Air pollution is one of the world’s biggest environmental problems. It causes about 5.5 million deaths per year, and as a result of air pollution, many cities have so much smog that it is nearly impossible to see. In places like Southeast Asia, air pollution has become a big issue. Coal emissions may triple in just a few decades. The demand for electricity and industrial development is only worsening the situation.
In recent years, Southeast Asia’s air pollution problem has grown rapidly. According to a report released by Harvard, coal emissions in Southeast Asia are expected to triple by 2030, resulting in the deaths of many people due to pollution related diseases. For example, the study says that the premature mortality rate in Indonesia is currently 7,000 deaths per year, but in 2030, it will be 25,000 deaths per year. This is even more than the mortality rate per year in the rest of Asia. The main causes of pollution in this area are the demand for energy because of industrial and urban development. These demands can be met, but the main problem is that instead of using renewable energy, southeast Asians rely solely on coal for energy. In the future, this can cause health issues like lung cancer, bronchitis, asthma, and weakened lung capacity. It can also cause environmental issues like rising sea levels and global warming. To make matters worse, about 20,000 people die because of carbon emissions from coal energy plants per year currently, and this number will only grow.
Despite all these problems, something can still be done. For example, there are many organizations that are trying to find new sources of clean, renewable energy and are trying to implement solutions. These organizations include the Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (the NOAA). Both of these organizations research and monitor air pollution. They also help educate people, and they try to encourage using renewable energy. The most effective solution is to start using other sources of energy, but this can only be done with education. People will not know about the problem unless they are educated about it.
Southeast Asia’s air pollution is becoming worse. In the long run, this can be a public health risk, and can add to the Earth’s environmental issues. There are many solutions out there, but they need to be implemented. People need to embrace the idea of renewable energy. This will ensure that the air will be cleaner in the future. If nothing is done right now, then the air pollution will be much worse.
Works Cited:
Perry, Juliet. “SE Asia Air Pollution Deaths Could Triple, Report Says.” CNN. Cable News
Network, Jan.-Feb. 2017. Web. 16 Jan. 2017. <http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/12/asia/sout heast-asia-pollution-coal-report/index.html>.
Mackenzie, Jillian. “Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know.” NRDC. NRDC, 15 Dec.
2016. Web. 17 Jan. 2017. <https://www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution-everything-you-nee d-know#sec3>.
“Air Quality Information for the Sacramento Region.” Spare The Air: Health Effects of Air
Pollution. Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, 2017. Web. 17 Jan
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