ESS 330

Smog in Lahore, Pakistan For Pakistani residents, the air quality has recently been rivaling that of New Dehli. November is one of the worst times for air quality in Pakistan due to the increased burning of crops, emissions and cold weather. The government has announced a new antismog policy, detailing safe levels of particulate matter, however, these levels are continually exceeded with current practices. Prior to this period of increased emissions, air quality had not been monitored, leading to a lack of data which has hindered the awareness of the issue. Whereas China has intensely monitored air quality since the Beijing smog crisis, Pakistan has not yet had the initiative to do so. Within this past period of emissions alone, numerous road accidents have occurred, linked to the poor visibility. Due to this increased occurrence of problems related to air quality, bans on the burning of crops and solid waste have been implemented, as well as cutting back on power generation. The ...

The Smog Crisis in New Delhi New Delhi is currently under a state of emergency air quality concerns. The smog in the city has worsened in recent weeks, reaching over 10 times the pollution level of Beijing. The World Health Organization has even found some areas to have pollution over 40 times the safe level. This increase in smog is due in part to the illegal burning of crop remnants by farmers in neighboring areas, as well as increased construction. Without a strong public transportation infrastructure, New Delhi residents are also reliant on personal vehicles, increasing emissions released in the city. The smog is so bad in some areas that schools have been closed and planes have been grounded. The government has not yet been able to propose a viable solution to mitigate the problem, so the wealthy buy air purifiers, leaving the less-affluent population without options. Although air quality is not a tangible natural resource, it still greatly impacts well-being. In this cas...

Plastic Bags in Rwanda In Rwanda, plastic bags are treated as a type of contraband, where people carrying them can be fined and executives of companies imprisoned for producing them. Store owners are often publically shamed, having their stores closed until fines are paid and plastic wrapped goods are removed from their shelves. This harsh regulation stems from the negative environmental impacts of plastic bags on the landscape. The persistence of plastic bags on the landscape causes flooding and runoff, both of which impact agriculture. If these plastic bags are left on the land, oftentimes cattle will consume them, further impacting the farmers. Since plastics are not biodegradable, they accumulate on the land, increasing the environmental damage. In order to prevent plastics from inundating the environment, the government imposed strict bans and reinforcements through business owners. Stores are required to remove any packaging before the consumer leaves if the plastics have no...