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Unhealthy Air | Earth Wise

May 12, 2022 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Most of the global population breathes unhealthy air

According to the World Health Organization, almost the entire global population – 99% in fact – breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality limits and threatens their health.

Air quality is of great concern everywhere.  Over 6,000 cities in 117 countries monitor air quality, but the people living in those cities are still breathing unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. The WHO is citing these findings as a compelling reason to curb fossil fuel use and to take other steps to reduce air pollution levels. 

There is growing number of studies of the damage air pollution does to the human body.  Even low levels of many air pollutants can cause significant harm.  Particulate matter – especially so-called PM2.5 – is capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and entering the bloodstream, contributing to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory problems. 

Nitrogen dioxide is associated with respiratory diseases – especially asthma – and leads to respiratory symptoms, hospital admissions, and visits to emergency rooms.

The WHO is calling to governments around the world to take additional steps to improve air quality including adopting stricter air quality standards, supporting the transition to clean household energy sources, implementing stricter vehicle emission standards, reducing the use of incineration, and many other actions.

According to the WHO, cities in high-income countries fare better in terms of air quality, but very few places avoid unhealthy air entirely.   Seven million deaths a year are linked to unhealthy air quality.  It is a global crisis that cannot be ignored.

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Billions of people still breathe unhealthy air: new WHO data

Photo, posted December 1, 2021, courtesy of Ron Reiring via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Conseguir un medicamento en las farmacias extranjeras no puede ser más difícil que la compra nocturna de alimentos. Si no se requiere una receta en línea para la compra de medicamentos, se puede comprar libremente, incluso no sólo en las farmacias, sino también en los supermercados, dijo un abogado y director general del grupo de consultoría vvCube Vadim Tkachenko.

Coronavirus Shutdowns And The Environment | Earth Wise

May 11, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

coronavirus shutdown and the environment

Our stories often discuss how human activities change the natural environment.  With most of us confined to our homes, the lack of human activities is having profound effects on the environment.  We are talking about some of these this week.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global catastrophe, but it has ironically been a boon for the environment.  By taking billions of people off the streets around the globe and slashing all forms of travel, the global environment has seen dramatic changes.

Sea turtles in many countries are prospering by not having to compete with humans for precious beach space.  Animals everywhere have more freedom to roam and are taking advantage of the opportunity. The Himalayas are visible from parts of India for the first time in decades.

Satellite imagery has shown dramatic drops in nitrogen dioxide emissions in China, where pollution from vehicles is a serious public health problem.  Similar reductions in air pollution are evident in India, Italy and even in Los Angeles.  The city that is notorious for its smog suddenly has pristine air.

In Venice, water in the canals has become clear in the absence of heavy boat traffic stirring up sediments from the bottom.  Wildlife that normally is invisible such as jellyfish are being spotted.

Not all the changes to animal behavior are desirable.  Some wildlife that have become dependent on humans as a source of food are becoming aggressive and are taking to the streets of cities to look for food.  Monkeys in Thailand are mobbing towns and brawling, hunting for things to eat.  Rats in New York City are fighting over suddenly meager food supplies.

In many ways, the natural world is reacting to much of humanity sheltering in place.

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On Earth Day 2020, coronavirus shutdowns are a gift to the environment

Photo, posted April 2, 2020, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Smog And Solar Power

January 22, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

China has been struggling with some of the worst air pollution in the world.  Beijing frequently sits under a brown blanket made of exhaust gases from industry, cars and coal fires, which dump harmful particulate matter, soot, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air.

The human health consequences are severe.   According to the World Health Organization,air pollution contributes to about 1.6 million premature deaths in China each year.  World-wide, air pollution is implicated in over 7 million deaths annually.

Faced with this air pollution crisis, China has undertaken a wide variety of measures to improve its air and curb carbon dioxide emissions alongthe way.  Among other things, China has invested heavily in the deployment of solar power and has plans for ever greater expansion of solar power in the future.

