scholarly journals Praying for Blue Skies: Artistic Representations of Air Pollution in China

Modern China ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 009770042096728
Author(s):  
Thomas Johnson ◽  
Kathinka Fürst
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Public Sphere ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
The Public ◽  
Artistic Representations ◽  
Restrictive Environment

This article examines how artists have engaged with the issue of air pollution in Beijing, where poor air quality has become a serious public health matter. Artists have utilized various mediums including performance art, photography, and painting to represent smog. Through generating media and online attention this work has contributed to a relatively vibrant “green public sphere” (Yang and Calhoun, 2007) of air pollution discourse. In contrast to much resistance in China that relies upon making specific claims to government officials, artistic expression bypasses the authorities and appeals instead to public opinion. Artists utilize ambiguity to portray air pollution in novel ways that subtly question the structures that produce and sustain it. In this way, artists can challenge popular perceptions of smog and raise public awareness, thus intensifying support for policies that tackle smog. Yet art can also embody deep frustration at the powerlessness that artists, and the public more widely, experience when confronted by severe air pollution. Art therefore serves both as a form of activism and as an expression of curtailed agency in a politically restrictive environment.

scholarly journals DAMPAK KABUT ASAP PADA KEHIDUPAN MASYARAKAT DI KELURAHAN TUAH KARYA KECAMATAN TAMPAN KOTA PEKANBARU PROVINSI RIAU

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rismadani Putri
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Economic ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Social Condition ◽  
The Public ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Good For ◽  
The Village

The pollution has become a very serious problem at the present time. The problem of the haze forest firest that accur on 25 agustus 2015 in Riau can also lead air pollution in village Tuah Karya district Tampan city’s Pekanbaru occurance air pollution is also to disturb some sector such as : 1) Health society in the Kelurahan Tuah Karya district Tampan city’s Pekanbaru province. Of Riau at the haze classified as it is not good with the rate of achievement respondents of 76,07%, 2) Economic affairs society in the village Tuah Karya distrct Tampan city’s Pekanbaru Province of Riau to income per month an average of Rp 1.000.000 – Rp 1.500.000 with the rate of achievement 76,27% of respondents, 3) Enviroment society in the village Tuah Karya district Tampan city’s Pekanbaru Province of Riau as haze happened classified as it is not good where air quality that is not good for the people with the rate of achievement respondents 85,59% so, it can be taken the conclusion that the public health as haze influential on the condition of thepublic health, so many people who are sick like ISPA, coughing, allergies and irritation eyes. Not only health but smog also effect the social condition of the economi and environment residents where in come of a very plummeted an fall air quality also makes activities come disturbed.Key Word : Health, Economic and the Environment

Noise and emission characterization of off-grid diesel-powered generators in Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 783-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solomon O. Giwa ◽  
Collins N. Nwaokocha ◽  
Hezekiah O. Adeyemi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Measuring Instruments ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Concentration Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public

Purpose Nigeria, a prominent country in Sub-Sahara Africa, is plagued with a protracted, erratic and low power supply. The purpose of this paper is to present an experimental investigation of the noise levels and pollutants’ (CO, CO2 and particulate matter (PM2.5)) concentrations associated with the prevalent use of diesel-powered generators in the country. It is aimed to provide information on the level of gaseous, particulate and noise pollutants that are related to diesel-powered generators that could assist in policy formulation and create public awareness on the possible health risks. Design/methodology/approach Diesel-fueled generators (105) with age and installed capacity ranging from 0.5 to 14 years and 10 to 500 kVA, respectively, were engaged in this work at Sango area of Ogun State, Nigeria. Standard measuring instruments were placed at 1 m from the diesel-powered generators to determine the noise levels and concentrations of CO, CO2 and PM2.5. Findings Ranges of 72.6–115.6 dB, 19–198 ppm, 501–5,805 ppm and 221–492 µg/m3 for the noise level, CO, CO2 and PM2.5 concentrations, respectively, were obtained. Both the averages and ranges of the noise levels and pollutants’ concentrations were considerably higher than the recommended maximum limits. Thus, this study substantiated the pollution of ambient noise and air because of the operation of diesel-fueled generators. Furthermore, the health risks connected to the exposure to CO and PM2.5 as implied via the evaluation of the air quality index revealed very unhealthy and hazardous conditions, respectively. Research limitations/implications The measurement of the pollutants’ concentrations at the tips of the exhaust pipes of the diesel-powered generators was desirable but could not be achieved using manually logged devices. Nonetheless, adequate pollutants’ concentration data that satisfactorily represent the level of air pollution associated with diesel-fueled generators’ operations were obtained at around 1 m from the exhaust pipes. Practical implications The study provided additional knowledge on the levels of noise and pollutants, and the public health risks connected to the operations of diesel-powered generators that will be beneficial to the public and policymakers. Originality/value The results revealed a considerably high level of noise and air pollution, and the inherent environmental and public health problems connected to diesel-powered generators’ usage in Nigeria. This could serve as a viable tool for formulating environmental policy and providing the necessary societal awareness in this regard.

