Kolkata, Feb 10 (IANS) With increasing dependence of Asian countries on coal-driven power, public health experts Tuesday said "addiction" of nations to coal coupled with climate change effects pose a "serious" threat to health equity.
According to Peter Orris, professor and chief of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, in the US, south Asia will garner a "good deal" of attention in the coal-climate change link.
"Asia is the major producer and consumer of coal globally, even surpassing US. So Asia has really taken over and if we are going to make any headway then there has to be a change in approach in Asia to tackle greenhouse gases and climate change," Orris said at the 14th World Congress on Public Health here.
He was speaking at the session on 'Climate Change, Air Quality and Health: Impacts of Energy Choices'.
According to the WHO, approximately seven million premature deaths per year result from exposure to air pollution, making it the world's largest environmental health risk.
Approximately half of the burden is attributable to outdoor air pollution, which comes from the combustion of fossil fuels and contributes to deaths due to ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and respiratory infections
He said countries like Vietnam, which have had "significant problems" with coal, are going for expansion and that is a problem.
"It kills the miners and then it pollutes the cities with particulates and then on a global level there is the generation of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Globally we have to move away from coal," he said.
He explained: "The Chinese are still relying on coal they are not phasing it out but their investments in alternative energy sources is very impressive."
"In India, the government is still emphasising coal because they see it as the only practical way to move ahead with development. I think that's an error."
This puts health equity at "risk" since vulnerable populations, who are at times displaced from large scale fossil fuel-based energy projects suffer "disproportionately", said Adithya Pradyumna, environmental health researcher, Society for Community Health Awareness Research and Action.
"The largest air pollution burden is borne by low and middle-income countries in the Asia-Pacific region. There is a fine line between energy production, health equity and mitigating impacts of climate change," said Pradyumna.
Calling for reduction in "addiction" to coal, Renzo Guinto from Philippines, said in his country, fishermen face limited fish harvests near sites of coal power plants.
"It is affecting food security too in our country and the irony is, more such plants are expected to come up," said, Guinto, a 'Healthy Energy Initiative' campaigner for Health Care Without Harm (Asia).
Nitish Kumar has taken oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the eighth time. In the Hindi belt
Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani starrer film 'Kalki 28
KL Rahul will not play as wicketkeeper in Ind vs Eng: KL Rahul will not play wicketkeeper in the
PM Modi watched Vikrant Massey's The Sabarmati Report, a film based on the Godhra incident.
PM Narendra Modi has seen Ekta Kapoor's film 'The Sabarmati Report' based on the Godhra incident.
Pakistan Politics: Pakistan's deposed Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that the country will
Meghalaya Police had just started solving the Sonam Raghuvanshi case when another murder mystery
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the champion Indian team at his residence in Delhi. During the m
NASA is about to launch the Artemis 1 mission today through its powerful Orion spacecraft. All th
In the Russia-Ukraine war, where most countries are standing against Russia, India is seen in Rus
UP Lawyer Killed in Shahjahanpur: A major incident has been seen in the Shahjahanpur district of
