As my plane touched down in Kuala Lumpur, I was greeted by ashen clouds and hazy skies. The sun hid behind the clouds and an overpowering scent of scorched wood and melted plastic greeted my nostrils. Unlike Kuching, my hometown, which greets visitors with luscious forests and greenery, Kuala Lumpur was a concrete jungle. It was the middle of July, also known as haze season in Malaysia. As July was dry season in Malaysia, haze was expected to worsen with the hot and dry weather. Welcome to Kuala Lumpur and welcome to air pollution!

           Haze is a constant phenomenon faced by Southeast Asian countries namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei. It is a type of air pollution that is caused by the slash-and-burn practice by farmers and forest fires in Indonesia. Open burning and dependency on our vehicles have also contributed greatly to this problem. In 2005, a state of emergency was announced at Port Klang as the Air Pollution Index (API) went above the 500 level. Air quality was declared to be at a dangerous level; ports closed, and non-essential government services suspended. Numerous people suffered from eye, throat and respiratory complications.

            Haze is just one of the factors contributing to air pollution. Other sources contributing to air pollution include the burning of fossil fuels, coal and natural gas to power our homes and vehicles, military resources such as chemical weaponry and nuclear arsenal and indoor air pollution from household cleaning products and painting supplies. While we may enjoy the luxuries of staying in a home powered by electricity or having a car to drive, let us not forget that having these luxuries means that they are consequences that we humans have to deal with.

         The consequences of air pollution include respiratory and heart problems, global warming, acid rain and depletion of the ozone layer. It goes without saying that air pollution will cause respiratory and heart problems, especially in children and the elderly as they are more susceptible to illness. They are most likely to suffer from pneumonia and asthma and will worsen as the air quality worsens. As air pollution increases temperatures worldwide, the world will soon experience an unprecedented increase in temperature. This phenomenon is known as global warming and causes ice caps to melt, causing floods in low lying areas and destroys polar habitats.

            With the release of harmful gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere during the combustion of fossil fuels, water droplets combine with these pollutants to form acid rain. Acid rain changes composition of soil and bodies of water, damages monuments and are harmful to our health. When water becomes too acidic, aquatic animals start to die. With the increase of pollutants in our atmosphere, the Earth’s ozone layer is getting thinner day by day due to the presence of hydrochlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere. Harmful ultraviolet rays will be emitted onto Earth and cause a myriad of skin and eye problems. The list goes on but these are just some of the scary consequences of air pollution.

            If we do not change, then the real environmental crisis we have to worry about is one where humans have a reduced level of health and well-being and perhaps a world where we have to pay elevated prices to clean air and water. We would be one step closer to Mad Max. If you haven’t watched it, check it out as it is set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland where people have to fight for clean air and water. It would not be the end of the world, but it would be a world we all want to avoid.

            To avoid our Earth from turning into post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, let us all work together to combat air pollution. Whenever possible, walk, cycle, carpool or take the public transport instead of driving. Support leaders who push for tighter laws and regulations to combat air pollution. Raise awareness through environmental campaigns and advocacy. Not all hope is lost. Let us work to ensure that our future generation gets to breathe clean air.

Picture Credits: Google Images