全球健康与污染联盟发布了一份开创性的报告, Air Quality Asia, and Boston College’s Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, 电子游戏正规平台人员将消除煤炭和化石燃料的燃烧列为23项实际干预措施的首位,这些干预措施可以减少空气污染,既改善公众健康,又能应对气候变化.

The report, “Air Pollution Interventions: Seeking the Intersection Between Climate and Health,发现“实现改善健康和影响气候变化的共同利益的唯一最有效的行动是逐步停止使用煤炭和其他化石燃料, such as lignite and tar products, for power production.”

世界卫生组织估计,环境空气污染是造成死亡的主要原因.2 million deaths annually, 世界上大约91%的人口生活在空气质量不健康的地方. Additionally, as a growing body of evidence indicates, 长期暴露于空气污染可能会恶化COVID-19感染患者的预后.

Philip Landrigan

Philip Landrigan

“气候变化和空气污染是对人类健康和经济发展的主要威胁,必须加以解决. The COVID pandemic has raised the stakes considerably,” says report co-author and Professor of Biology Phil Landrigan, M.D., director of the Schiller Institute’s Global Observatory on Pollution and Health. “了解这些问题可以在多大程度上共同解决是至关重要的. 决策者可以利用这份报告确定投资的优先次序,以最有效地在卫生和气候领域产生共同利益.”

而一些努力,即用可再生能源取代化石燃料的努力,既改善了当地的健康状况,又对气候变化产生了积极影响, other, often politically popular programs are of limited value on either front.

“有一种假设认为,影响气候变化和空气污染的不利条件是一回事. This is not necessarily true," says Richard Fuller, Board Chair of the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution and a co-author of the report. "We wanted to see where the overlaps are, 投资可以投向何处,既能改善健康,又能影响气候变化."

该报告的作者发现,将全部电力生产从煤炭转换为可再生能源具有很高的成本效益,而且相当容易实施, if the changes are made when new plants are brought online. On the other hand, the research team found that forest fire prevention, while beneficial from both health and climate standpoints, is difficult and can be costly.

改善健康的五大最有效干预措施-通过减少小于2的颗粒物.5 microns (or PM 2.5)和气候-通过减少二氧化碳排放-根据报告,分别是:

  • Replacing coal with renewable sources of energy for total power production
  • 在公共和私营部门用电动汽车取代柴油和汽油动力汽车
  • Eliminating uncontrolled diesel emissions
  • Preventing crop burning
  • Preventing forest fires
气候变化和空气污染是对人类健康和经济发展的主要威胁,必须加以解决. The COVID pandemic has raised the stakes considerably. 了解这些问题能在多大程度上共同解决是至关重要的. 决策者可以利用这份报告确定投资的优先次序,以最有效地在卫生和气候领域产生共同利益.
Philip Landrigan, M.D., director of the Schiller Institute’s Global Observatory on Pollution and Health

Landrigan noted that the U.S. 自1970年《电子游戏正规平台》通过以来,六种主要空气污染物的水平降低了70%. Western Europe, Japan and Australia have achieved similar gains. By removing lead from gasoline, 美国和世界上其他国家实际上已经消除了空气中的铅污染. These actions have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, reduced health disparities, and increased children’s intelligence.

At the same time, the regulatory environment has also produced great economic benefit, Landrigan said. In the U.S., 自1970年以来,在空气污染控制上每投入1美元,估计能产生30美元的回报, $4–88). In the same period, the U.S. Gross Domestic Product has grown by 250 percent, thus belying the oft-heard, but unfounded claim that pollution control costs jobs and stifles economic growth.

“Pollution can be prevented,” said Landrigan. “The success of countries like the U.S. in controlling pollution supports this premise. 本报告以这些经验为基础,为各国提供了一份路线图,帮助它们确定控制污染的最有效和最具成本效益的战略.”

有效的污染干预措施包括升级和扩大公共交通系统, reducing sulfur content in fuel, converting coal-fired power plants to natural gas, and redesigning urban areas to promote walkable communities. The report's authors found that upgrading fuel quality, such as that required to meet EURO standards, can reduce emissions of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and other pollutants detrimental to health, but has limited impact on climate change. 改良的生物燃料炉灶可以在一定程度上缓解附近的烟雾, 但它们本身通常不足以达到健康的家庭空气质量.

Specifically, researchers sought to determine:

  • which interventions effectively reduce air pollution and improve health quality
  • which interventions can impact climate change
  • which interventions can do both.
2019冠状病毒病大流行后的经济停摆在全球范围内显著减少了环境空气污染. These reductions are so great that they can be seen from outer space. These great gains show that cleaner air is possible. They enable us to imagine a world with permanent, 改善空气质量,大规模减少与污染有关的疾病.
Philip Landrigan, M.D.


Cleaner air in cities under lockdown to curtail the spread of coronavirus, evidenced by satellite imagery and ground photographs, 不仅说明了发电厂发电和汽车尾气对空气污染的影响有多大,而且还说明了碳燃烧的减少如何迅速改善空气质量. Cleaner air is estimated to have saved 11,000 lives in Europe in April of this year and 77,000 lives in China in January and February, Landrigan said.

“2019冠状病毒病大流行后的经济停摆,使全球环境空气污染显著减少,” said Landrigan.  “These reductions are so great that they can be seen from outer space. These great gains show that cleaner air is possible. They enable us to imagine a world with permanent, 改善空气质量,大规模减少与污染有关的疾病.”

Through reports like Air Pollution Interventions, 兰德里根说,天文台正在努力说服世界各国领导人利用COVID-19大流行期间出现的对清洁空气的广泛需求,并“抓住这个独特的机会,从化石燃料转向可再生能源。.

“这是进行这种转变的完美时机,因为在过去十年中,世界经历了风能和太阳能的快速增长,” he said. 他说:“全球风能和太阳能发电的比例现在是18%,而2010年只有4%. Renewables have also become much more cost-effective. 在过去的十年里,太阳能电池发电的成本下降了81%, from onshore wind by 46 percent, and from offshore wind by 44 percent. 现在,在许多国家,用可再生能源发电比用任何化石燃料发电都要便宜.”

《电子游戏软件》由清洁空气基金拨款资助,由全球健康与污染联盟制作, 亚洲空气质量组织和电子游戏软件的席勒综合科学与社会电子游戏正规平台所, with contributions from Pure Earth.

More information and the full report are available at Global Alliance on Health and Pollution website.

Ed Hayward | University Communications | June 2020