India's Capital of Delhi has the World's Worst Air Pollution - Why?

Summary

On November 8th, Delhi was deemed the most polluted city globally, with air quality likened to smoking 50 cigarettes daily. The discussion with Shiva Chakravarty, a research fellow at UMass Amherst, identified fossil fuel combustion as the primary cause, with Delhi's high vehicle density significantly contributing. Agricultural burning also plays a role. The script highlights the severe health impacts, including reduced lung capacity in children, and calls for urgent policy action. It suggests India increase its GDP expenditure on renewable energy, proposing a carbon tax to fund this shift, emphasizing the importance of this transition for both public health and combating climate change.

Takeaways

• 🌍 On November 8th, Delhi was reported as the most polluted city in the world, with air quality likened to smoking 50 cigarettes a day.
• 🚗 The primary source of pollution in Delhi and India is the burning of fossil fuels, particularly for electricity and transportation.
• 🌾 Agricultural burning in the surrounding areas also contributes to Delhi's pollution, but to a lesser extent compared to fossil fuel usage.
• 🏙️ The severe air pollution affects residents' daily lives, with studies showing long-term health impacts, including reduced lung capacity in children.
• 🌿 Despite the focus on Delhi, severe air pollution is a widespread issue in India, affecting other major cities as well.
• 🔥 Approximately 75% of air pollution is attributed to fossil fuels, with coal being a significant contributor due to its extensive use in India.
• 🌱 The Indian government and policymakers have not yet given the air pollution crisis the attention it requires, according to the interviewee.
• 💸 India spends only around 0.6% of its GDP on clean renewable energy, which is insufficient to combat the pollution crisis.
• ♻️ There is a proposal to increase spending on renewable energy and to fund it through a carbon tax on fossil fuel consumption.
• 🌐 India's transition to clean energy is crucial for the global fight against climate change, as the country contributes significantly to carbon dioxide emissions.
• 🔋 There is a significant potential for improving energy efficiency and transitioning to renewable energy sources in India, especially in rural areas where access to energy is limited.

Q & A

What was the air quality situation in Delhi on November 8th?

On November 8th, Delhi gained the distinction of being the most polluted city on the planet, with air quality so poor it was equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes a day.

What are the main sources of air pollution in India according to the transcript?

The main sources of air pollution in India are particulate matters, sulfur oxides, NOx, and other pollutants emitted from the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil for electricity and running cars, with a high car-to-population ratio in Delhi being a significant factor.

Does agricultural burning contribute to Delhi's air pollution?

Yes, agricultural burning, particularly in the surrounding areas of Delhi, contributes to air pollution, but the majority of the problem is due to the usage of fossil fuels.

What impact does the severe air pollution have on the residents of Delhi?

The severe air pollution has a significant impact on residents, with studies showing that it affects the health of millions, including children who have smaller lungs compared to those in less polluted areas.

How does the transcript describe the air quality in other Indian cities besides Delhi?

The transcript mentions that other Indian cities like Kanpur, Lucknow, Ludhiana, and Amritsar also suffer from severe air pollution, with many being among the most polluted cities in the world.

What actions is the Indian government taking to address the air pollution issue?

The transcript suggests that the Indian government has not yet given the air pollution issue the attention it deserves, and there is a call for more action to be taken as a public health emergency.

What is being done in India to promote renewable energy and clean energy economy?

The Indian government is investing in renewable energy, but the transcript suggests that the current spending, around 0.6% of GDP, is not sufficient. The need for more investment in clean energy and energy efficiency is emphasized.

What role does taxing fossil fuels play in the proposed solutions to air pollution?

Taxing fossil fuels, or implementing a carbon tax, is proposed as a way to generate funds that can be used to improve air quality and provide free energy and public transportation.

How important is India's transition to renewable energy in the global fight against climate change?

India's transition to renewable energy is crucial as it is a significant contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions. The country has the potential to improve its energy efficiency and shift to cleaner energy sources.

What are the disparities in energy usage and access in India as mentioned in the transcript?

The transcript highlights the inequality in energy usage in India, with urban areas being heavily dependent on fossil fuels and suffering from pollution, while rural areas lack access to energy, with a significant portion of the population without access to cleaner fuels and technologies.

Outlines

00:00

🌁 Delhi's Alarming Air Pollution Crisis

In this segment, Dimitri Lascaris introduces the severe air pollution issue in Delhi, India, which has become the most polluted city globally. The air quality is compared to smoking 50 cigarettes a day, posing a significant public health risk. The discussion is joined by Shiva Chakravarty Subic, a research fellow at UMass Amherst, who explains that the primary pollutants are particulate matters and sulfur oxides emitted from burning fossil fuels, particularly in transportation and electricity generation. Delhi's high car-to-population ratio exacerbates the problem. Agricultural burning in the surrounding areas also contributes to the pollution. The conversation highlights the drastic impact on residents' health, with studies showing 10% smaller lungs in children compared to the United States, and the need for immediate action to address this public health emergency.

