Reducing harmful emissions is an important step towards climate change
Last reviewed: 16.05.2018
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One of the most recent WHO reports highlighted the need to reduce methane, soot, ozone, carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. All these substances not only affect global warming, but also cause death (due to air pollution, more than 7 million people die each year).
The WHO report was prepared with the assistance of the Coalition "Climate and clean air", it notes that reducing the amount of harmful emissions to the environment will help reduce the number of diseases and deaths, improve the quality of food, which in turn will improve the overall health of the population.
Daily harmful substances in the atmosphere worsen the health of people, especially such emissions affect the children's body.
The report provided recommendations to countries, environmental ministries that can be adopted now and significantly reduce emissions of harmful substances and reduce the number of diseases and early mortality due to polluted air.
The report mentions the results of a study conducted several years ago, according to which if all countries take measures to reduce harmful emissions into the environment, the number of premature deaths will decrease by more than 2 million, and according to new data, by 3.5 million in 15 years (based on recent WHO studies).
In order to understand what measures will most effectively help reduce emissions of harmful substances and prevent climate change, more than 20 measures were taken to mitigate the harmful effects of pollutants, including gas collection at landfills, approval of standards for the content of harmful substances in the exhaust of transport, the transition to renewable sources energy, reducing the amount of food waste.
To reduce the amount of pollutants in car exhausts, it is necessary to introduce strict standards and tighten the requirements for the energy efficiency of engines. Such measures will reduce the amount of soot and other harmful substances in the atmosphere, improve air quality, reduce the percentage of diseases associated with dirty air.
Equally important is the development of fast means of transport for public use (for example, trains, buses), as well as measures to promote the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, which will reduce not only air pollution but also noise impact, and also increase physical activity population and will reduce injuries as a result of road accidents.
It is also recommended to replace with alternative conventional furnaces and fuels in a number of households that use solid fuel for heating and cooking, to promote healthy food, in particular the use of plant products.
According to the head of the WHO department such measures will lead to a positive effect on the health of the population, and the result can be felt almost immediately.
A few months ago, a resolution was adopted by the World Health Assembly, which stressed the need for close interaction between different sectors, while health issues to combat air pollution should be included in local, regional and national policies.
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