The Dangers of Dust
Air pollution is having far reaching impact around the world, and people as far apart as London and Beijing are starting to take notice. Although air pollution as a national problem is something that many Western governments began to address in the second half of the 20th century, not all nations have the same standards, and sometimes natural forces themselves can cause pollution. Two significant recent cases have caught the world 's attention, highlighting the fact that no matter how much effort people have put into reducing their pollution lately, there is still work left to be done.
The first case concerns Britain. Residents of the UK recently awoke to discover that their cars were covered in a fine red dust. Television weather reporters warned residents with lung or heart conditions to stay inside and avoid strenuous activity. It wasn 't domestic pollution that was causing the problem, however. It was dust, silica and
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In places like India, Mongolia and Iran frequently have been cited by the World Health Organization as having severely unhealthy air pollution levels. With its twenty-year development spree, it’s no surprise that China also tops the list as one of the most polluted countries in the world. Images of smog-ridden cities and masked citizens are never far from western papers and online stories, but even pictures struggle to reveal the extent of this problem.
Chinese journalist and filmmaker Chai Jing recently released her self-produced and self-funded documentary about pollution in China. Inspired by her daughter’s sickly nature, and the health struggles of millions of people across the country, Jing hoped her documentary (aptly named ‘Under the Dome’) would propel environmental change and awareness in China. By March 3, 2015, the film had garnered over 150 million views locally. However, 5 days later, Under the Dome was blocked on Chinese