The Independent's Climate Newsletter
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 | |
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The air pollution pods at the Cop28 climate summit (The Independent) |
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Welcome to a special newsletter from The Independent, bringing you the latest on everything from Cop28 in Dubai. You are receiving this email because you are signed up to our Climate newsletter.
Among the most striking exhibits at Cop28 are the "Pollution Pods".
The domes, which have an air of futuristic greenhouse about them, are simulations of the air pollution levels in three cities: Beijing, London and New Delhi.
The pods were created by British artist, Michael Pinsky, and allow people to feel, taste and smell what air quality is like for most of the global population. Pinsky has created this immersive experience using a recipe that emulates the presence of ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide that pollute these cities.
London's pollution largely comes from transportation powered by fossil fuels - a problem that a combination of low-emission zones, more public transportation and improvements for cycling is chipping away at.
New Delhi faces severe pollution, particularly in winter when agricultural burning combines with already-high levels of industry and vehicle particulates. The government has tried to boost cleaner fuels but the impact has been limited.
The Independent's Stuti Mishra, a resident of New Delhi, tried out the pollution pods on Tuesday, and can confirm that the one representing her city was very much spot-on. (You can watch Stuti's video inside the pollution pods here).
Last month, she wrote how months of relentless air pollution in the Indian capital was leaving bon-smokers in their twenties and thirties with "smokers' lungs".
Beijing also suffers from very unhealthy air due to vehicles, industry and high coal use.
The impacts are clear: More than 7 million people die prematurely each year from air pollution, according to the Clean Air Fund, the philanthropic group behind the exhibit.
While cutting air pollution would have big benefits for public health, it's not the only upside. Pollutants and greenhouse gases often come from the same place - meaning that detoxing the air we breathe can better our chances at staying close to 1.5C.
In other news on Tuesday:
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- Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels reached record levels again in 2023, said a new report
- A record number of people with links to fossil fuel producers have attended Cop28, analysis suggests
- The Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, committed to phasing out all fossil fuels, added new members Kenya, Samoa, and Spain
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The number of countries that pledged to reduce the climate impact of the cooling appliance sector |
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