Space Debris Threat to Earth’s Defenses

 

As the number of satellites in Earth’s orbit continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, experts are raising concerns about the potential impact of space debris on the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere.

The Growing Problem of Space Debris

• Current estimates suggest that there are nearly 10,000 active satellites in orbit, with companies working to deploy tens of thousands more in the coming decades.
• Jonathan McDowell from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics projects that the number of satellites could reach 100,000 within the next 10 to 15 years.
• The rapid increase in satellite launches is resulting in a significant amount of space debris, including defunct rockets and satellites that are no longer operational.

Potential Impact on Earth’s Magnetic Field and Ionosphere

• The influx of metallic debris from defunct rockets and satellites could disrupt the ionosphere and magnetosphere, which are essential systems that protect Earth’s atmosphere and sustain life on the planet.
• The ionosphere, located roughly 48 to 965 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, is a region where atoms and molecules become ionized by solar radiation, creating a layer of charged particles that reflects radio waves and enables long-distance communication.
• The ionosphere also helps protect life on Earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
• The magnetosphere is a plasma cocoon that surrounds the Earth, interacting with the solar wind and cosmic radiation to create a shield against harmful particles and radiation from space.

The Scale of the Problem

• Current estimates suggest that the amount of metallic ash being dumped into the ionosphere annually is equivalent to multiple Eiffel Towers’ worth of debris.
• Unlike meteorites, which are small and contain only trace amounts of aluminum, the wrecked spacecraft are large and consist entirely of aluminum and other highly conductive materials.
• The accumulation of conductive materials in the magnetosphere could potentially trap or deflect parts of the Earth’s magnetic field, leading to regional perturbations and holes above the ozone layer.

Lack of Comprehensive Studies

• Despite the potential risks posed by space pollution, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on its impact on the magnetosphere and ionosphere.
• Plasma physicist Sierra Solter, who has been studying the issue, emphasizes the need for more research to understand the potential consequences of satellite debris on Earth’s plasma environment.

The rapid expansion of satellite constellations, driven by companies competing for dominance in the satellite internet market, is leading to an alarming accumulation of metallic debris that could disrupt the delicate balance of the magnetosphere and ionosphere, which play crucial roles in protecting life on Earth.

A bigger threat than cigarettes: How air pollution is cutting short lives by up to five years in South Asia

 

The average person living in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan is exposed to particulate pollution levels that are 51.3% higher than in 2000, according to a new study. In India, between 2020 and 2021, PM 2.5 levels increased from 56.2 µg/m3 to 58.7 µg/m3, which is 10 times more than the WHO guideline.

Air pollution is reducing the life span of people living in South Asia by 5.1 years, according to a new report. The region, which is home to the most polluted countries of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, accounts for more than half of the total life years lost globally due to high pollution.

In India, on average, poor air quality takes 5.3 years off the life of a person, the report added. In contrast, cardiovascular diseases decrease the average Indian’s life expectancy by around 4.5 years, while child and maternal malnutrition reduce life expectancy by 1.8 years.

The report, ‘Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) Annual Update 2023’, was published on Tuesday (August 29) by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute. AQLI measures the impact of particulate pollution on life expectancy and the latest report analysed particulate matter data from 2021 to determine its impact on life expectancy. Here is a detailed look at the report’s findings and how harmful pollutants like particulate matter (PM) 2.5 affect humans.

South Asia and air pollution

Air pollution is a major threat to South Asians, especially those living in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its impact on life expectancy in each of the previously mentioned countries is far greater than other prominent health threats. “Tobacco use, for instance, reduces life expectancy in these countries by as much as 2.8 years; unsafe water and sanitation by as much as 1 year; and alcohol use by half a year,” said the report.

As of now, the average person living in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan is exposed to particulate pollution levels that are 51.3% higher than at the turn of the century.

“Had pollution levels in 2000 remained constant over time, the residents in these countries would be on track to lose 3.3 years of life expectancy — not the 5.2 years that they stand to lose in 2021,” the report added.

Bangladesh remains the most polluted country in the world. Although it witnessed a drop of 2.1% in particulate pollution in 2021 compared to 2020 levels, pollution in the country was about 14 to 15 times the WHO guideline for the past decade. The South Asian nation stands to lose 6.8 years of life on average per person. According to the WHO, annual average concentrations of PM 2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m3.

