Report: 8M Deaths Attributed to Air Pollution in 2021

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Facts

• The State of Global Air report, published by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) in partnership with UNICEF, has claimed that air pollution was responsible for over 8M deaths in 2021 and that 2K children die every day from bad air.¹
• Accounting for 12% of all deaths worldwide, air pollution now overtakes tobacco use and poor diets as the second largest risk factor for early death, second only to high blood pressure.²
• The study found that fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a byproduct of burning fossil fuels and biomass, was responsible for over 90% of the deaths. Ozone and nitrogen dioxide, the latter found in vehicle exhaust, were also contributors.³
• Over 700K children under the age of five die every year from air pollution, with around 500K of those attributed to cooking indoors with wood, fire, and dung as fuel, especially in Asia and Africa. More than 2B globally cook on polluting stoves or open fires indoors.²
• Lead author Pallavi Pant says the burden of air pollution is being mostly shouldered by 'young children, older populations, and low and middle income countries.' The report also found that climate change is accelerating air pollution.¹
• Pant says that the solutions for climate change and air pollution are 'very similar,' focusing on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In May, $2.2B was pledged by governments and companies to help populations transition to cleaner cooking fuels.²

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²France 24 and ³UN News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by State of Global Air. Climate change has greatly exacerbated the deadly effects of air pollution on the planet. The deadly PM2.5 pollutants are the direct result of our wanton use of fossil fuels, with inclement weather also contributing to pollution deaths. We must make the transition to a carbon-friendly economy if we want to rid us of the scourge of air pollution.
• Narrative B, as provided by New York Times. The perfect is the enemy of the good, and we cannot let a monomaniacal focus on climate change distract us from the changes we can make right now. People will be more motivated by the clear and present danger air pollution poses than distant harms down the road, and many more lives will be saved by a narrow focus on an issue we tackle here and now.

Predictions