Economic growth or deadly pollution? India chooses a Huge Number Of Deaths.
The Indian government has devised several novel and inexpensive means to cut air pollution in major cities that has led to thousands of deaths. The plans, however, have little chance of working.
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One program puts vast fans on the tops of tall buildings that contain air purifiers. “The smog tower, lined with double rows of fans,” the Wall Street Journal reports, “was intended to purify the surrounding area by sucking in smog, passing it through filters on the inside and releasing clean air. But the red-and-lime green contraption hasn’t worked for over a year. “ And when they work, they cannot put a dent in the polluted air in cities with over 10 million people.
The fans are part of a small army of other programs ranging from “air smog” guns that fire water into the air and shuttering coal-fired plants for short periods. Coal is still India’s primary energy source, and many people burn coal in areas that do not have electricity.
Economic priorities
Within the last month, air pollution has hit a level 100 times the level recommended by the World Health Organisation.
What has become clear is that the Indian government is prioritizing its economic growth over air pollution. Reducing coal consumption would cut India’s rapidly growing economy because it would mean some industries would need to dial back their activity. It is a tradeoff of GDP against human life, with every study of the problem indicating that those human lives are mostly among the poor.
“From 2013 to 2021,” The Journal added, “according to the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, nearly 60% of the world’s increase in air pollution has come from India, seeking to speed up economic growth and lift incomes.” If anything, the problem will get worse, and deaths will rise, very likely at a quickened pace.
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