How to stop Stop Pollution? What can be Done…!

How to stop Secret Killer?  What can be Done…!

What can be done? What measures to be taken to control this global environmental issue? The OECD has used the VSL methodology to estimate what people in different countries would be willing to pay to avoid deaths by caused by air pollution. Governments can use this information to determine the stringency of the measures that should be applied to reduce pollution. The new estimates that people are willing to pay more for clean air than previously thought.

Currently drivers pay to enjoy personal mobility, but not for the damage they do to other people’s health. People want governments to do something about thus because they are powerless to solve the problem by acting individually. Governments on the other hand know if they take action, they will impose costs on car manufacturers and drivers. But if they don’t the cost of illness and premature death falls on the general population. The VSL allows governments to weigh up both sets of cost.  

Estimates of VSL range among countries: typically the richer the more people may be willing to pay to keep away from death, simply due to the fact they've greater disposable profits they can use to lessen their chance of death from air pollutants. As a result, the VSL in nations like China or India is lower than in OECD nations. This does not suggest that life is worth less in those countries, but however alternatively that people are not capable of pay extra to reduce the chance of death.

The benefits of well-designed measures to reduce air emissions should easily outweigh the costs. One very obvious measure would be to remove any incentives that favor the purchase of diesel over gasoline cars. A further tightening of vehicle emission standards should also be considered, combined with measures that make test-cycle emissions more similar to emissions under normal use. Measures should also be identified to help mitigate the impact of air pollution on vulnerable groups, such as the young and the old.

We literally need to design better policies for better, and longer, healthier lives.

Written by: Ali Samad Kazmi