Dear MEL Topic Readers,
22 of the top 30 most polluted cities in the world are in India
Grow fast, worry about the costs later. That seems to be happening in South Asia. While China has made decisive actions to improve air qualities as their focus shifted from growth to improvement, India stills lags far behind in the World Most Polluted Cities report.
PM2.5 refers to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) that have a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometers, which is about 3% the diameter of a human hair. These particles are formed when fossil fuels or trees are burned, and chemical reactions take place in the air. And they are the primary cause of smog. Many cities in South Asia, especially in India, have these microparticles in the air much beyond acceptable levels for health. As the pollutants included in the particles get into the lungs and cardiovascular system, they tend to cause lung and heart disorders and weaken cognitive and immune functions.
The problem is that the costs aren’t limited to budget, but health and environment. When an economy grows, activities in cities increase. People move more by cars and motorcycles, burn more fossil fuels to supply electricity and heat and cut more trees to make more room. Then, air pollution worsens, deteriorates health and the environment. People are sacrificing themselves, their children and the environment for today’s money and comfort.
Read the article and learn what a rapid, unregulated economic growth could cost.
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