Big players in air pollution

One fact about pollution is that the biggest culprits tend to be very big industries owned by very powerful individuals with links to political groups. Sometimes it is difficult to identify if any, the measures or sanctions

in place to monitor or regulate these industries.

Recently there have been reports of serious air pollution in some cities in China, including Beijing. The air is so dirty that people can barely see anything beyond 15 yards.

It is believed that the government wants some more transparency with industries on their emissions. “Beijing has ordered 15,000 factories to report details about their emissions: in public, and in real-time. The decree also calls for details on the release of pollutants like wastewater and heavy metals. This is a real first in China – an unprecedented mandate for transparency” CNN reports, By Global Public Square staff

It is important that we all know which companies pollute most. It will help people to make informed choices when they go shopping. The Guardian reported that about two-thirds of all the worlds greenhouse gas emissions were down to about companies. Very troubling!

Just 90 companies caused two-thirds of man-made global warming emissions. Chevron, Exxon and BP among companies most responsible for climate change since dawn of industrial age, figures show — Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent, The Guardian, Wednesday 20 November 2013 11.07 EST

These are mostly oil, gas and coal industries. When the air is polluted, we all suffer the consequences. Sadly, the products of industries end up in countries far away from the polluted environment.

Chinese products, for example, end up in all other countries of the world, but there you go, no wonder they have had high levels of air pollutants in their cities in recent years.