| We don't need scientists to tell us we require 'air' | | | | economic prosperity. Quite a price to pay wouldn't |
| to survive. The air we breathe has a gas called | | | | you say! |
| oxygen and without it there would be no life | | | | But air pollution doesn't stop in developing |
| period. Humans, plants and animals all need oxygen | | | | countries. Here at home in the US, we are often |
| to survive but although oxygen is a colorless, | | | | accused by the international community as being |
| odorless, and tasteless, there are a lot of | | | | the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases |
| pollutants in the air which are not. Worse still, | | | | worldwide. In addition to industrial pollution, millions |
| there are a whole bunch of impurities indoors as | | | | of us have these big automobiles which are all |
| well as outdoors, which is why ionic air purifiers | | | | spewing out air contaminants and affecting the |
| have become all the rage these days. But just | | | | quality of the air breathed as we walk around |
| how bad is bad when we talk about the quality of | | | | outside. President George W bush has not agreed |
| the air we breathe? | | | | to reduce emissions at the time of writing this |
| Air pollution first got my attention when I was | | | | article. He said it would be damaging to the US |
| visiting Hong Kong last year. My first impressions | | | | economy. He also went on to say that developing |
| of this small country was that it was clean, | | | | countries were not required to cut their emissions |
| efficient, and very well organized despite the fact | | | | so didn't see why the US had to do so at this |
| that its buildings and residents were so tightly | | | | time. |
| packed in. As I walked around the city areas, it | | | | Governments play a huge role in protecting its |
| was pretty noisy and certainly bustling, but I didn't | | | | citizens and the planet as a whole, but we the |
| think for one minute that there were any real | | | | little people, also have a duty to do what we can |
| issues with pollution. That was until I read an | | | | in order to help improve the quality of the air we |
| article in a local magazine which reported that | | | | breathe, and that goes for inside as well as out. In |
| there were over 2000 deaths caused last year | | | | actual fact, our home and work environments |
| through air pollution alone. | | | | may be damaging our health without us even |
| I found this an incredible read. What does it say | | | | realizing it. So many of us spend a high |
| for places like Bangkok in Thailand where you can | | | | percentage of our time indoors, so the quality of |
| almost chew on the air it's that thick. My Thai | | | | the air we breathe inside is very important. |
| physician here in the USA, explained that Bangkok | | | | Air pollution isn't just a problem for poor, |
| has lung cancer rates which are about three times | | | | undeveloped, or developing countries, it's a global |
| higher than the rest of the country, and its air | | | | issue. If any of us care about our children, our |
| pollution levels are some 14 times higher than | | | | children's children and their children, then we |
| international health standards. He went on to say | | | | humans as a race should sit up and take issue |
| that the city now has the sharpest decline in life | | | | regarding the quality of the air we breathe as a |
| expectancy within South East Asia. The price of | | | | very, very serious concern. Remember, the |
| pollution in the Asia region seems to indicate these | | | | planet is in our hands, and we only have the one. |
| Eastern cities are suffocating on their own | | | | |