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Free report - July 2020: Smog in Europe |
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by Aaditya Singh | 14-07-2020 05:16
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Definition The word 'smog' was coined in the early 20th century and is a mix of the words smoke and fog. It represents a form of intense air pollution. This report is about the smog situation in Europe, specifically in the city of Skopje, North Macedonia. Smog in Skopje Skopje has been on the list of the most polluted cities in not only Europe but also the world. A test in 2018 found that levels of PM10 (pollutant particles 10 micrometers in size that are harmful for humans) exceeded the limit that the EU set for 202 days. Even though North Macedonia is not part of the EU, accession negotiations have been made to ensure that they meet EU air quality standards soon. The WHO has estimated that up to 4000 premature deaths a year in North Macedonia are because of air pollution. Economically, the cost is thought to be between 570 and 1470 million Euros. Residents of the city often complain about the smell of car fumes and wood smoke in the air. Many residents have mentioned irritation in their throats and other problems that affect their quality of life. For up to 3 months every year people can't even go outside or open their windows. Poverty While there are a number of issues that contribute to the smog, the main problem is poverty. The average monthly wage is 250 Euros. This means many people cannot even afford to heat their homes using a clean energy source and are forced to burn wood, biomass fuel pellets or even plastic. The importing and cheap sale of old cars that do not meet EU emission standards is another related affair. The city is surrounded by tall mountains and this often creates a canopy that traps the smog and fumes inside. Awareness Like most other problems, the first step towards tackling the smog is awareness. A new app called AirCare has been released that indicates the pollution levels. The people used the app as a form of protest to demand change and most people have integrated it into their daily lives. The information is all open source and even gives tips on how to live in a cleaner way. Other partner apps like PulseEco give people guidelines on how to construct and buy pollution sensors on their own and even how other cities can join the network. I think this network of awareness is an amazing start to solving the smog problem and other cities and countries facing the same problem can benefit with similar technology. Sources and references https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200701-skopje-north-macedonia-the-most-polluted-city-in-europe |
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Aaditya Singh
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9 Comments
Hi Aaditya Singh, this is a mentor, Sang Su Lee.
This is really interesting insight when one considers about the major cause of air pollution. I never thought that socioeconomic problems can cause the environmental problem. This makes sense though. To combat this issue, I believe that the government should step forward, providing the clean energy source for citizens to use.
Thank you for a good article.
Green cheers~
Posted 23-07-2020 22:08
Ahlan Aaditya Singh!
Greetings from UAE
First off, congratulations on this post. I completely agree with the fact that in recent decades, poor air quality continues to harm human health and the environment in Europe. Poor air quality causes an estimated 400,000 premature deaths every year in Europe and it is the single largest environmental health risk in Europe.
Off to share!
Posted 18-07-2020 18:13
Greetings
I do hope you are all good there..
Thank you so much for sharing your report with us on the topic Smog in Europe.
I really felt good to go through this report ..
Eagerly waiting for your more informative reports to come..
Green cheers
Regards
Jasmine karki
Posted 15-07-2020 16:26
Hello Aaditya,
Thankyou for sharing this wonderful report on somg in europe and yeah, all of us most be aware of it.
Regards,
Sandesh
Posted 15-07-2020 14:39
Hello Aaditya Singh, this is mentor Taehyun!
Thank you for your article on smog! I really liked the last words. The first step in solving environmental problems like smog is people's perception! In fact, so many air pollution problems overlap these days that it's really hard to tell which is smog, which is fine dust, or what is another source of pollution, and if you let us know what to do with the correct notification of the problem situation, we'll be able to implement the most basic and ultimate solution to the problem!
Thank you for the report!
Green cheers!
Posted 14-07-2020 23:56
Hello Aditya,
Its me Bal krishna from Nepal.
I hope you are doing good and staying safe.
I totally agree that poverty and lack of awareness is the main factor that don't let to maintain healthy environment. It is a sad feeling to read about Smog in Skopje and I hope this problem will end very soon.
Best wishes for your further reports.
Green cheers~
Posted 14-07-2020 21:55
Hello Aaditya!
I hope you are fine and doing great with your job!
Thanks for letting us know about Smog In Europe along with solution. Hope this problem will get solved at least in some extend.
GREEN CHEERS FROM NEPAL!
Warm Regards,
Sonika
Posted 14-07-2020 21:42
Aaditya Singh, Thanks for this amazing report on Smog. I am actually reading about it for the first and it is from you.
Green cheers from Ghana!
Posted 14-07-2020 13:14
Hello Aaditya
Greetings and Namaste from Nepal
Wishing you a safe stay
Thank you for your report on July 2020: Smog in Europe
Keep writing great reports.
We are eager to read more reports from you.
Green Cheers :)
Best wishes,
Kushal Naharki
Posted 14-07-2020 09:38