scholarly journals Examining the status of improved air quality due to COVID-19 lockdown and an associated reduction in anthropogenic emissions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanta Sannigrahi ◽  
Anna Molter ◽  
Prashant Kumar ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Bidroha Basu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Economic Valuation ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Anthropogenic Emission ◽  
Public Health Burden ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Burden

Clean air is a fundamental necessity for human health and well-being. The COVID-19 lockdown worldwide resulted in controls on anthropogenic emission that have a significant synergistic effect on air quality ecosystem services (ESs). This study utilised both satellite and surface monitored measurements to estimate air pollution for 20 cities across the world. Sentinel-5 Precursor TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) data were used for evaluating tropospheric air quality status during the lockdown period. Surface measurement data were retrieved from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, USA) for a more explicit assessment of air quality ESs. Google Earth Engine TROPOMI application was utilised for a time series assessment of air pollution during the lockdown (1 Feb to 11 May 2020) compared with the lockdown equivalent periods (1 Feb to 11 May 2019). The economic valuation for air pollution reduction services was measured using two approaches: (1) median externality value coefficient approach; and (2) public health burden approach. Human mobility data from Apple (for city-scale) and Google (for country scale) was used for examining the connection between human interferences on air quality ESs. Using satellite data, the spatial and temporal concentration of four major pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and the aerosol index (AI) were measured. For NO2, the highest reduction was found in Paris (46%), followed by Detroit (40%), Milan (37%), Turin (37%), Frankfurt (36%), Philadelphia (34%), London (34%), and Madrid (34%), respectively. At the same time, a comparably lower reduction of NO2 is observed in Los Angeles (11%), Sao Paulo (17%), Antwerp (24%), Tehran (25%), and Rotterdam (27%), during the lockdown period. Using the adjusted value coefficients, the economic value of the air quality ESs was calculated for different pollutants. Using the public health burden valuation method, the highest economic benefits due to the reduced anthropogenic emission (for NO2) was estimated in US$ for New York (501M $), followed by London (375M $), Chicago (137M $), Paris (124M $), Madrid (90M $), Philadelphia (89M $), Milan (78M $), Cologne (67M $), Los Angeles (67M $), Frankfurt (52M $), Turin (45M $), Detroit (43M $), Barcelona (41M $), Sao Paulo (40M $), Tehran (37M $), Denver (30M $), Antwerp (16M $), Utrecht (14 million $), Brussels (9 million $), Rotterdam (9 million $), respectively. In this study, the public health burden and median externality valuation approaches were adopted for the economic valuation and subsequent interpretation. This one dimension and linear valuation may not be able to track the overall economic impact of air pollution on human welfare. Therefore, research that broadens the scope of valuation in environmental capitals needs to be initiated for exploring the importance of proper monetary valuation in natural capital accounting.

Growing Inequality and Public Awareness of Inequality in the States

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Franko ◽  
Christopher Witko
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Public Concern ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Conditions ◽  
Perceptions Of Inequality ◽  
Public Opinion Polls ◽  
Opinion Polls

Here the authors present the variation that exists in income inequality across the states, and variation in public awareness or concern about income inequality as measured by public opinion polls. Though politicians may decide to tackle income inequality even in the absence of public concern about inequality, the authors argue that government responses are more likely when and where there is a growing awareness of, and concern about, inequality, which is confirmed in the analyses in this book. To examine this question in subsequent chapters, a novel measure of public awareness of rising state inequality is developed. Using these estimates, this chapter shows that the growth in the public concern about inequality responds in part to objective increases in inequality, but also that state political conditions, particularly mass partisanship, shape perceptions of inequality.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Association between Air Pollution and Daily Mortality in the Capital of the Green Lungs of Poland–Population-Based Study with 2,953,000 Person-Years of Follow-Up

