Clean energy

KARACHI: One of the greatest problems that the world is facing is environmental pollution. Pollution creates health problems affecting people in both developed and developing countries. Pollution causes deterioration in the environment, through a foreign or contaminant agent that negatively impacts living beings. It causes grave and irreparable damage to the natural world. About 40% of deaths worldwide are being caused by water, air and soil pollution. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil on which we grow our food and even the increasing noise we hear every day can all contribute to pollution.

Water is essential for survival of living beings but it is also the most threatened by pollution. Plastic waste in the oceans is increasing rapidly. Polluted water is the leading cause of sickness and death with half of the world’s hospital beds filled with people suffering from water-borne illnesses.

Soil pollution occurs because of the presence of toxic chemicals, pollutants or contaminants in the soil. It creates risk for plants, wildlife and humans. Arable land is turning barren and becoming non-arable at ever-increasing rates. As a consequence of global warming and climate change three million people are dying every year. In the United States alone, many million tons of toxic chemicals are released into the environment – contributing to cancer, birth defects, immune system defects and many other serious health problems. To prevent all of this, we have to make global policies. People should use paper bags instead of plastic. We should use renewable energy sources for power. Most of the countries already working for prevention of pollution like the UK give subsidy of about 4,000 pounds to people who shift from petrol cars to electric. They have aimed to banish all petrol cars from the country by 2025.

Rijaa Dua

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2019.

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