The Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution - Essay Example

The results were derived from a linear exposure-response pattern whereby mortality rose exponentially with rising concentrations of fine particles. Air pollution, therefore, recognizes no national boundaries and may be transported over long distances. Even at current levels, air pollution is a threat to entire populations. It is an increasing global problem yet no serious efforts have been made towards addressing the issue. Evidence from present and past epidemiological studies strongly support stringent standards against air pollution, especially from particles, in Canada and other countries.

“The Cost of Air Pollution: Health Impacts of Road Transport”Chapter 3: Rethinking Appraisals to Mitigate the Health Impacts of Air Pollution from Road Transport.More than three million people die from outdoor air pollution across the world every year. An equal number of people also suffer from a wide range of heart diseases. Societies bear huge costs in terms of ill health and lives lost. Extensive new epidemiological evidence from the OECD estimations of the Value of Statistical Life and the 2010 Global Burden of Disease study inform this report as to the health impacts arising from air pollution and associated economic costs.

This chapter explores certain policy implications of the costly burden of the health effects of outdoor air pollution. The argument in the chapter revolves around the need to establish and maintain strong regulatory regimes – particularly strict vehicle standards regimes – and the need to rethink the tax and regulatory settings for diesel vehicles. In addition, the chapter shows that the advantages of lowering the economic cost burden arising from air pollution could easily topple the monetary costs of investing in programs of mitigation and that it is crucial to rethink approaches to investment appraisals.

The findings of the report primarily show that between the years 2005 and 2010, there was a total rise of about 4% in global premature deaths due to outdoor air pollution – with the OECD world improvement being canceled by greater deterioration in other parts of the world. For instance, India registered a rise of about 12% while China registered a rise of 5%. The report makes hefty recommendations, which include tightening emission standards, expanding road charge schemes to minimize congestion, and expanding urban electric car and bicycle-sharing programs.