"It's Our Problem"
by Lauren Ting
In early August of 2005, the Southeast Asian state of Malaysia was forced to declare a state of emergency after crippling smog sent many individuals to the hospital complaining of respiratory issues. The pollution index in several Malaysian towns registered above 500, a rating indicating the overwhelming presence of several air pollutants (including ozone and carbon monoxide) and deeming the air very hazardous. The presence of this haze led local schools to close, and necessitated the use of gas masks outdoors. Non-essential businesses were forced to close, temporarily crippling the Malaysian economy. The smog was in part due to fires used for ground clearing in Indonesia, and though its presence occurs yearly, it has not hit with this magnitude in many years.
Pollution is not solely an issue in Malaysia however – the WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that at least 4.5 million people are killed each year through a combination of vehicle and industrial emissions, and solid fuel. Water and soil pollution also create chronic sickness and disease, with runoff creating dead zones where chemicals interrupt the food chain and wildlife slowly dies out.
In many cases, the convenience of dumping chemicals outweighs the immediate costs for greedy corporations, when the money at stake outweighs environmental concerns. Because chemical and air pollution are so costly and problematical to eliminate, once the damage is done, few are willing to bear the burden of cleanup efforts.
Of yet, there is little political sway allowing bordering countries to regulate the flow of air pollution from one to another, nor is there any way for already industrialized countries—who have benefited from the underhanded actions they have taken—to regulate those that are still developing, and prevent further environmental damage. At this point it is still up to individual countries to set reasonable pollution guidelines and make the kind of responsible choices which will allow the environment to perpetuate. Even South Africa has recently been having difficulties keeping pace with a spurt of industrial development and was not able to create air pollution legislation soon enough to prevent major health issues.
Between the U.S.’s current denial of the existence of global warming, as well as the large SUVs Americans are so notorious for, this country seems, despite the prevalence of activist groups, to be more part of the cause than of the solution. As gas prices rise, however, there has been a drastic increase in interest in hybrid vehicles, while sales of SUVs are declining. This trend is hopefully only one example of an inclination towards renewable power sources instead of those producing greenhouse gases. While the U.S. does have longstanding federal statutes restricting pollution, they are not nearly enough to control environmental damage, and they are designed around certain economically important industries.
Pollution often springs forth during periods of growth, as in China, where the results of a burst in the economy have created a large cloud of nitrous dioxide. The advent of new industrial sites has contributed to widespread acid rain and unhealthy air. The presence of this pollutant has grown even as legislation in many other countries has finally stabilized the release of NO2, in some cases even leading to a decline in emission. Despite these setbacks, China has begun several initiatives exploring ways to transition from coal to other less harmful energy sources, and investigating new technologies which could reduce emissions while maintaining productivity.
The simplest solution that has been proposed over and
over again by activist groups is personal accountability, in which the
polluter pays to reverse the damage he has inflicted. Similarly each
of us needs to make the simple changes in our own lives to make recycling
a habitual activity, and not contribute to this problem. Also, as the
world continues to investigate and test new cleaner energy sources,
and creates more cohesive pollution regulations, perhaps the world can
begin to heal. As we all share the same air and water sources, it is
important that we learn how to care for what is left of it, rather than
feigning ignorance and hoping that eventually the burden of mending
the environment will fall on someone else.
