Since last week, controversy has erupted concerning the data analysis of the air pollution crisis in India. As reported by VOX.com, India's air pollution has become so drastic that its life expectancy has alarmingly reduced by 3.2 years (on average).
A topic that has been frequently swept under the mainstream rug, air pollution this drastic has been going on for years with hardly no solution. According to the latest data report conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), India is accounted as the leading country with the most catastrophic levels in outdoor air pollution; moreover, 13 out of 20 cities with the biggest pollution are located in India.
India's pollution reportedly derives from a culmination of treacherous chemical particles, among them includes "smog" as the leading pollutant.
Though minimal effort has been done to relieve the problem, various individuals have spoken out to produce awareness in encouraging Indian governmental powers to sustain quality air control. Mohammed Kamal Professor of Public Policy Rohini Pande alongside University of Chicago collaborators spoke with the press two days ago releasing a notification that strongly recommended Indian government to enforce better regulations.
Other individuals stepping up to provide awareness include economist Michael Greenstone who shared suggestions with VOX.com on tactics India should follow. Among them include the proposal of an effective emission trading system alongside the ideal of penalizing citizens who purposely pollute (a factor that is rarely enforced, let alone rarely considered).
More attention to the issue is hopeful to increase, especially after a notification was released to the press by United States Secretary of State John Kerry. On February 21, 2015, Kerry confirmed the launch of a program, AirNow, that would monitor foreign countries' air quality, specifically India, to assist Foreign Service officers and U.S. military personnel with information of the air they're breathing, in efforts to "mitigate some of the harmful impacts," according to The Indian Express.
Already, a small form of action has made a difference for children between the ages of 11 and 15. According to a newly released report by The New York Times, the enforcement of stricter regulation and federal emission standards have partly reduced air pollution and have resulted in improved respiratory functions for adolescents and young teenagers; age ranges that mark the "critical period of lung development."
As this report progresses, further updates will be provided; in the meantime, something readers should view: a recent visual detailing the history of India's air polluting crisis (a very informative piece of material young viewers need to be strongly attentive and aware of):
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