On today's program, we’ll cover the most significant contributors to air pollution, its effects on our health, and how we can reduce the problem. The burning of fossil fuels is among the largest contributors to air pollution. Ozone, another harmful contaminant, is also a driver of air pollution. Extreme climate events, including dust storms, heatwaves, wildfires, and changing weather conditions are also responsible for polluting the atmosphere.
The animal-people meat industry is another major contributor to air pollution. Studies have linked animal-people meat production to 75,000 premature deaths in China alone due to polluted air. Manure from animal-people also emits ammonia, methane, CO2, and other harmful substances into the environment. According to several studies, animal-people livestock emissions are the leading source of fine-particulate air pollution in large regions, including the United States, Europe, Russia, and China. Many people are unaware that the personal care products they use daily, such as deodorant, sunblock, and insect repellant, contribute significantly to the smog that plagues major urban areas.
Air pollutants, such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide are sources of diseases and fatalities. Climate change intensifies the production of ground-level ozone, and air pollution from particulate matter is projected to pose an increasing threat to human wellbeing.
In a climate change conference held in Lomé, Togo on May 9, 2009, Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) advised attendees that besides driving less and conserving energy, we need to help save the forests by switching to green products that don’t cause air pollution.
Ending the animal-people livestock industry is crucial to achieving cleaner air and a healthier environment. In the 2008 climate change conference “Stop Global Warming: Act Now,” in Bangkok, Thailand, Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) kindly answered a question on how to reduce air pollution. “The best solution, the quickest, the most benevolent that can change everything from black to white immediately, is the vegan diet because compassion begets compassion.”