In India, the second most polluted nation, all 1.3 billion people live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level surpasses the WHO guideline. Moreover, 67.4% of the population live in areas that exceed the country’s own national air quality standard of 40 µg/m3, the report said.

Over the years, air quality levels have been plummeting across India. The report said from 1998 to 2021, average annual particulate pollution increased by 67.7%, further reducing average life expectancy by 2.3 years. Between 2020 and 2021, PM2.5 level in India increased from 56.2 µg/m3 to 58.7 µg/m3, which is 10 times more than the WHO guideline. The analysis also said from 2013 to 2021, 59.1% of the world’s increase in pollution has come from India.

The most polluted region of the country is “the Northern Plains, where more than a half billion people live”. Notably, Delhi’s annual average PM2.5 level in 2021 was found to be 126.5 µg/m3 and the life expectancy of an average person living in the city has shortened by 11.9 years.

A 2022 study, published in the journal Lancet, found that air pollution caused more than 16.7 lakh premature deaths in India in 2019. Out of the total deaths, 9.8 lakh were caused by PM2.5 pollution, and another 6.1 lakh by household air pollution. “In India and Pakistan, the number of vehicles on the road has increased about four-fold since the early 2000s. The number of vehicles roughly tripled in Bangladesh from 2010 to 2020,” the analysis said.Not only this, electricity production using fossil fuels tripled between 1998 and 2017 in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan combined. Although high energy use has contributed to better living standards and economic output in these countries, the consequent increase in particulate pollution has had grave repercussions.

Adverse effects of particulate pollution

One of the most harmful atmospheric pollutants is PM 2.5. Sized at just 2.5 micrometres, which is around 3% of the diameter of a human hair, it can easily enter the circulatory system of humans through the nose and throat. PM 2.5 particles can cause chronic diseases such as asthma, heart attack, bronchitis and other respiratory problems.

Source: Indian Express, 31/08/23

Inhale death: Editorial on worsening air quality in India

 This is alarming because pollution itself is creating newer inequalities — for example, air purifiers remain largely out of reach of the country’s poor

Air pollution is a hydra-headed phenomenon. This makes it difficult to frame adequate interventions for it. Unsurprisingly, the latest report by the Swiss firm, IQAir, lays bare unpleasant facts about worsening air quality in India. According to the 2022 Air Quality Report, even though India has dropped three places to rank eighth among the most polluted countries, 39 of its metropolises figure in the list of the 50 most polluted cities on account of emissions from the transport sector, industries, coal plants and biomass burning. That is not all. The study, which collected data from 131 nations, has highlighted that India’s PM2.5 concentration — 53.3 micrograms per cubic metre — is 10 times the safety limit recommended by WHO. The multifaceted nature of the challenge is also obvious. New Delhi, which was once the world’s most polluted capital, has been overtaken by N’Djamena, the capital of Chad; areas in the National Capital Region have also recorded a dip in pollution levels. But things are worsening in other cities. Calcutta has come second in terms of polluted air; Hyderabad and Bengaluru, too, have recorded a dip in air quality. This uneven improvement nullifies a centralised approach. The battle must be fought in a case-centric manner. This implies greater cooperation between the Centre and the states, something that is rare on account of India’s fraying federal ties.

That air pollution has adverse impacts on public health is clear: an estimated six million deaths occur annually due to poor air quality. But the economic costs of foul air often evade public scrutiny even though the figure is supposed to be over 6.1% of the global annual GDP. A set of attendant problems has aggravated the crisis. India’s frontline regulators, including the Pollution Control Boards, have been found wanting when it comes to effectively discharging their mandates. Public willingness to adhere to environmental norms is tepid. What else can explain the stubborn insistence on crop-burning or the widespread enthusiasm for firecrackers in defiance of judicial restrictions? It is also possible that the nationwide tilt towards religious conservatism, aided and abetted by the ruling regime, is eroding civic responsibility. This is alarming because pollution itself is creating newer inequalities — for example, air purifiers remain largely out of reach of the country’s poor. The fight for clean air is a battle that the government and the people must fight together.

Source: Telegraph India, 21/03/23

What is AQI, the number that signifies how polluted the air is?

 Over the past few days, as the problem of air pollution in Delhi-NCR and surrounding areas has made its annual November-December appearance in policy debates and public discussion, the Air Quality Index (AQI) has been mentioned repeatedly.

