For the past couple of days, we have come across changes in weather. What initially seemed like a fog turned out to be “smog,” an air pollution-based climate occurrence. The smog not only causes physical health issues but affects mental health as well. But the goal is to find out what factors cause mental health to get worse because of air pollution.
Climate Change: COP27 Edition
Previously, we have learned that the climate has been declining with the melting of ice caps and an unseasonal and unreasonable amount of rain. But as the decline continues, the problems are increasing day by day.
The latest take on this issue was discussed at the UN’s climate change conference, COP27, being held in Egypt. This is an annual conference about climate change. This year, many people were looking forward to it because climate change and global warming have caused many problems all over the world.
The COP27 highlighted the need for a fossil-fuel-free future, which will aid in claiming a better climate. This proposal has received some criticism because we recognize that transitioning from a fossil-fuel energy resource to a renewable energy resource is costly.
The end result of this conference is yet to be known, as it is an ongoing process.
Air pollution
While we have always studied about many kinds of pollution, in the year 2022 every type of pollution has become a cause of concern. For many of us, the concern might not be direct, but sooner or later it will take center stage.
One of the major concerns is growing air pollution, which has become more observable with the change in weather. Recent reports on air pollution have shown an increase in methane around the world.
Bloomberg Green is a multiplatform editorial brand that talks and reports about climate change and things related to it. At COP27, the company GSGSat Inc., through Bloomberg Green, released satellite images of powerful greenhouse gases.
The second image released by Bloomberg Green is from a waste facility in India and shows an abundance of the powerful greenhouse gas methane. When wastes such as food are oxidized in the open, methane is released.
The increase in such cases has raised the temperature of the climate dealt with by people in and around the capital of India. Emissions from vehicles and construction factories have been identified as sources of pollution in the northern part of the country, adding to the growing pollution in the air.
This change in air pollution has caused multiple physiological and pathological issues. From reports and research, we know the harmful effects of air pollution on physical health. But it is time we broaden our lenses and include mental health as well.
Air pollution and mental health
To understand mental health, we need to look at things that are new, growing, and outside of what professionals usually do.
According to the reports on air pollution that were given at COP27, global warming is getting worse, which is bad for the climate and for people’s health.Nonetheless, this change has substantial negative effects on mental health.
Since we recognized that certain events in our lives caused mental health issues, we now have to consider the environment as a new factor.
Previously unstudied and unobserved, the recent trend of examining mental health and its problems has resulted in a number of positive outcomes.
For instance, a patient might feel a certain way, but his or her medical examinations might not supplant it with evidence, which will now be considered to be tried by a psychiatrist and a psychologist for further examination. This has happened due to a certain level of healthy awareness about mental health.
But the link with air pollution can’t be made until the patient’s location, how they get around, and many other things are taken into account.
Precautions lead to prevention
With increased pollution in the Indian capital, there have been many restrictions placed for the benefit of the citizens. Schools and offices were set up for online operations, and owners of old diesel vehicles are prohibited from using them.
Also, because some levels of the air pollution index have gone down, some internal restrictions have been lifted. However, the red alert on safety has been emphasized.
People are also told to eat healthy foods like amla, broccoli, curcumin, flax seed, etc., to boost their immune systems and fight the strong pollution in their environment.
