Europe’s politicians have moral responsibility to tackle air pollution, says WHO environment director
GuardianSEP 15 2023
The State of Global Air report, published by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) in partnership with UNICEF, has claimed that air pollution was responsible for over 8M deaths in 2021 and that 2K children die every day from bad air.
Accounting for 12% of all deaths worldwide, air pollution now overtakes tobacco use and poor diets as the second largest risk factor for early death, second only to high blood pressure.
The study found that fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a byproduct of burning fossil fuels and biomass, was responsible for over 90% of the deaths. Ozone and nitrogen dioxide, the latter found in vehicle exhaust, were also contributors.
Climate change has greatly exacerbated the deadly effects of air pollution on the planet. The deadly PM2.5 pollutants are the direct result of our wanton use of fossil fuels, with inclement weather also contributing to pollution deaths. We must make the transition to a carbon-friendly economy if we want to rid us of the scourge of air pollution.
The perfect is the enemy of the good, and we cannot let a monomaniacal focus on climate change distract us from the changes we can make right now. People will be more motivated by the clear and present danger air pollution poses than distant harms down the road, and many more lives will be saved by a narrow focus on an issue we tackle here and now.