AQI is a number, which is a measure of air quality. The higher the AQI, the worse the air. After staying above 450 for a couple of days, the AQI in Delhi on Sunday had come down to around 320.

The colour-coded AQI index was launched in India in 2014, and it helps the public and the government understand the condition of the air and what subsequent measures are to be taken to combat the situation, based on its severity. There are six categories of AQI, namely ‘Good’ (0-50), ‘Satisfactory’ (50-100), ‘Moderately polluted’ (100-200), ‘Poor’ (200-300), ‘Very Poor’ (300-400), and ‘Severe’ (400-500).

What is the AQI and how does it calculate pollution?

Launched by the central government in 2014 as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign, the AQI was to help simplify the common understanding of pollution. An expert group comprising medical professionals, air quality experts, academia, advocacy groups, and others was constituted and a technical study was awarded to IIT Kanpur. IIT Kanpur and the Expert Group recommended an AQI scheme.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, part of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the AQI transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature and colour. The pollutants measured include PM 10, PM 2.5, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Carbon, etc.

There is a calculation that goes behind the index. There are six or eight pollutants in the affected air and each of these pollutants is given a weight based on a formula. That weight depends on the kind of impact it has on human health. The worst of these weights is given as composite air quality, so instead of giving you six different numbers, and six different colours, it throws up one single colour, one single number to denote the overall impact. Monitoring stations across the country assess these levels.

What is the impact of these pollutants?

Among the more harmful pollutants are those of a smaller size, such as particulate matter (PM) 2.5, which is an atmospheric particulate matter of diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometres (or around 3 per cent of the diameter of a human hair). It causes respiratory problems and reduces visibility. The particles can only be detected with the help of an electron microscope because they are so small.

Due to their size, the PM 2.5 particles can easily bypass the nose and throat and can easily enter the circulatory system. The particles can also lead to cause chronic diseases such as asthma, heart attack, bronchitis and other respiratory problems.

How does the AQI influence government policy?

Based on the levels, the governments in areas like Delhi announce measures. As the AQI in NCR dipped to the ‘severe’ category on Thursday, stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan was set in motion. The GRAP has specifically been instituted for emergency measures that kick in to prevent further deterioration of air quality in Delhi-NCR. A central panel directed authorities to prohibit the use of diesel four-wheelers that are not BS-VI compliant, as well as the entry of trucks in Delhi. Petrol cars can continue to ply as usual.

Source: Indian Express, 6/11/22

India topped air pollution death toll in 2019, says report

 

Globally, air pollution alone contributes to 66.7 lakh deaths, according to the report, which updates a previous analysis from 2015.

Air pollution was responsible for 16.7 lakh deaths in India in 2019, or 17.8% of all deaths in the country that year. This is the largest number of air-pollution-related deaths of any country, according to a recent report on pollution and health published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

Globally, air pollution alone contributes to 66.7 lakh deaths, according to the report, which updates a previous analysis from 2015. Overall, pollution was responsible for an estimated 90 lakh deaths in 2019 (equivalent to one in six deaths worldwide), a number that has remained unchanged since the 2015 analysis. Ambient air pollution was responsible for 45 lakh deaths, and hazardous chemical pollutants for 17 lakh, with 9 lakh deaths attributable to lead pollution.

Pollution in India

The majority of the 16.7 lakh air pollution-related deaths in India – 9.8 lakh — were caused by PM2.5 pollution, and another 6.1 lakh by household air pollution. Although the number of deaths from pollution sources associated with extreme poverty (such as indoor air pollution and water pollution) has decreased, these reductions are offset by increased deaths attributable to industrial pollution (such as ambient air pollution and chemical pollution), the report noted.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has substantially tightened its health-based global air quality guidelines, lowering the guideline value for PM2.5 from 10 micrograms per cubic metre to 5. This means that there is hardly any place in India which follows the WHO norms,” Dr Sundeep Salvi, Chair for Chronic Respiratory Diseases of the Global Burden of Diseases study (GBD-19), told The Indian Express. He was not associated with the latest report in The Lancet Planetary Health.

According to the report, air pollution is most severe in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This area contains New Delhi and many of the most polluted cities. Burning of biomass in households was the single largest cause of air pollution deaths in India, followed by coal combustion and crop burning.

