The polluted skies of Delhi. Air pollution kills millions each year and increases the risks of ... [+]
There’s a hidden pandemic that is killing 8 million people each year and may be making COVID-19 worse. If this is news to you, you’re not alone. Air pollution lacks the headline grabbing power of brutal conflicts and exotic diseases. However, it causes more deaths than war, malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, and influenza combined.
Burning fossil fuels and organic matter releases not only greenhouse gases but also dangerous pollutants. Thus, emissions reductions have the power both to slow global warming and to improve global health.
A health nightmare
Air pollution directly causes severe respiratory diseases including asthma and pneumonia, but the lungs are hardly the only vital organs that pollution attacks. Poor air quality increases the likelihood of strokes and heart attacks as pollution damages the circulatory system. Air pollution can even hinder childhood brain development and diminish cognitive functioning.
Only recently have scientists been able to measure pollution’s true toll on human health. A study in Cardiovascular Research estimates that airborne pollutants reduce global life expectancy by three years on average. As research grows on the COVID-19 pandemic, higher rates of air pollution have been predictive of higher virus fatality rates. In France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, nearly 80% of COVID-19 deaths have occurred in the most polluted regions.
A blanket of smog
Each year, millions move to cities in search of economic opportunity. However, these crowded metropolises are often filled with factories, power plants, and automobile traffic. As a result, 80% of global city dwellers are exposed to pollution levels exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. In developing nations, 98% of cities fail to meet WHO air pollution safety standards.
In a number of industrial cities, air pollution exceeds WHO limits by a factor of 8 on a good day. At that level, many doctors consider stepping outside to be a safety hazard. Last year in Delhi, pollution levels soared so high that they were literally off the scale. Unsurprisingly, such cities face an ongoing public health crisis. Even the developed world is not immune. In America, air pollution predominantly from fossil fuel use causes 130,000 excess deaths.
Holding back development
While outdoor air pollution can shroud a city for miles, indoor air pollution is nearly as deadly, but often out of sight. From urban slums to isolated rural communities, over a billion people lack access to electricity. Without other power sources, many rely on organic matter for cooking and heating. However, burning wood and crop waste, especially in poorly ventilated homes, releases large quantities of dangerous particulates. As a result, half of pneumonia deaths in children under five are due to household air pollution.
Traditional domestic roles mean that women and girls bear an outsized burden from indoor air pollution. Without modern heating and cooking equipment, female education also suffers, as girls may spend hours searching for firewood. Initiatives to promote clean cookstoves and electrification are critical for public health, economic development, and gender equity.
Both types of pollution are exacerbated by societal failures. In places without adequate environmental standards, companies pollute at will. In places without connection to utility grids, individuals are more likely to burn dirty fuels. In places without waste and sanitation services, smoldering landfills replace garbage disposal. These factors contribute to the cruel relationship between poverty and pollution.
When the smog lifts
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the topic of urban air quality into sharp relief. During the lockdown, the persistent smog in Los Angeles broke, revealing a clear view of downtown skyscrapers. In industrial Jalandhar, the majestic snowcapped Himalayas became visible for the first time in decades. City residents have recognized that clear skies can coexist with urban conveniences.
Whether in a gleaming metropolis or a small village, access to clean air should be a basic human right. Following the economic and human devastation of COVID-19, governments around the world have a unique opportunity to address the twin crises of our uncontrolled emissions: air pollution and climate change. A sustainable recovery would invest in renewable energy, green infrastructure, and clean technologies both at home and abroad. The results would be not only a healthier economy but a healthier planet as well.
