Even if we don’t recognise it, it has an impact on us all. We’ve taken the air that we breathe at granted for the longest time. There was a mixture of cold and hot air, as well as a mixture of air and scents.

Even Nevertheless, new research has begun to shine light on some fairly alarming features of the air we breathe and how it impacts our bodies. Moreover, as we study, the more we recognise that this crucial source for the world need some serious attention. There is no life without air, yet inhaling dirty air is a death sentence.

We have no justification not to take action now that we are aware of the dangers of air pollution. Listed below are five reasons why we should all do our part to decrease and eradicate air pollution.

A Public Health Crisis Is Being Exacerbated By Smoggy Air

Today, polluted air is a worldwide public health crisis, and there is no mistake about it. Pregnant people as well as toddlers and women preparing over open flames are all at danger from this deadly disease.

Asthma, other respiratory ailments, and heart disease are just a few of the health problems that may be exacerbated by breathing dirty air, regardless of where it comes from.

As many as 800 people are killed by air pollution every hour, or 13 per minute, per the World Health Organization. Although many additional risk factors contribute to mortality, air pollution is the leading cause of death in the United States.

The Most Vulnerable Are Children

93% of the world’s youngsters breathe air that is more polluted than what the World Health Organization (WHO) deems safe for human health, globally. As a consequence, air pollution claims the lives of 600,000 youngsters each year. As if that weren’t bad enough, breathing polluted air impairs children’s brain development and increases their chance of developing chronic diseases later in life.

Women and children are especially vulnerable to the detrimental effects of household air pollution because of their traditional duties in the home in many cultures. And over half of all pneumonia fatalities in children under the age of five may be ascribed to indoor air pollution, which accounts for 60 percent of all home air pollution-related mortality worldwide.

Poverty And Pollution Are Intertwined

As a matter of social justice & global inequity, impoverished people are most affected by air pollution.

Air pollution in the house is mostly caused by the use of fuels & high-emitting cooking and heating equipment. Low-income households are unable to afford clean cooking & heating fuels and technology, therefore polluting options are the norm. Solid fuels, such as wood and kerosene, are used by almost 3 billion people, but 3.8 million of people die each year as a result of their exposure to toxins. A lack of understanding of the dangers of inhaling filthy air, and the high expense and difficulty of obtaining medical treatment, contribute to the issue.

In densely populated urban areas and heavily travelled suburbs, outdoor air pollution levels are particularly high. World Health Organization estimates that 97 percent of poor and middle-income cities with a population of over 100,000 do not fulfil the World Health Organization’s minimal air quality standards. As many as 4 million individuals in the Asia-Pacific area die each year from air pollution-related ailments.

29 percent of cities in high-income nations do not satisfy the standards set by the United Nations. These nations also have impoverished neighbourhoods that are more vulnerable to environmental hazards, such as power plants, industries, incinerators, and busy roadways.  Read also 5 Ways To Reduce & Manage Food Waste.

Increased Expenses Are Associated With Lower-Priced Fuels

The whole community suffers when individuals are ill. Those who are ill need medical attention and medication, children miss school, and working folks take time off to care for loved ones. The World Bank estimates that air pollution costs the world economy more than $5 trillion in welfare expenditures or $225 billion in lost revenue per year.

An OECD research from 2016 estimates that the yearly global welfare spending of premature mortality caused by outdoor air pollution will be between US$18 and 25 trillion by 2060, with pain and suffering costs estimated at roughly US$2.2 trillion.

In addition to the direct expenditures, there are also indirect costs that impact us all throughout the world. Food insecurity and malnutrition would worsen if ground-level ozone reduces staple crop yields by 26% by 2030. Materials and coatings are also degraded by pollution in the air, resulting in lower usable lives and higher cleaning, maintenance, and replacement expenses.

UN Environment’s 6th Global Environment Outlook predicts that climate mitigation initiatives to meet the Paris Agreement objectives will cost around US$22 trillion. At the same time, we might save $54 trillion in health care costs by lowering air pollution. Acting today to reduce air pollution will save $32 trillion over the course of a century.

A Fundamental Human Right Is The Ability To Breathe Fresh Air

More than 100 nations recognise the right to water as a constitutional right, which is the strongest kind of legal protection. The right to a clean environment is guaranteed by treaties, constitutions, and laws in at least 155 countries.

In addition to the Universal Declaration or the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Life, the Sustainable Development Goals—the global roadmap for peace and prosperity—enshrine the right to clean air as well.