The number of deaths remains high despite India’s considerable efforts against household air pollution, including through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana programme. India has developed a National Clean Air Programme, and in 2019 launched a Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region. However, India does not have a strong centralised administrative system to drive its air pollution control efforts and consequently improvements in overall air quality have been limited and uneven, the report has said.

Professor Kalpana Balakrishnan, Dean (Research), Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University), Chennai, and one of the authors of the report, stressed the need for a radical shift in the approach to pollution management efforts.

“In India, we need integrated surveillance platforms for health and exposure surveillance. Population exposure surveillance via biological and environmental monitoring can inform risk attributions within health programmes already in place to reduce the burden of maternal and child health as well as non-communicable diseases. Impacts from lead as shown in the report, that impacts children’s IQ, really drive home the point of irreversible long-term damage for multiple generations. Without surveillance at scale it is impossible to know what worked and what didn’t,” she told The Indian Express.

Lead pollution

Dr Salvi too cited the implications of lead pollution. “An estimated 9 lakh people die every year globally due to lead pollution and this number is likely to be an underestimate. Earlier the source of lead pollution was from leaded petrol which was replaced with unleaded petrol. However the other sources of lead exposure include unsound recycling of lead-acid batteries and e-waste without pollution controls, spices that are contaminated with lead, pottery glazed with lead salts and lead in paint and other consumer products,” he said.

“Globally more than 80 crore children (India alone contributes to 27.5 crore children) are estimated to have blood lead concentrations that exceed 5 µg/dL — which was, until 2021, the concentration for intervention established by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This concentration has now been reduced to 3.5 µg/dL,” he said.

Written by Anuradha Mascarenhas , Esha Roy

Source: Indian Express, 18/05/22

The debilitating impact of pollution on the economy

 Delhi suffered the highest per-capita economic loss due to air pollution last year in India, according to a study published in The Lancet on Tuesday. The economic loss due to lost output from premature deaths and illness attributable to air pollution (outdoor and household) as a percentage of state GDP was 1.08% in Delhi. The highest loss to GDP was recorded by Uttar Pradesh (2.15%), followed by Bihar (1.95%), Madhya Pradesh (1.70%) and Rajasthan (1.70%). Overall deaths and disease due to air pollution, according to The Lancet, is responsible for a loss of 1.36% of the nation’s GDP.

The impact of air pollution on the economy can be deep, yet not immediately obvious. For example, higher rates of asthma, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases can lead to reduced ability to work and lower participation rates in the labour force. Children susceptible to asthma attacks also miss school days, which can severely impact their learning and subsequently future growth, while health care requirements can result in their parents taking extra time off from work. Deaths of children and young people bring an economic cost through lost contributions to society and the economy, which can be large. Earlier this year, a study released by MIT Sloan said that a large-scale review demonstrates that air pollution is not only detrimental to people’s physiological health, but also their psychological health. It increases depression, and impairs cognitive functioning and decision-making.

In a developing country such as India, there is a continuing debate on carbon-intensive growth versus environment and health. But as The Lancet study shows, increasing pollution load is erasing the very economic and human development gains that the country aspires to achieve. The pollution-related losses will also hit the poorer states with weaker social infrastructure harder, deepening the already existing social and economic inequities further.

Source: Hindustan Times, 24/12/20

Pollution: Why every one per cent counts, writes Sunita Narain

 

The source of pollution here is local. Action has to be taken through local agencies. And it has to be systemic. Now that the stubble-burning period is over, but air is still polluted and toxic over vast parts of the country, we need to talk about what needs to be done.

Three kinds of actions are essential — steps against episodic pollution events like stubble-burning; steps against local sources of pollution, which aggravate the problem; and more transformational action that will bring long-term benefits. All three levels of pollution management are critical. And all sources of pollution need to be addressed.

I say this because all contributors to pollution say that they are only one per cent of the problem. So if steps are taken to control diesel from vehicles, car owners will say they are one per cent; when power plants are asked to clean up or shut down, they say they are one per cent.

Or when industry is told that the coal that they burn is contributing to the toxic air in the region, they will cry foul and say, what about action against garbage-burning? So, the net result is to point fingers at some other source, away from the action that needs to be taken.

