Millions of people in danger. Their lungs are at risk
In times of climate crisis, fossil fuels extraction and widespread smog, it is becoming impossible to breathe clean air. Unfortunately, there is hardly any place in Europe where you can be untroubled by air pollution.
The climate crisis is visible at every moment of our lives. The heat pouring from the sky, huge fires, floods and melting glaciers are something we read about almost every day. Unfortunately, environmental change is also linked to poor quality air that we breathe.
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People living in Europe have no reason to be happy. For it turns out that virtually the entire Europe is breathing in polluted air.
Almost the whole of Europe is breathing in toxic air
"Europe is facing a ‘severe public health crisis’, with almost everyone across the continent living in areas with dangerous levels of air pollution," The Guardian reports.
Its journalists analysed the data collected using state-of-the art equipment and investigated almost 1500 detailed satellite images and ground monitoring stations. Their findings are deeply troubling.
According to the research as many as 98% of people live in areas where the level of polluted air exceeds any standard established by the World Health Organisation. The most dangerous country in this regard is North Macedonia. In the country's capital, pollution is as much as six times higher than the levels considered harmless.
The data shows that Eastern Europe has much more polluted air than Western Europe. The only exception is Italy, where two-thirds of the population live in territory where toxins are at levels four times higher than they should be.
"This is a severe public health crisis. What we see quite clearly is that nearly everyone in Europe is breathing unhealthy air," said Roel Vermeulen, a professor of environmental epidemiology at Utrecht University.
Source: The Guardian
