procrastinatingpolluters-blog

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Welcome! Fellow Procrastinating Polluter!

When we release air pollutants that change the climate, we procrastinate when it comes to “picking up” after ourselves. Hence, we are all “procrastinating polluters” when we ignore the urgency of climate change caused by air pollution. However, the purpose of this blog isn’t to make us feel worse about ourselves…it’s to empower our abilities to make a change!

Each year, air pollution causes 3.3 million premature deaths worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, this number will likely double by the year 2050 if no changes are made. So… Is this the future that we want? Of course not!

We have the responsibility to fix what we’ve damaged. More importantly, we have the responsibility to maintain a safe and healthy environment for our babies–our future! The ramifications of air pollution and climate change are completely unfair to them. As we collectively gain more knowledge about reducing air pollution and thereby addressing climate change, we can all take our first steps toward a better future for our young ones.

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General Effects On The Early Development Stage

Any type of air pollution consists of small-sized particles that can get past the immune system and penetrate deep into the lungs. During infancy, the lungs, brain, and immune system are immature and continue to develop until the approximate age of six. Therefore, this early development stage is vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution. According to a UCLA study, exposure to air pollution is linked to higher risks of

brain damage

respiratory problems

digestive problems

death in infancy

This generalized list of detrimental outcomes is quite unfair to the health of innocent children. As we continue to pollute the air, the climate changes and makes the air quality even worse! By addressing the causes of air pollution and its effects on climate change, we can help protect them!

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Outdoor Air Pollution: It’s Everywhere!

When various kinds of outdoor air pollution are mixed together, it can be dangerous when inhaled. The following are common sources of outdoor air pollution:

Airborne chemicals (from factories and power plants)

Traffic exhaust (from cars, buses, trucks, trains, airplanes, etc)

Construction dust

Coal mine fumes

Ground level ozone gas (smog)

Most of the time, air pollution is worse in cities when the air is stagnant, the sun is bright, and the temperature is high. Thus allowing the climate to adjust and impact the air quality even more!

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Carbon Monoxide Gas: Yikes! It’s Indoors!

Colorless, odorless, and poisonous! With enough accumulated indoors, Carbon Monoxide gas (CO) can kill you. Though it sounds terrifying, a simple way to stay safe from the gas is to install a CO gas alarm in your home. People tend to overlook indoor sources of CO poisoning which can be found in

gas cookers

stoves, grills, and furnaces

cleaning products

Symptoms of poisoning are “flu-like” such as

dizziness

weakness

vomiting

According to a CNN news report, overexposure to CO gas led to large numbers of premature deaths in heavily populated areas in China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nepal. CO poisoning puts everyone in the household at risk. But since babies are so vulnerable, let’s try not to burn more time from their future.

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Now...Take A Deep Breath Of Clean Air

Learning all of these risks can be quite overwhelming! It may now seem hard to take your baby anywhere without being paranoid about each and every breath they take. But don’t worry! There are many things you can do to help reduce air pollution in your area.  

Since all products have effects on the environment, using products that save energy reduces air pollution. So the next time you go shopping, keep these energy-efficient products in mind:

Energy Star LED lights and appliances (approved by EPA to use 75% less energy than other lights)

Green Vehicles

Products with reusable packaging

Reusable shopping bags

Rechargeable batteries.

Here is a short list of things you can do at home to conserve energy:

Recycle and reuse bags and/or boxes.

Set a time limit when using your heaters, furnaces, conditioners, and fireplaces

Turn off appliances when not in use

And lastly, here are some simple ways to reduce air pollution:

Promote for emission reductions from local power plants

Seal containers of household cleaners to prevent from evaporating into the air

Reduce vehicle exhaust (carpool, bike, or walk on some days)

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Spark Change On Climate Change

When the climate adjusts to polluted air, it reciprocates with worsened air quality. This continues in an ongoing cycle that will escalate into an unhealthy environment for young children—unless we make a change! By reducing air pollution, we would address one of the root causes of climate change.

No one wants a future where children are deprived of fresh air. Don’t let the climate adjust to our pollution. Take action in protecting the future’s fresh air by reducing the harmful impacts on our air quality. Once we accept this responsibility and make collaborative efforts, we can spark change for a better future.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!