This is also the favourite ploy of governments — Centre to state, agency to agency. Pass the buck and make the problem go away.

But it won’t. Every winter, we will continue to choke and hurt. Every winter, when the weather turns adverse and pollutants settle close to the ground, even the steps taken in the past few years to reduce pollution will get negated. This is because the sources of pollution will continue to grow — the vehicles on the road will increase; they will get older with each passing year and so more polluting; the numbers of industries will increase.

Let us deal with each source. The first is episodic stubble-burning, which starts around October 15, when winter is settling in and the wind turns to bring pollutants from fires to cities of the region, including Delhi.

Steps are needed from now till next October to ensure that machines for stubble management are available in every village; that small and marginal farmers get free access to these and that farmers have evidence of the benefits to turn the crop residue back into the land and not to burn it.

In addition, there are exciting efforts underway to use the stubble to make compressed natural gas or for power generation. These need to be tracked, prodded, pushed and implemented. What is needed is deliberate steps and careful monitoring — month after month.

What is also clear is that post this stubble-fire period, the quality of air in Delhi and the surrounding region remains foul. It ranges between very poor and severe, depending on what meteorologists call the ventilation index — which determines dispersion of pollutants — and wind speed. According to the National air quality index (AQI), exposure to “poor” levels of air is unhealthy and gets more severe as exposure is prolonged and air quality deteriorates into very unhealthy and hazardous.

To fix this, in the short-term, each pollution hotspot needs to be managed. Currently, there are some 13 hotspots in the region — identified as those with the highest air pollution levels.

The sources of pollution here include construction and road dust, garbage-burning in vacant areas, and industries that spew pollutants from their stacks or congestion points for traffic.

The source of pollution here is local. Action has to be taken through local agencies. And it has to be systemic.

The reason is that garbage removed one day; or a road paved one day, is then filled again with waste or dug up again. This is where we need maximum governance for maximum gain.But all this will not be enough — it will be like putting out small fires in a blazing forest. We need action at speed and scale. The key is to tackle the problem of coal-burning in the region — in power plants and in literally thousands of industrial units scattered across the legal and illegal parts of Delhi and the region.

Delhi’s ban on the use of coal is good. But industries have then moved either to illegal and unauthorised areas in the city or to surrounding states. Here they continue to use coal, for it is the cheapest fuel, as against natural gas, which is doubly and triply taxed so it is unaffordable.

We need a second gas revolution in the region — compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles brought us the first-generation change. We now need a fuel-switch in all sources for clean air.

This includes using clean electricity for powering industry and vehicles. But remember, if the power plant is dirty, then electric vehicles will only mean that we shift the problem from us to them. The airshed is one, so the pollutants will come back to our lungs.

This is why air pollution is a great equaliser, and we are all in it together. Every one per cent counts.

Sunita Narain is director-general, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi

Source: Hindustan Times, 15/12/20

Delhi world’s most polluted capital, 21 Indian cities in top 30, says report

 New Delhi topped the list of most polluted capital cities in the world in 2019, according to a new report, which also revealed that 21 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities were in India. Ghaziabad, meanwhile, had the dubious distinction of being the most polluted city in the world. According to the World Air Quality Report 2019, compiled by IQAir AirVisual, Ghaziabad was followed by Hotan in China, and then Gujranwala and Faisalabad in Pakistan. Delhi took the fifth place. The 21 Indian cities named in the list in the order of their ranking were Ghaziabad, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Bandhwari, Lucknow, Bulandshahr, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Jind, Faridabad, Coraut, Bhiwadi, Patna, Palwal, Muzaffarpur, Hisar, Kutail, Jodhpur and Moradabad. As per the country-wise data, India ranked fifth in the world’s most polluted countries with Bangladesh taking the top spot, followed by Pakistan, Mongolia and Afghanistan. The report, however, also mentions that Indian cities have shown improvement compared with last year. “Whilst cities in India, on average, exceed the World Health Organisation target for annual PM2.5 exposure by 500%, national air pollution decreased by 20% from 2018 to 2019 with 98% of the cities experiencing improvement,” the report stated. Frank Hammes, IQAir CEO said, “While coronavirus is dominating international headlines, a silent killer is contributing to nearly seven million more deaths per year that is air pollution. The gap in air quality data in large parts of the world poses a serious problem, as what is not measured cannot be managed.” Avinash Chanchal, senior campaigner at Greenpeace India, said the steps being taken to control pollution were not sufficient. “In Delhi, be it bypass roads, shutting down of Badarpur power plant, shifting industries to PNG and BS-VI mandate have had result in reduction of pollution levels on an annual average basis, but the latest World Air Quality Report is an indication that the steps taken are not sufficient,” he said.