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2351
Author(s):  
Łukasz Kuźma ◽  
Krzysztof Struniawski ◽  
Szymon Pogorzelski ◽  
Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska ◽  
Sławomir Dobrzycki
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
World Health ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Daily Mortality ◽  
Male Population ◽  
The Impact

(1) Introduction: air pollution is considered to be one of the main risk factors for public health. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of approximately 500,000 citizens of the European Union (EU), including almost 5000 inhabitants of Poland every year. (2) Purpose: to assess the gender differences in the impact of air pollution on the mortality in the population of the city of Bialystok—the capital of the Green Lungs of Poland. (3) Materials and Methods: based on the data from the Central Statistical Office, the number—and causes of death—of Białystok residents in the period 2008–2017 were analyzed. The study utilized the data recorded by the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection station and the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management during the analysis period. Time series regression with Poisson distribution was used in statistical analysis. (4) Results: A total of 34,005 deaths had been recorded, in which women accounted for 47.5%. The proportion of cardiovascular-related deaths was 48% (n = 16,370). An increase of SO2 concentration by 1-µg/m3 (relative risk (RR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.12; p = 0.005) and a 10 °C decrease of temperature (RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05; p = 0.005) were related to an increase in the number of daily deaths. No gender differences in the impact of air pollution on mortality were observed. In the analysis of the subgroup of cardiovascular deaths, the main pollutant that was found to have an effect on daily mortality was particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5); the RR for 10-µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 was 1.07 (95% CI 1.02–1.12; p = 0.01), and this effect was noted only in the male population. (5) Conclusions: air quality and atmospheric conditions had an impact on the mortality of Bialystok residents. The main air pollutant that influenced the mortality rate was SO2, and there were no gender differences in the impact of this pollutant. In the male population, an increased exposure to PM2.5 concentration was associated with significantly higher cardiovascular mortality. These findings suggest that improving air quality, in particular, even with lower SO2 levels than currently allowed by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, may benefit public health. Further studies on this topic are needed, but our results bring questions whether the recommendations concerning acceptable concentrations of air pollutants should be stricter, or is there a safe concentration of SO2 in the air at all.

Revealing public opinion towards COVID-19 vaccines with Twitter data in the United States: a spatiotemporal perspective (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Hu ◽  
Siqin Wang ◽  
Wei Luo ◽  
Mengxi Zhang ◽  
Xiao Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sentiment ◽  
Spatiotemporal Trends ◽  
The Us ◽  
Key Events

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a large, initially uncontrollable, public health crisis both in the US and across the world, with experts looking to vaccines as the ultimate mechanism of defense. The development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines have been rapidly advancing via global efforts. Hence, it is crucial for governments, public health officials, and policy makers to understand public attitudes and opinions towards vaccines, such that effective interventions and educational campaigns can be designed to promote vaccine acceptance OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to investigate public opinion and perception on COVID-19 vaccines by investigating the spatiotemporal trends of their sentiment and emotion towards vaccines, as well as how such trends relate to popular topics on Twitter in the US METHODS We collected over 300,000 geotagged tweets in the US from March 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021. We examined the spatiotemporal patterns of public sentiment and emotion over time at both national and state scales and identified three phases along the pandemic timeline with the significant changes of public sentiment and emotion, further linking to eleven key events and major topics as the potential drivers to induce such changes via cloud mapping of keywords and topic modelling RESULTS An increasing trend of positive sentiment in parallel with the decrease of negative sentiment are generally observed in most states, reflecting the rising confidence and anticipation of the public towards vaccines. The overall tendency of the eight types of emotion implies the trustiness and anticipation of the public to vaccination, accompanied by the mixture of fear, sadness and anger. Critical social/international events and/or the announcements of political leaders and authorities may have potential impacts on the public opinion on vaccines. These factors, along with important topics and manual reading of popular posts on eleven key events, help identify underlying themes and validate insights from the analysis CONCLUSIONS The analyses of near real-time social media big data benefit public health authorities by enabling them to monitor public attitudes and opinions towards vaccine-related information in a geo-aware manner, address the concerns of vaccine skeptics and promote the confidence of individuals within a certain region or community, towards vaccines

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