Feature
The domino effect, air pollution and Air pollution and climate change are intrinsically linked. In this month’s magazine, editor Pippa Neill explores how.
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he climate crisis and air pollution are two of the biggest threats facing humankind, but like with most things, it would be foolish to address these as two separate issues. Across the world, air pollution is responsible for an estimated 7 million premature deaths every single year and according to research conducted by Greenpeace Southeast Asia, pollution from burning coal, oil and gas is responsible for 4.5 million of these. However, the relationship between air pollution and the climate crisis doesn’t end here. In fact, increasingly academics are starting to understand how climate change mitigation can help to reduce air pollution and how clean air measures can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Short-lived climate pollutants When talking about greenhouse gases, it would be easy to think that our only concern is carbon dioxide (CO2). However, as the name suggests there are many other less-discussed but equally dangerous gases, which when grouped together are known as short-lived climate pollutants. Black carbon, a pollutant produced largely by household burning or diesel vehicles, is one of these pollutants that is a growing cause for concern. Like other commonly known air pollutants, black carbon is dangerous to our health, but it also has a global warming potential up to 1,500 times greater than CO2. Dr James Allan, expert in black carbon at the University of Manchester explains: ‘Black carbon is very short-
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lived in the atmosphere meaning it only sticks around for a few days. However, where it does have an effect it can be really profound because it has a really high climate warming potential in terms of watts per square meter. ‘There is also some evidence to suggest that gram for gram, black carbon is worse for human health than particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution.’ Inhalation of black carbon is associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer and birth defects. In India alone it is responsible for over 400,000 premature deaths every single year. Alongside its health impacts, black carbon is also known to interact and disturb certain weather patterns. Dr James Allan explains: ‘Research also seems to suggest that black carbon may be impacting specific regions
