Earth Day is coming!

       

By: Jessica Robertson

We are quickly approaching Earth Day, the annual holiday when our minds and goals are united to help promote change for the sake of our planet and our future. This year the holiday is April 22, a Tuesday. Most of us won’t get the day off work, celebrate around the table with a family dinner, or exchange gifts, but we can still find joy and importance in the special day!

            What will you do to make your Earth Day memorable for yourself and impactful for those around you? You have just a few more days to decide. Many cities plan festivals focused on community programs that benefit the environment, whether local or widespread. Attending a local event like this could inspire a new habit for your daily life in your community. You could write a letter to your local government leaders suggesting a change you find important, like creating a bike share or improving emissions laws. Be deliberate in making a difference on Earth Day; make memories by planting a tree, riding your bike to work, or taking a stroll around your neighbourhood to pick up litter.

            Whatever you choose to do on Earth Day, let it be an influence to your own soul and to those around you. It is good to serve those around you. Can you make your Earth Day activities an annual tradition? Can you repeat your Earth Day activities every week? Every day, even? Small changes can add up to big improvements. Let’s make a difference for our planet! 

Every Breath You Take

Kate M. Serrano

Who would want to live in a polluted city? We all don’t because we know its health implications – runny nose, cough, sore throat, heart and lung problems to name a few. Poor air quality is caused by both natural and man-made pollutants. Apart from dust and sand particles, the more alarming causes would be traffic pollutants like carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide that when combined with ozone and sunlight cause air quality to drop.  Pollution is measured by the average number of particles in the air per cubic meter. This is referred to as the air quality index (AQI). As the AQI increases, health hazards brought about by air pollution also increases. The AQI also provides a scale of 1 to 10 to indicate health risks associated with air quality. For example, a number from 1 to 3 may mean air quality is ideal for outdoor activities while 7 to 10 means strenuous outdoor activities may cause throat irritation hence should be avoided. Late last year, a day after the World Health Organization published a report linking air pollution to lung cancer, Quartz came out with a list of the Top 10 most polluted cities in the world. These cities are not necessarily the biggest capitals but are the places where heavy industries take place. The city of Ahwaz, Iran which is a center for metal and petrochemical processing is on top of the list. Here is what the rest of the list has:

                        1. Ahwaz, Iran

2. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

3. Sanandaj, Iran

4. Ludhiana, India

5. Quetta, Pakistan

6. Kermanshah, Iran

7. Peshawar, Pakistan

8. Gaborone, Botswana

9. Yasouj, Iran

10. Kanpur, India

The World Health Organization regards air pollution as the world’s most serious environmental health risk. Did your city make the list? I hope not.