Air pollution is root cause of many health problems, traffic, poverty, global warming, loss of biodiversity, loss of productivity, loss of trees, acid rains, water pollution, extra fuel consumption and also air pollution.
Health problems
According to World Health Organization (WHO), in the year 2012, ambient (outdoor) air pollution was responsible for 3.7 million deaths, representing 6.7% of the total deaths. Worldwide, ambient air pollution is estimated to cause about 16% of the lung cancer deaths, 11% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) deaths, more than 20% of ischaemic heart disease and stroke, and about 13% of respiratory infection deaths.
Apart from deaths, number of people affected by health problems because of air pollution is uncountable.
Traffic
People who prefer to walk one kilo meter (KM), who prefer to use bicycle up to 5 KMs, who prefer to use public transport (bus) for more than 5 KMs are using cars because of air pollution. Many people are using cars to avoid health problems but not for luxury. If we reduce air pollution, all these people prefer public transport and traffic comes down drastically.
Poverty
Air pollution affects a poor person from many directions. Health problems increase expenditure which is a direct hit on daily income. Health problems reduce productivity. Decreased productivity decreases income and sometimes disables a person from working and it is affecting daily labourers very badly.
Global warming
Root cause of global warming is air pollution. If we control air pollution, global warming automatically comes in our full control. Read more at Global warming article.
Loss of biodiversity
Solid dust on leaves of trees are hampering process of photosynthesis and endangering the lives of trees as leaves are the only source of energy for trees.
Human beings are affected by air pollution even after having masks, cloths, multiple transport options, knowing polluted & non-polluted areas, options to change their time of travel and place of work. What about birds? What about domestic animals? What about small creatures that roam around trees? They don’t have hands to cover their nose for bad smell. They don’t know whether the rain water has acids or bases. How long a just born bird can live by breathing polluted toxic air? Billions of living creatures that breathe air are getting affected by air pollution. Biodiversity cannot be conserved only by protecting forests. We need to provide them clean water and clean air as fundamental right to live.
Water pollution
The main source of water pollution is air pollution. When it rains, the particulates get mixed with rain water and the polluted rain water pollutes lakes, rivers and all water bodies. Heavy air pollution causes acid rains also.
Air pollution
As people use AC private vehicles instead of public transportation and bicycles to avoid air pollution, the extra fuel consumption causes more air pollution.