Every year, wealthy nations lose 800 billion dollars in health care and premature loss of life due to air pollution, with traffic smog being the worst culprit.
In a survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or OECD, air pollution costs 34 rich nations over $1.7 trillion dollars in healthcare for pollution-caused ailments and early deaths. Smog from road transport reportedly contributes $800 billion to that amount.
The OECD further reports that most traffic-related pollution comes from vehicles that run on diesel. The organization discourages all future purchases of cars with diesel engines and encourages governments to assist in this effort. Solutions proposed by OECD includes implementing urban bicycle rental or sharing programs, promoting use of electric cars, and increasing toll fees on use of certain highways and roads.
In countries like China and India where air pollution costs $1.4 trillion and $500 billion respectively, annually, deaths relating to air pollution and vehicular smog are increasing by the year. While there have been attempts to minimize road pollution in the two largest nations in the world, trends show that pollution in these countries are reaching an all-time high, higher than the global average.
According to Darby Jack, an assistant professor and Earth Institute fellow of Columbia University in New York, OECD's practice of estimating possible losses nations may incur due to pollution is an effective way to encourage governments to take environmental problems seriously. "That's the language they speak. When it's done right it can really make an impact," he adds.
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