Our planet is continuously feeling choked since we have overexploited every possible resource on Earth. Air pollution is a severe consequence of our irresponsible acts. 90% of the world’s population breathes unsafe air.
What we understand by Air pollution is the excessive release of substances called pollutants into the air, which are extremely detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole.
An average human breathes 2 gallons of air per minute, which implies around 3400 gallons of air every day. Imagine the air being as polluted as currently, which means that this polluted air reduces life expectancy by least 1-2 years of a typical human life. It may start with small issues like itchy throat and burning eyes, to something as big as respiratory problems and death.
Air pollution is due to many different reasons, and fossil fuel burning is the number one cause. Other pollutants come from energy use and production, smog formation, and climate change.
I cannot keep myself thinking about how the Earth would be a better place without pollution: imagine fresh air, clean lands, and clear waters. But from where we stand, that is only a dream – the reality is a choking environment and full of toxicity. People are breathing the dirty air both in small villages and megacities alike.
We need to beat air pollution, and here’s how:
1. Plant more trees
Yes, host a tree planting event. If not an entire event, at least make sure your house has enough plants and the roads near your home as well! The more, the merrier!
2. Reduce the use of vehicles
Implement the use of a bicycle or walk for short distances. And for longer journeys, use public transportation. Taking these actions will not only reduce air pollution but also conserve energy.
3. Energy conservation
The more gasoline we burn, the more we contribute to air pollution. Make better choices. We burn Fossil fuels to produce electricity. We can take care to switch off the lights and electrical appliances when not in use. The use of CFLs also helps control pollution. This way, you can contribute to saving the environment at the individual level.
4. Recycle and Reuse
This concept isn’t just to conserve resources and use them judicially but also to reduce air pollution as it reduces pollutants’ emission.
5. Avoid usage of crackers
Thirty of the topmost polluted countries are Asian. We’ve been burning crackers during festivals; it’s high time we stopped using them.
6. Prevent forest fires and reduce smoking
The collection of garbage and burning in the dry seasons or dry leaves catching fire contributes significantly to air pollution, moreover smoking not only causes air pollution and the air quality to worsen; it also obviously damages one’s health.
7. Use clean energy resources
Try using solar energy, wind, and geothermal energy for production. Various countries, including India, have implemented those clean resources to step towards a better environment.
Although we follow many practices in India, which specialize in restoring the standard of air, we have forgotten some or are not following them correctly. There are many untested vehicles still running on the roads that are emitting toxic gases. There is still bulk bursting of crackers. It would help if you become an aware and responsible citizen and be mindful of this problem.