Pollution at a global level is quite a serious problem that must be tackled from the bottom up. When we talk about the pollution generated by two countries, we are talking mainly about air pollution. Although there are different types of pollution, it is air pollution that is causing serious consequences on a planetary scale such as global warming and climate change. The most polluting countries in the world They are those that are responsible for the greatest amount of polluting gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you which are the most polluting countries in the world and what are the main causes of this pollution.
Air pollution
It is a problem that is no longer exclusive to environmental interests. Over the years it has become a topic that is part of everyone's daily life. Air pollution is a matter of universal interest and its solution is not in the hands of the government or multinationals, rather, everyone can contribute a grain of sand to be able to stop these consequences. The most obvious evidence of air pollution are those famous clouds of pollution that gather around urban centers and are harmful to health.
There are other forms of air pollution that are less detectable or visible but they also have fatal consequences for the health of living beings and ecosystems. These pollutants are generating a warming and the earth with catastrophic consequences. Among the origins that we have of air pollution we see that, during thousands of years of life on this planet, toxic emissions have been produced.
Toxic emissions are part of the life cycle, but on a natural scale. That is to say, contamination naturally does not seriously affect composition or structure of ecosystems since it occurs spontaneously. It is part of the cycle and is not increased by human activities. These emissions include the gases that are emitted during volcanic eruptions, but their effects are not permanent. However, with the arrival of the industrial revolution on the part of the human being and with an exacerbated demographic growth, we find a panorama of air pollution at a global level.
Any air pollution refers to the presence of toxic elements that are generated through human activity.
Main consequences
As we know, the consequences of air pollution are quite large. The first most direct is the increase and worsening of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases of people living in polluted urban centers. There are also places close to the proximity of industrial sources that are those that emanate these toxic products into the atmosphere. In all these areas, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases increase in a large amount.
It is estimated that approximately 3% of all hospital admissions It is produced by an aggravation of diseases related to the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere. The most polluting countries in the world are those where there is a higher concentration of these gases and, therefore, there are also greater consequences for health.
Another serious effect of air pollution is the well-known greenhouse effect. We must not confuse the greenhouse effect as such with its increase. The problem is not that there is a greenhouse effect (without it, life would not be as we know it), but that it is increasing the effects due to these gases. Some of the problems derived from air pollution are the destruction of ecosystems, feeling action in large areas, rising sea levels, disappearance of land, proliferation of insects, extinction of species and many more.
Most polluting countries in the world
We know that every year more than 36.000 million tons of CO2 are emitted into the atmosphere. It is the main greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. The emission pathways for this fuel are mainly due to polluting human activities. However, only some of the most polluting countries in the world are responsible for emitting the meager majority of these gases. It can be said that the most polluting countries in the world in recent years have been China, the United States, India, Russia and Japan.
When we talk about CO2 emissions, we actually refer to it as the main gas, but also as a measure. When we already know the equivalent emissions in CO2, we can already know the Carbon Footprint of each state, although what it produces as pollution is not, logically, everything or just Dioxide.
If we do not have an idea, we must know that the current levels of pollution have not occurred for at least 3 million years when there was no human being on the planet. It should also be borne in mind that, at that time, the earth was in a period of very active volcanic activity.
With the data that can be obtained, we find that China is responsible for 30% of all emissions globally, while in the United States it is responsible for 14%. Let's analyze which is the ranking of the most polluted countries in the world:
- China, with more than 10.065 million tons of CO2 emitted
- United States, with 5.416 million tons of CO2
- India, with 2.654 million tons of CO2
- Russia, with 1.711 million tons of CO2
- Japan, 1.162 million tons of CO2
- Germany, 759 million tons of CO2
- Iran, 720 million tons of CO2
- South Korea, 659 million tons of CO2
- Saudi Arabia, 621 million tons of CO2
- Indonesia, 615 million tons of CO2
Although the majority of the ranking remains the same with respect to 2018, it stands out that Canada has been left out to leave the position number 10 to Indonesia, one of the developing countries that is seeing its emissions grow the most.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the most polluting countries in the world and the serious consequences of air pollution worldwide.