2. The world is changing, and fast. In the current global age of rapid growth and
industrial expansion, it is becoming progressively important for humans to measure
the scope of our activities on the planet that we inhabit. Urbanization, consumerism
and an increasing population are all reasons why human disturbance is the main cause
of environmental degradation. This is why it is important for humanity as a whole to
become aware of our impact on the earth, and turn that concern into action.
In this report I will be focusing on a major environmental concern – air pollution. The
report will discuss indoor and outdoor air pollution, its effects on the planet and
health, and preventive measures we can take to reduce risk and developments in
creating more sustainable lifestyles.
Air pollution is one of the world’s biggest growing environmental concerns. In
developing countries - in particular China and India - industrialization and
urbanization is occurring on a mass scale as people move in floods to cities from the
countryside. However, these mass migrations do not come without cost. In developing
countries, infrastructure and technology may not keep up with the demand and
consumption of energy. For example, despite long in-the-making efforts to reduce its
carbon footprint, almost two-thirds of China’s energy continues to come from the
burning of coal, as it is still the cheapest and most readily available source of energy.
In the developing world, environmental health is a far-flung goal, as governments
have to first focus on meeting essential food, energy, housing and transport needs and
to ensure a basic quality of life for their citizens.
Yet, household air pollution causes 4.3 million deaths a year. (WHO) Around the
world, billions of people still rely on solid fuels like wood, coal, dung and crop waste
for cooking and heating. However, such practices come at a huge risk to health. Fine
particles and carbon monoxide pose a serious domestic threat in households like
these. With the addition of poor ventilation, the amount of fine particles in the air can
be up to a hundred times the acceptable level.
Indoor air pollution is not the only existing problem. The burning of fossil fuels like
coal, oil and gas causes pollutants to be released into the atmosphere. When fuels like
methane, gasoline and propane are burned; they react with oxygen to produce carbon
3. dioxide. This increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a key cause of global
warming. Industrial and waste from vehicular exhaust are large causes of air pollution
in urban areas. Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide released into the air irritates air
passages and causes acid rain. Carbon monoxide formed from the incomplete
combustion of fuels is toxic to breathe, as well as mercury emissions from industries
and the burning of coal. Air pollution causes damage to environmental equilibrium in
the form of acid rain, ozone depletion and global warming.
Barbara A. Finamore, senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council’s
China Clean Energy Program, describes sulphur dioxide ‘China’s No. 1 pollution
problem’, calling it the ‘most serious acid rain problem in the world’. A third of China
now faces acid rain.
The consequences of air pollution like smog and acid rain have an adverse effect
not only on the natural environmental balance, but also on the biological
functioning of humans living within the affected areas. Scientists found that
prenatal exposure to air pollution caused a decrease in children’s IQ scores. In
China, the coal that is used as daily fuel poisons people and causes
disease. Potential problems include asthma, respiratory diseases and cancer. The
widespread pollution may be due in part to the population not being fully aware of
the environmental consequences and health issues related to pollution.
In order to minimize environmental degradation, steps must be taken now to create
sustainable processes and urban systems. With developments in architecture and
technology, the concept of an ‘urban eco-system’ has been developed. The design
of a sustainable city derives its roots from the natural ecosystem - in nature, plants
photosynthesize food, and are then consumed by animals whose waste products
again provide nutrients that allow plants to grow and the cycle to begin again.
Following a similar vein, sustainable cities are built with long-term environmental,
economic and social concerns in mind. Utilizing a mix of architecture, green
technology and urban planning, it is possible to make cities more efficient and
ecologically friendly.
4. Cities all around the world are beginning to use technology take steps to reduce
their impact on the environment. In Lima, Peru, several ‘Super Trees’ have been
fixed around the city. Inspired by the natural respiration process of trees, the
device purifies the air with a water filtration system, removing carbon dioxide and
bacteria. Each Super Tree cleans six times the amount of air of a real tree.
In the architectural sphere, the Bosco Verticale (vertical forest) in Milan offers a
whole new perspective to the term “concrete jungle”. Over 2.5 acres of forest —
730 trees, 11,000 plants, and 5,000 shrubs— will cover the façades of the
buildings. These green residential towers will help to considerably decrease the
city's carbon dioxide emissions and reduce dust particles, particularly in the
surrounding area. In lieu of new eco-buildings, a Berlin-based firm has developed
an architectural tile, Prosolve370e, that reduces air pollution and be easily fixed
onto existing buildings. Covered in an ultrathin layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2), it
is activated by ambient daylight and works by neutralizing air contaminants when
positioned near traffic or polluted environments.
5. In conclusion, air pollution is a major environmental concern and each individual has
the responsibility to reduce his own carbon footprint. If each individual changes his
habits and adopts an eco-friendly lifestyle, cities on a mass scale will then be able to
reduce their harm to the environment. By making small incremental changes to our
lifestyle, such as carpooling, walking or taking public transport, we can all do our part
to reduce the release of harmful gases into the atmosphere.
