Air

Abstract

For something that we take for granted, air quality can be a major risk to human health. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. Most sources of outdoor air pollution are well beyond the control of individuals and demand action by cities and governments. In addition to outdoor air pollution, indoor smoke is a serious health risk for some 3 billion people who cook and heat their homes with biomass fuels and coal. A shift towards cleaner and more efficient modern fuels, such as biogas, liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene, could largely eliminate this health risk and prevent 1.5 million deaths a year globally.