The United Nations – along with many global institutions – celebrates the “International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies” on September 7th every year. This is to raise awareness and strengthen global action against air pollution, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently described as a “global emergency.”
The beginning of the celebration of this day dates back to the seventy-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly, which in 2019 issued a resolution designating September 7 of each year as the “International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.”
There is no doubt that air pollutants are the most serious threat to our health and the health of all environmental systems around us, as reports indicate that 99% of the world’s population breathes unsafe air, and that exposure to polluted air for a long time leads to many serious diseases, such as stroke, heart and lung disease, and even cancer. Therefore, it would not be surprising to know that air pollution causes more than 6.7 million premature deaths annually.
The majority of the world’s population breathes polluted air, and the percentage of this pollution varies according to geographic, economic, and demographic factors in each environment. What is common here is that continuous exposure to polluted air – all the time – has serious repercussions on health and quality of life. Which necessarily affects the increase in the health budget among all countries.
Reducing air pollution is crucial to improving human health, and also crucial in confronting the three most prominent crises facing our world today: climate change, loss of biodiversity, and waste pollution. As well as helping us achieve many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Therefore, the celebration of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies raises awareness of the dangerous effects of air pollution, and also works to increase cooperation between researchers, companies, governments and individuals to deal – immediately and seriously – with this crisis that threatens our lives.
Cooperation and partnership to confrontAir pollution
We certainly have solutions to address the problem of air pollution, and in order for us to be able to implement them on a large scale, we must all cooperate and work across different sectors and in all fields. To reduce this pollution. If air pollution has a greater impact on areas adjacent to its sources, its harmful effects cross geographical borders and can travel thousands of kilometers in the atmosphere.
We will not be able – of course – to control the movement of the wind, but we can work together to develop solutions in advance. To address challenges related to air pollution. The industrial and service sectors, for example, could gradually shift to relying on renewable energy alternatives. Thus reducing fuel combustion. Another matter is the establishment of regional agreements that facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge between distant regions in everything related to combating air pollution.
Based on the above, this year’s celebration focuses on the need to strengthen strong partnerships, increase investments, and assume joint responsibility between various parties.
Natural and Anthropogenic Air Pollution
It is true that natural sources – such as volcanic eruptions and dust storms – lead to air pollution, but air pollution resulting from human activities is more severe and has a deeper impact. The primary human source of air pollution is the burning of fuels, which are typically found in power generation applications, transportation, industrial sectors, home heating and cooking, as well as agriculture, and waste burning.
Many of these aforementioned applications are also sources of greenhouse gas emissions, causing air pollution and climate change in the short and long term. Which in turn leads to environmental phenomena, such as sea level rise, forest fires, floods, etc.
Air pollution – in general – is a source of concern for human health, specifically particulate matter (PM2.5), which are particles that are invisible to the human eye and have a diameter of 2.5 microns or less. These particles rise and are carried in the air as a result of human and natural activities, and are breathed by humans and various other organisms, and lead to many health problems, including the respiratory system, eyes, and skin. Therefore, it is constantly measured to determine air quality, according to regulating legal limits.
This affects, of course, health in the long term, such as heart disease, cancer, and strokes, and also affects in the short term. Causing irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, shortness of breath, coughing, and asthma attacks.
How do we participate in celebrating this day?
Each of us has an important role in spreading awareness of this important issue among our family, friends, and co-workers, while urging them to adopt sound behaviors that work to reduce each individual’s environmental footprint, such as shopping responsibly, resorting to sustainable alternative options to plastic, disposing of waste in the appropriate manner, and increasing recycling and use of various products.
On the institutional and governmental side, it must be realized that air pollution is a silent killer! It affects all of us directly or indirectly; Therefore, we must adopt policies of transitioning – gradually – to renewable energy alternatives, facilitate procedures, issue the necessary licenses for renewable energy projects, and establish appropriate legislative frameworks that stimulate investment in this promising sector.
In conclusion, we affirm that the celebration of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies aims to raise awareness at the individual and institutional levels, and sheds light on the devastating effects of air pollution on our public health, as well as our environmental systems, which cause the death of millions every year, in addition to the huge economic bill that governments must deal with as a result of this.
