Happy UN Environment Day! Widely celebrated in more than 100 countries across the globe, this holiday, established in 1974, aims to make people not only recognize their impact on the environment, but work to minimize it, and that's exactly what people around the globe are doing today. Each year, a new theme is chosen in relation to the environment that hopes to highlight a specific issue within it. This not only gives a focus to the actions that individuals take part on during the day, but allows us to think critically about environmental issues without it being overwhelming. This year, the theme relates to air pollution, and, to do my part, I wanted to write a post about it!
What is Air Pollution?
This is fairly straight forward, but important to clarify. Air pollution, in essence, refers to the release of chemicals or materials into the atmosphere that are detrimental to health, whether that be human or otherwise. Air pollution takes on a multitude of differing forms, from pollution from our cars, to energy production, to the burning of various materials, and much more (you can check out an article on the various forms of air pollution by clicking here). Each of these types come from different sources, and have differing levels of severity on both human and environmental health.
What Causes It?
According to the United Nation's official page on the issue, there are many causes of air pollution, broken down into five major categories: household, industry, transport, agriculture, and waste. Again, each of these five categories contribute differently to the overall issue, but reducing any of them helps. Here's what these categories refer to:
Household - burning of fossil fuels, wood, and biomass
Industry - production of energy (largest contributor)
Transport - usage of cars, planes, as well as other modes of transport
Agriculture - methane and ammonia production from livestock as well as the burning of agricultural waste
Waste - burning of human trash in landfills, which releases harmful chemicals
In the UN article, they also state that not all air pollution comes from human activity. It can also be caused by things such as volcanic eruptions, dust storms, as well as many other natural causes. You can view the rest of the UN article by clicking here.
What are the Effects?
I think many of us already know some of the effects of air pollution, as it has been highly publicized in the news. Excessive air pollution from energy generation (producing CO2 and other greenhouse gases) has led to one of the greatest issues in human history (climate change). Smog production in cities such as Los Angeles and countries such as China has become a major issue for human health and well-being (I'm sure we've all seen the photos). If you'd like to read about some more specific effects of air pollution, then click here.
What Can We Do About It?
So, in light of it being World Environment Day, the most important question to answer about air pollution is what we can do to help reduce it. And honestly, there are a TON of different steps we can take, ranging from incredibly easy to more difficult, that all help to minimize the problem. So, here's a quick run-down of some of the most effective ones, organized into the various categories proposed by the UN article:
Household - as the majority of pollution in this category comes from heating, ensuring efficient use of this is incredibly important. We can minimize this impact by investing in energy star efficient appliances (such as air conditioners) as well as ensuring proper regulation of home heating and cooling. This means putting on a sweater instead of raising the heat, or dressing in a t-shirt and shorts instead of turning on the AC. Really simple decisions, but they make a huge difference. Ensuring your home has proper insulation makes a large difference too.
Industry - while it may not seem like we have much of an effect on this, we actually do. If we require less energy, there's less of a need for it to be produced. So while we can't physically reduce energy production, we can reduce our own energy usage. Again, investing in energy star appliances helps with this, as well as cutting down on personal energy use whenever possible. Simple things, like taking short showers, making use of natural light as opposed to artificial, and replacing old light bulbs with energy efficient ones can help.
Transport - this one's obvious as well. Biking or walking when possible, carpooling whenever possible, and not idling help. Investing in cars that have good fuel efficiency, as well as electric if that's an option for you are extremely helpful as well.
Agriculture - like industry, it doesn't seem like we can have much effect on this issue. After all, not many of us produce our own food. But, starting your own garden at home can reduce the need for purchasing from the supermarket, and buying produce locally when needed can reduce the pollution required to transport produce over long distances.
Waste - this one, however, is well within our control. Using reusable bags at supermarkets, reusable containers or bags for produce, reusable water bottles, using less toilet paper and paper towels are all good means of cutting down on our personal waste, and those are just a few methods out of thousands. Purchasing food in non-plastic packaging, using both sides of paper that you print on, making sure to recycle and compost properly are additional ways as well. Essentially, whenever you throw something in the trash, you should be thinking and reflecting on whether or not you really needed to do so.
Conclusion
So, those are just a few of the many ways that we can help to reduce air pollution in our lives. Obviously, there are countless others, and if you're looking for more ideas, I highly suggest checking out some of the articles linked down below. I've only scratched the surface on air pollution, so there's much more to learn and do. And the UN Environment Day is the perfect time to get started! Whether you're just implementing one, or two, or three of these suggestions, each change is another step towards a healthier world. So let's get out there, and make some positive change!
Sources:
https://www.un.org/en/events/environmentday/
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution-everything-you-need-know#sec4
https://stylesatlife.com/articles/types-of-air-pollution/
https://www.edf.org/health/why-smog-standards-are-important-our-health?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1bKNvOvQ4gIViICfCh034QajEAAYASAAEgI5dfD_BwE&utm_campaign=ggad_health_pd_dmt&utm_id=1485533233&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google
Images:
http://time.com/4836660/air-pollution-health-death-epa/
https://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/health/the-worst-canadian-cities-for-air-pollution/2/
https://www.newsweek.com/study-finds-link-between-pollution-and-suicide-306706
https://www.studentenergy.org/posts/524-transportation-land-of-cleantech-opportunity
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/china-pollution-us_n_4635561
https://thenextweb.com/cars/2017/07/06/electric-cars-will-dominate-roads-2040-according-new-report/
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000185958/save-money-with-energy-efficient-appliances
https://ecochiccayman.com/2016/01/08/top-5-green-resolutions-for-2016/
https://www.motortrend.com/news/tesla-model-3-photos-analysis/
https://maryslivinggardens.wordpress.com/2014/01/13/the-perfect-time-to-prepare-spring-vegetable-gardens/
https://whyfiles.org/2011/trash-does-burning-beat-burying/
http://www.globalsuccessfoundation.co/Newsletter/monthly-mantra-5-ways-to-keep-your-environment-clean/
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