Air Pollution Emerges as a Top Killer Globally – Part 1

Dark pollution clouds over Cairo. Credit: Khaled Moussa Al-Omrani/IPS.By Martin KhorPENANG, Nov 11 2016 (IPS)New research is showing that air pollution is a powerful if silent killer, causing 6.5 million worldwide deaths as well as being the major cause of climate change.   Air pollution has emerged as a leading cause of deaths and serious ailments in the world.  Emissions that cause air pollution and are Greenhouse Gases are also the main factor causing climate change.Therefore, drastically reducing air pollution should now be treated as a top priority.The seriousness of this problem was highlighted by the heavy smog that enveloped New Delhi for days at the beginning of November, forcing the government to declare an emergency, schools to be closed and a ban on construction work for several days.The level of the harmful PM2.5 pollutants had almost reached 1,000 at some times in the Indian capital city, far above the safety level of 60.Recent research shows that air pollution is the number one environmental cause of human deaths and kills more people annually worldwide than road accidents, violence, fires and wars combined.This “silent killer” is not as dramatic or visible as car crashes, murders, terrorist attacks or natural disasters, but it is nevertheless even more dangerous as it contaminates vital organs, causing serious diseases and deaths to many millions of people.Altogether 6.5 million people worldwide are estimated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to h...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Environment Headlines Health air pollution Indoor air quality World Health Organization Source Type: news