Source: Times of India, 26/02/2020

Amending and updating the 1981 Air Act will help in the battle against pollution

In its present form, India’s Air Act does not mention or prioritise the importance of reducing the health impact of rising pollution. This is the first change that a new law on air pollution should bring.

Accountability and deterrence are essential in making sure industries comply with emission standards. (Illustration: CR Sasikumar)

As Delhi’s Air Quality Index crosses 500, the national capital has officially entered the public health emergency category. Schools have been shut, children are complaining of breathing problems, but the state and Central governments are simply indulging in blame-games. When something as fundamental as the health of our children is at risk, we should devise a more robust, permanent solution to the problem of pollution. This forms the basis of the need for amending the 1981 Air Act and making it more compatible with contemporary India.

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Air pollution in India is not simply an environmental problem, but a major public health concern. It impacts all those breathing in the polluted air — children, the elderly, women and men alike. As its concentration worsens in India and statistics grow more grim, so do our policymakers’ reactions. As a father of a three-year-old, my concern for my child’s health is shared by numerous other families. Recently, the Centre for Science and Environment reported that air pollution kills an average 8.5 out of every 10,000 children in India before they turn five. Similarly, the WHO in 2016 reported that pollution has led to the deaths of over 1 lakh children in India. Overall, several internationally acclaimed studies have affirmed that life expectancy in India has declined anywhere between two to three years.

Statistics show that India is in a worse situation compared to its global counterparts. According to Greenpeace, 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India and Delhi has yet again bagged the position of the world’s most polluted capital. These are grim figures, especially when compared to India’s neighbours: Five in China, two in Pakistan and one in Bangladesh. In 2018, India was placed in the bottom five countries on the Environmental Performance Index, ranking 177th out of 180 countries, along with Bangladesh, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nepal.

Because of the toxic air and the lax liability system, young children’s health and quality of life are being significantly affected. Currently, breathing in Delhi’s air is similar to smoking 22 cigarettes in a day. One can only imagine the impact on the lungs of our children. And yet, there is a deafening silence at the helm of policymaking because it has not become an electoral priority for political leaders. Besides a few underfunded programmes, the government shows no willingness to bring a bill or law compelling central and state governments to ensure that its citizens are breathing clean air.

Over numerous conversations with taxonomists over the years, I realised that every new discovery of a plant or an animal species had the possibility of becoming a news story, not only because it would reveal something new to the world, but also expand our knowledge beyond flagship species that always make it to the news. The publications of these survey organisations are a treasure trove, opening a floodgate to fascinating, weird and exciting information about India’s biodiversity. For instance, I was excited to discover that water striders have appendages that are designed to enable them to walk on water. Similarly, the discovery of several ginger and balsam species in the Northeast highlights the importance of these biogeographic zones.

A single new discovery on the basis of morphological features or genetic diversity highlights the importance of conservation. Many species may be lost without ever being discovered. It also shows us the importance of ecological hotspots such as the Western Ghats, the Himalayas, and the Northeast, where most of these discoveries are made.

The fact that both these organisations are headquartered in Kolkata is useful to me as I am able to interact with scientists directly. The principle I follow is that I write a story only after details of the discovery are published in a science journal or a book and are available in the public domain.

For reporters on every ‘beat’, every assignment is a dot on a learning curve. For me, it has been a unique experience. When the news is otherwise almost always about losses — of lives, biodiversity — the thrill of publishing stories on gains — of new species and the ways in which they add value to the ecosystem — is of a different kind.

