this particulate matter, and it comes from diesel vehicles and other sources.
Who Suffers?
The answer is everyone. Among the 3 million deaths linked to outdoor air pollution, 90% of the victims are found in low-to-middle-income regions, such as South East Asia and Western Pacific regions. Dr. Bustreo, Assistant Director General at the WHO, speaks of the severity of the situation. He says, “Air pollution continues to take a toll on the health of the most vulnerable populations – women, children and the older adults. For people to be healthy, they must breathe clean air from their first breath to their last.”
Dr. Bustreo speaks the truth. The WHO’s air quality model shows that 92% of the world lives in places that exceed air quality levels that the WHO deems health appropriate. 9 out of 10 people live in places that are chipping away at their health. This is not good.
92% percent live in places that don’t meet WHO standards
(Source: http://www.france24.com/fr/20160929-oms-infographie-organisation-mondiale-sante-population-pollution-air)
Is there a Solution?
The WHO recognizes the need for urban planning to focus more on cleaner air. I hope we are moving in the right direction. While governments should take part, I think we can all contribute as individuals. We can support clean energy projects, such as CyClean, that use electric vehicles to reduce outdoor air pollution levels. CyClean is also aware of the lack of clean air in less developed countries and is planning to expand its business into those regions.
Sometimes, the things that we don’t see cause the most harm. We can combat air pollution together, one day at a time. You can check out these sources to see for yourself the facts:
Also, be sure to check out CyClean and what they do. Thank you!