A study by researchers at ETH in Zurich looked at the impact of China’s air pollution on the production of solar energy.  The smog in China’s cities reduces the amount of solar radiation that reaches the ground and therefore significantly reduces the power output of solar energy systems. According to the study, solar radiation would increase by an average of 11% nationwide as a result of strict air pollution control measures.  In some places, cleaning up the air would result in 26% more energy production.

China’s electric power industry is the world’s largest electricity producer, having passed the United States in 2011.  Two-thirds of the electricity in China still comes from coal, which, apart from the serious climate and health consequences associated with its use, continues to make it more difficult to switch to clean solar power.  Much work remains to be done.

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Fighting smog supports solar power

Photo, posted February 7, 2014, courtesy of Flickr. 

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Chinese War On Pollution

April 10, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/EW-04-10-18-The-Chinese-War-on-Pollution.mp3

For years, China has been struggling with some of the worst air pollution in the world.  According to the European Union, only 1% of the country’s half a billion city dwellers were considered safe because almost all of its major cities were covered with what was described as a toxic grey cloud.

[Read more…] about The Chinese War On Pollution

Pedaling For Clean Air

June 27, 2017 By EarthWise

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/EW-06-27-17-Pedaling-for-Clean-Air.mp3

Poor air quality is a problem all around the world.  Exposure to air pollution is linked to the premature deaths of an estimated 6.5 million people every year, making it the fourth largest threat to human health, trailing only high blood pressure, dietary risks, and smoking. 

[Read more…] about Pedaling For Clean Air

Solar Power In China

March 27, 2017 By EarthWise

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/EW-03-27-17-Solar-Power-in-China.mp3

Installations of solar power continue to increase rapidly around the world and in no place more than China.  By the end of 2016, total solar generating capacity in China reached 77.4 gigawatts, making it the largest producer of solar energy in the world.  Globally, there is a total of 228 gigawatts of solar power installed, although that number keeps changing rapidly.

[Read more…] about Solar Power In China

Coal And Chinese Air

March 13, 2017 By EarthWise

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/EW-03-13-17-Coal-and-Chinese-Air.mp3

China has worked to reduce its coal consumption in recent years but the air quality in cities like Beijing is still notoriously poor and a major health hazard.

[Read more…] about Coal And Chinese Air

How Green Are Green Cars?

December 9, 2016 By EarthWise

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/EW-12-09-16-How-Green-Are-Green-Cars.mp3

Electric cars are generally seen as the way to eliminate or at least dramatically reduce the disastrous effects of personal transportation on the environment.  They still constitute only a tiny fraction of the cars on the road, but their popularity and availability is growing.

[Read more…] about How Green Are Green Cars?

Our Air Is Killing Us

September 28, 2016 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/EW-09-28-16-Our-Air-Is-Killing-Us.mp3

Poor air quality is a serious problem.  Exposure to air pollution is linked to the premature deaths of an estimated 6.5 million people every year.  This makes air pollution the fourth largest threat to human health.  Only high blood pressure, dietary risks, and smoking are a bigger danger. 

[Read more…] about Our Air Is Killing Us

Fighting Smog

June 8, 2016 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/EW-06-08-16-Fighting-Smog.mp3

There are 35 megacities in the world – metropolitan areas with more than 10 million people.  Fifteen of them have populations above 20 million.   And many of these teeming metropolises have to contend with some of the worst air pollution on the planet.

[Read more…] about Fighting Smog

The State Of The Air

May 20, 2016 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/EW-05-20-16-State-of-the-Air.mp3

For the past 17 years, the American Lung Association has analyzed data from official air quality monitors to compile the State of the Air report.  The State of the Air 2016, which was released late last month, revealed some troubling statistics about the health of the air here in the United States. 

[Read more…] about The State Of The Air

Dangerous Air

March 3, 2016 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/EW-03-03-16-Dangerous-Air.mp3

Much of the public discourse about pollution is focused on the long-term consequences of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.  There are still some who doubt that such consequences are really in the offing or that our actions are responsible in any case.

[Read more…] about Dangerous Air

Climate Opinions

December 4, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-12-04-15-Climate-Opinions.mp3

An international poll of over 45,000 people in 40 countries looked at opinions about climate change and the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions.  The results are quite interesting.

[Read more…] about Climate Opinions

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