#BEATAIRPOLLUTION
“Love is in the air but the air is polluted.” — Amit Abraham
June 5th of every year is a sacred day for all environmentalists and the world at large. Since 1974, the United Nations 5th June aside as a day for raising concerns, creating awareness, and taking resounding actions towards the protection of the environment. It’s 45 years now, and the tradition still remains the vanguard for projecting and addressing environmental issues such as overpopulation, global warming, plastic pollution, etc. World environment day also referred to as Eco Day or Environment Day is celebrated in over 100 countries, globally.
This year, China plays host to the event, and chose the theme, “Air Pollution” or “Beat Air Pollution” to be more precise. There couldn’t have been a more intense call for us to throw air pollution to the curb- apparently, everybody is tired of it. Air pollution is a phenomenon we have come to live with as if it is a norm, a part of life which weighs us down, but which we don’t fight hard enough to eliminate. WHO laid it all out a few ugly truths about air pollution, with facts and statistics that make you wonder how we managed to deviate so far from a clean environment. Through our poorly thought out or selfish actions and inaction, we humans have engineered ways to kill ourselves in millions annually, via ambient and household air pollution.
Bringing the Focus to Africa
It is oddly funny that we bring the odds against ourselves in Africa, though the law of commons might be at play here as exemplified in this Smithsonian report. But, the bulk of what we get from our environment is from what we have offered to it. Have a look at the list of countries by life expectancy — it is sad that you have to scroll all the way down to get to Afrcican countries. Looking at some of the major causes (health and lifestyle) of this incredibly low life expectancy in Africa, it is not too hard to see the attributes of air pollution — or pollution in general — embedded in each cause. In this article, WHO Africa laid out some facts that points at ambient and indoor air pollution as critical role players contributing to low life expectancy developing countries. The culprit propped by various economic and social factors, dwells among us and stare us right in the face all the time.
It is time we take extra steps to beat air pollution; it might be a gradual process, but how hard can it be? Looking at the health, economic and sustainability benefits that can be attained from beating air pollution; you realize that no step will be too small or too big to take in the right direction. If not for anything, we will at least get to limit air pollution for a chance to enjoy and live life longer.
Whether at home, in the streets or at work; everywhere we go, we are exposed to air pollution. In most cases, as with urban dwellers, the level of exposure is above WHO limits — that is, at points where the effects can’t considered negligible. For the sake of Eco Day, we will elaborate on some of the common drivers of air pollution, as highlighted by #BeatAirPollution campaign. And link them to our environment.
Household
With Nigeria as a case in point, a greater percentage of Africa’s population are yet to adopt clean energy as a sourcing of energy for heating and cooking in their homes. Unfortunately, the high level of indoor air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels, wood, sooty kerosene stoves, etc., all add up to influence about 3.5–4 million deaths in Africa and other developing countries.
In the rural communities, people make use of firewood, coal (and sometimes dried dung) to make a fire for cooking or dissipating cold. Out in the open, this adds to the bulk of ambient pollution, and within an enclosure (the home) it becomes a major concern for indoor air pollution. Those in the urban areas are not left out, as it is not all stoves offer clean energy for cooking. And we use these, year in, year out; slowly poisoning and weakening our lungs and other organs in the process.
This is a situation that can be limited by using clean energy, modern cookers.
Industry
Have you ever visited or lived close to an industrial layout in Nigeria? Or even visited some of the markets — Wuse market in Abuja, Ochanja in Onitsha, etc. — in Nigeria? What are some of the things you noticed as an environmentalist?
1. There is the incessant noise from generators
2. And the fumes and smokes from generators of all sizes.
Some shops have as much as three generators, all for the sake of ensuring that power is generated at all times for running their businesses. People live within these environments, the noise and foul air feel like a part of their lives — it’d almost feel weird if all generators are off and some fresh cool breeze waft through the area. True, this is a boost for the economy; commercial activities are going on, and people are buying petrol and diesel to fuel generators for their businesses and homes. All puts money into the economy, but at what expense? The lives of people in the long run, it seems.
Clean energy adoption still sounds like a fairy tale in homes, businesses, and industries in Africa. Yet, we wonder why our life expectancy is so low. Policies and projects can be put in place to ensure the continent’s migration into reliable and stable production of clean energy through renewable resources, which will turn around the continent’s air quality for good.
Transport
There is not a lot to write about this; we all know how stuffy it gets when stuck in a traffic jam in any major city, Lagos especially. You can almost feel the air getting snuffed out of you. While it might be hard to eliminate the air pollution accruing from transport within a few years, some policies can at least, be put in place to ameliorate it. One of which can be directed towards taking old vehicle models off the road and into the junkyards.
At REES Africa, we are doing as much as we can to help get things together in this sector. This move will be championed by Cycle for Air Pollution event geared towards making people aware of the causes and dangers of air pollution, especially through the use of CO2 emitting vehicles. And in the same line, encourage the use of bicycles for movements within a 2km range. Thus, keeping fit and reducing air pollution simultaneously.
Agriculture
From the point you get introduced to global warming, be it in primary, secondary, or tertiary institution, you will also get to hear about methane more often, as a major cause of air pollution. Agriculture falls as a culprit in this contribution through the methane and ammonia emissions from livestock, and air pollution caused by burning in preparation for agricultural activities. The effect of methane is deadlier than that of CO2, leading to asthma and loads of other respiratory illnesses.
The WED report suggests a shift to a plant-based diet, food waste reduction, feed optimization, and improved grazing management as probable solutions to agricultural air pollution.
Waste
Poor waste management remains a shortcoming in almost all the countries of the world, but the rate within rural and urban communities of developing countries is quite alarming. This is a common problem in every nook and cranny of the country inhabited by middle and low-income earners. The stench from landfills and roadside dumps might vary from one location to another, but that doesn’t make the detrimental effects any less impactful across locations. Air pollution from wastes is heightened by open burning, which releases toxic fumes from organic and inorganic (plastics, metals, etc.) wastes into the air. The effects are direct and quite disturbing when you consider that particulate matters, dioxins, methane, and other dangerous gases are released into the atmosphere all at once.
Waste management is a task that starts with individuals before extending to waste management companies. Separate your wastes and dispose of them properly at designated points. Organic wastes can always be turned into compost to improve soil fertility, even if it is your backyard garden. Scraps and other solid wastes should be properly disposed by whichever company that is handling waste management.
Looking at what we have above, you can tell that man has a hand in every bit of these causes of air pollution. As it is that we generated them, we can #BeatAirPollution to make living better for all of us; we can leave Mother Nature to battle all other natural causes of air pollution such as dusts, volcanoes, etc.
Love shared in the air is better appreciated without a dash of toxins and illnesses to go with.
Beat Air Pollution for a better life, today and tomorrow.
