Pollution Article 1
 

Research findings by scientists from Harvard University, Birmingham University, Leicester University and University College London have established links between pervasive air pollution resulting in around 8.7m deaths globally in 2018.The recent estimate of deaths, published in the journal Environmental Research, is higher than other previous attempts to quantify the mortal cost of the use of fossil fuels.

 

In her book, ‘Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution’ environmental journalist Beth Gardiner tells us that every year air pollution prematurely kills millions of people around the world, this number includes those living in both rich countries and poor ones. The book is compellingly written, and alive with the personalities of the people who study, breathe and fight bad air. The book is a vital contribution on one of the most important - but too often ignored - issues of our time.

 

Air pollution is linked to strokes, heart attacks, many kinds of cancer, premature birth and dementia etc. In the book, Beth Gardiner travels the world to meet the scientists who have transformed our understanding of pollution's negative effects on human wellbeing. She traces the economic forces and political decisions that have allowed such air pollution to remain at such high life-threatening levels. But she also focuses on real-world solutions, and on inspiring stories of people fighting for a healthier future.

 

 

 

For too long large fossil-fuel organisations evidently had no qualms about making large profits knowing that their extremely profitable and destructive impacts were destroying the very habitat humanity depends on. It could be argues that taking into consideration the prior knowledge of the damage polluting organisations have done, and are still doing, to the natural environment should make their actions a criminal activity. We must create the legislative framework for a green and life-enhancing economy. Second, we must safeguard the natural environment that supports both human and non-human life forms.