Why the World is Choking on Dirty Air: Understanding the Crisis and How We Can Each Make a Difference
Tashkent regularly ranks among the cities with the world’s most polluted air, with harmful substance concentrations exceeding safe limits by as much as 30 times. In this article, Kursiv Uzbekistan explains the causes of air pollution, its dangers and each individual’s role in addressing the crisis.
What is Air Pollution
Air pollution is a mix of particles and gases that can reach dangerous outdoor and indoor concentrations. Common pollutants include soot, smoke, mould, pollen, methane, and carbon dioxide. It is one of the most serious environmental threats, leading to health issues ranging from mild temperature increases in the body to severe chronic diseases.
Natural Sources of Pollution
Natural events such as volcanic eruptions, sandstorms, wildfires, floods and droughts contribute to air pollution. However, their impact is minimal compared to the irreversible damage caused by human activities.
Human-made Sources of Pollution
The main human-driven causes of air pollution include:
- Transportation: Vehicles release particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. Coal and oil-powered trains emit greenhouse gases, and oil spills from ships devastate marine life.
- Agriculture: Ammonia gas from fertilizers, chemicals and large-scale livestock farming severely pollutes the air.
- Industry: Factories discharge hazardous waste into the seas and emit dangerous gases into the atmosphere during energy production.
- Waste: The average city dweller produces about 500 kg of waste annually. In Uzbekistan, where waste sorting is minimal, most of it is burned, releasing toxic gases and particles.
- Deforestation: Reducing trees, the planet’s main oxygen producer, severely impacts air quality. Tashkent, once called the «green city,» now ranks among the cities with the dirtiest air.
The Dangers of Polluted Air
Long-term exposure to polluted air leads to allergies, breathing difficulties, heart disease, strokes, lung cancer and premature death. Acid rain, water contamination and biodiversity loss are also direct results of air pollution. The most alarming consequence is global warming.
What is Global Warming
Global warming is the gradual increase in Earth’s average temperature, driven primarily by greenhouse gas emissions. It reduces the ozone layer, making the planet more vulnerable to solar radiation.
Why Scientists Are Raising the Alarm
Melting glaciers and rising sea levels threaten to submerge cities like Venice by 2100. Freshwater supplies are diminishing, and extreme weather events — wildfires, hurricanes, droughts — are becoming more frequent and intense. Global warming endangers ecosystems, and many plants and animal species may disappear within centuries.
How Each of Us Can Help Clean the Air
- Plant and care for trees: Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
- Use public transport: One bus can replace up to 60 cars on the road.
- Opt for electric vehicles or install filters on cars.
- Choose recyclable products: Reduce landfill waste and environmental harm.
- Avoid single-use plastics.
Global Efforts to Combat Air Pollution
Worldwide initiatives include the transition to renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydroelectric power), international agreements to cut emissions and the installation of filters in factories.
The most crucial point is that preserving the environment is in everyone’s hands — only people can make the air cleaner.
