It’s fair to say that we, as a planet, have become a lot more sustainably focused over the last few decades. Even if you’re not the most green-minded person out there, you’ll no doubt be at least somewhat aware of the issue of climate change and, within that, the problem of air pollution.
Many corners of the scientific community believe global warming is the single biggest threat to the human race – with some experts even claiming our efforts to correct it now are a case of “too little, too late”. If we’re to hope and assume that latter theory isn’t true, one of our absolute priorities as a collective should be to address the problem of air pollution, but what are the whats, whys and hows behind that issue?
What’s the problem?
When we talk about air pollution, we are talking about the presence of harmful substances in the atmosphere that pose a threat to our health and the health of the planet. That creates a notable problem in that the air that we’re breathing isn’t as clean as it could be, which can lead to a number of issues ranging from minor things like a cough to serious issues like diseases involving the lungs.
Where the planet is concerned, pollutants are contributing to significant damage to the atmosphere, which has significant implications for the health of the planet and longevity of the natural systems that keep us safe.
The biggest challenges attached to air pollution
Despite considerable progress since 1970, air pollution still remains a sizeable problem around the world, and particularly in developed industrial countries. The reason it’s important to act now is many climate experts believe now is the time to do or die – if we act properly now, we might be able to turn things around, but leave it longer and we could cause irreparable damage to the planet, and in turn our long-term future as a species.
Air pollution is a multi-faceted problem, but the biggest challenges facing us right now are:
- The effects of climate change on public health and welfare.
- Protecting the o-zone layer.
- Tackling the huge variety of common pollutant sources found across modern society. From toxic pollution caused by industrial output to natural CO2 production in the farming sector and pollutants spanning from everyday life, there are huge flaws in the fundamentals of our current way of life in air pollution terms.
How can we do our bit?
The process of attacking air pollution comes at different levels. At the top end, governments are implementing huge changes at the societal and industrial level, but there are also a number of personal responsibilities we can take on to help fix the problem.
If you’re interested in doing your bit in the fight against air pollution, you can:
- Walk, cycle or use public transport instead of using your car for a journey.
- Switch energy suppliers to a more green-focused provider.
- Cut down on your meat and dairy intake.
- Plant more greenery and trees.
- Purchase and consume only what you really need to.
- If you’re a business owner, invest in greener processes – for example, utilise gas cleaning technology to reduce your output of pollutants.
The fight against air pollution and global warming is from from over, and while a lot of positive change will rely on our governing bodies, we too can do our part at the individual level. To find out more about how you can help reduce air pollution, take a look at these suggestions on ways to help out.