Source: Indian Express, 4/11/2019

Delhi world’s most polluted capital: Report

Delhi is the most polluted capital in the world, while Gurgaon is the most polluted city, revealed a Greenpeace report. According to the latest data compiled in the IQAir AirVisual 2018 World Air Quality Report and interactive world’s most polluted cities ranking, prepared in collaboration with Greenpeace Southeast Asia, to reveal the state of particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in 2018, Delhi had an average yearly PM2.5 concentration at 113.5 micrograms per cubic metre, followed by Dhaka at 97.1micrograms per cubic metre. Kabul was at the third spot with 61.8 micrograms per cubic metre. However, in terms of cities, Delhi takes the no 11spot, as Gurgaon took no 1spot with an annual average PM2.5 reading of 135.8 micrograms per cubic metre. Ghaziabad is no 2 with 135.2 micrograms per cubic metre and Faisalabad in Pakistan is third with 130.4 micrograms per cubic metre. Faridabad, Bhiwadi, Noida take the next three spots with average PM2.5 readings of 129.1, 125.4 and 123.6 micrograms per cubic metre respectively. According to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the annual permissible limit for PM2.5 is 40ug/m3. The annual permissible limits prescribed by the World Health Organization are even lower at 10ug/m3. “This report is based on 2018 air quality data from public monitoring sources, with a focus on data which has been published in real-time or near real-time. These sources include government monitoring networks, as well as validated data from air quality monitors operated by private individuals and organisations,” the report stated.

Source: Times of India, 5/03/2019

An inside problem

Household air pollution is the invisible factor increasing ambient air pollution

The problem of air pollution and its ill-effects on people has gained significant traction in the media, largely driven by the abysmal air quality in Delhi and the dubious honour of Indian cities repeatedly topping global air pollution charts. Naturally, this has led the conversation to be primarily about ambient air pollution (AAP), particularly in urban areas. In turn, this has turned the spotlight on issues such as emissions from transport, crop burning, road dust, burning of waste and industries large and small.

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However, this discourse leaves out the single largest source of air pollution — the pollution from our homes. Burning of solid fuels such as firewood and dung-cakes, mainly for cooking, results in emissions of fine particulate matter and form by far the single largest source of air pollution in the country. Various pieces of evidence underscore this fact.

Given the scepticism in some circles about the validity of such evidence based on its source, it is important to state that this evidence mostly comes from Indian studies, often involving some agency of the government of India.

First, various studies point out that the single largest cause of AAP is actually household air pollution (HAP). According to a 2018 international study led by many reputed researchers including five Indians titled “Burden of disease attributable to major air pollution sources in India”, 11 lakh deaths were attributable to AAP in 2015. Of this, as many as 2.6 lakh were due to HAP. A 2015 report of the Steering Committee on Air Pollution and Health Related Issues available on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s website, (henceforth MoHFW, 2015), reached a similar conclusion that about 26 per cent of particulate matter AAP was caused due to combustion of solid fuels in households.

Second, HAP is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the country on its own. The MoHFW, 2015 report states that HAP by itself, that is apart from its 26 per cent contribution to AAP, contributed to about 10 lakh deaths in 2010 and is the second biggest health risk factor in India (in comparison, AAP was seventh). A 2017 study spearheaded by the Indian Council of Medical Research titled “India: Health of the Nation’s States” found that the five leading causes of mortality and morbidity in India are, respectively, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infection and stroke, of which there is strong and quantifiable evidence linking

HAP to four with diarrhoeal diseases being the exception. In other words, the overall, total health impacts attributable to HAP are more than half the health impacts attributable to air pollution. Therefore, there is a strong case to be made for tackling HAP on a war footing: This requires households to predominantly use fuels that burn cleanly, because even partial use of solid fuels can have significant health impacts.

On the policy and programme front, a scheme such as Ujjwala for providing LPG connections recognises this challenge and represents an important first step to tackle the problem, though it needs to be strengthened to improve affordability and reliability of supply.

However, addressing this challenge requires going beyond Ujjwala. In a country as large and diverse as India, LPG need not be the only solution to address this problem and consumers should be given a wider choice of clean-burning options. Demand-side interventions to encourage people to switch to cleaner options, in order to address any behavioural or cultural barriers, and, to track HAP and associated health impacts, are also critical.

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This requires a coordinated strategy involving multiple government agencies and programmes. It also requires setting well-defined targets for HAP and its associated health impacts, and having systems to monitor and publish them. Since mitigating the health impact of air pollution is the primary motive, this initiative could be anchored in the Ministry of Health, as indeed was recommended in MoHFW, 2015.If we really want to breathe clean air outside, we need to look inside our homes, particularly our hearths, first. We need to address the challenge within.

Source: Indian Express, 25/01/2019