05:01

🏙️ India's Broader Air Quality and Policy Response

This paragraph delves into the broader air quality situation in India beyond Delhi, with a focus on the role of fossil fuels in pollution. It discusses the national and state governments' inadequate response to the crisis, emphasizing the need for policy attention. The conversation suggests that a significant portion of India's carbon dioxide emissions comes from burning fossil fuels, contributing to climate change. The discussion then shifts to India's efforts in renewable energy, with Subic arguing that the current investment is insufficient. He proposes a more significant investment in clean energy, funded by a carbon tax on fossil fuels, to improve air quality and provide free energy and public transportation. The importance of India's transition to renewable energy in the global fight against climate change is underscored, with suggestions for energy efficiency improvements and addressing energy inequality in both urban and rural areas.

10:03

🌱 Addressing Rural Energy Inequality in India

The final paragraph addresses the disparity in energy access between urban and rural India, with a focus on the lack of access to cleaner energy sources in rural areas. It highlights that while urban areas suffer from pollution due to over-dependence on fossil fuels, a significant portion of rural India still lacks access to energy. The conversation concludes with a call to action for the Indian government to improve energy access and efficiency, particularly in rural areas, as part of a broader strategy to combat air pollution and climate change. The segment ends with thanks to the guest and a sign-off from the host, emphasizing the urgency of the issue.

Keywords

💡Air pollution

Air pollution refers to the presence of harmful substances in the air, which can have adverse effects on human health and the environment. In the context of the video, Delhi is highlighted as having extremely poor air quality, akin to smoking 50 cigarettes a day, emphasizing the severity of the issue. The script discusses various sources of air pollution in India, particularly focusing on the emissions from fossil fuels.

💡Particulate matters

Particulate matters are tiny particles suspended in the air, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, causing health problems. The script identifies particulate matters as one of the main pollutants in India, contributing significantly to the air pollution crisis, especially in urban areas like Delhi.

💡Fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are energy sources formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. The video script discusses how the burning of fossil fuels for electricity and transportation is the primary cause of air pollution in Delhi and other Indian cities, highlighting the urgent need to transition to cleaner energy sources.

💡Agricultural burning

Agricultural burning is the practice of burning crop residues after harvest, which releases pollutants into the air. The script mentions that while agricultural burning contributes to air pollution, the majority of the problem in Delhi is due to fossil fuel emissions, suggesting that broader systemic changes are needed to address the issue.

💡Public health

Public health encompasses the health of a community as a whole, including efforts to prevent disease and promote well-being. The video emphasizes the severe public health problem caused by air pollution in India, with studies cited that show the detrimental effects on residents' health, such as children in Delhi having smaller lungs compared to those in less polluted areas.

💡Renewable energy

Renewable energy comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished, such as sunlight, wind, and hydro power. The script discusses the importance of investing in renewable energy as a solution to both air pollution and climate change, suggesting that India has significant potential to improve its energy mix and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

💡Carbon tax

A carbon tax is a fee imposed on the burning of carbon-based fuels, like coal, oil, and gas, which emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. The video script suggests that a carbon tax could be a potential source of revenue to fund the transition to cleaner energy and improve air quality in India.

💡Climate change

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, primarily caused by human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels. The script connects air pollution in India to the broader issue of climate change, emphasizing the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to protect both public health and the environment.

💡Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency is the ability to deliver the same amount of energy services with less energy consumption. The video script touches on the potential for India to improve its energy efficiency by investing in building retrofits and industrial energy efficiency, which could help reduce overall energy demand and pollution.

💡Inequality in energy usage

Inequality in energy usage refers to disparities in access to and consumption of energy resources among different segments of the population. The script points out that while urban areas in India suffer from high levels of pollution due to excessive fossil fuel use, rural areas face energy poverty, with many lacking access to clean energy, indicating a need for more equitable energy policies.

Highlights

Delhi became the most polluted city on the planet on November 8th, with air quality equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes a day.

Main pollutants in India are particulate matters, sulfur oxides, NOx, and other pollutants emitted from fossil fuels.

Delhi's high car to population ratio contributes significantly to pollution.

Agricultural burning contributes to air pollution, but the majority of the problem lies with fossil fuel usage.

Air pollution in Delhi affects 1.49 million people and causes 10% smaller lungs in children compared to the United States.

Residents of Delhi face limitations such as wearing masks and difficulty in daily life due to hazardous air conditions.

Severe air pollution is not unique to Delhi; other Indian cities like Kanpur, Ludhiana, and Amritsar also suffer.

The Indian government has not yet prioritized air pollution as a significant issue.

India spends only 0.6% of its GDP on clean renewable energy, which is insufficient.

A carbon tax on fossil fuels could fund the transition to clean energy and improve air quality.

India's transition to clean renewable energy is crucial for the global battle against the climate crisis.

India has significant potential for solar, geothermal, and wind energy, as well as improving energy efficiency.

Inequality in energy usage is a major concern in India, with rural areas lacking access to clean energy.

Investing in building retrofits and public transportation can improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution.

Transcripts

this is Dimitri Lascaris for the real

news network on November 8th the Indian

capital city of Delhi gained the dubious

distinction of becoming the most

polluted city on the planet the air

quality is now so bad that it's

equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes a

day so how did Delhi and India become so

polluted and what can be done about the

severe public health problem joining us

to discuss this is Shiva Chakravarty

Subic is currently a research fellow at

the political economy Research Institute

UMass Amherst he reserved he received

his PhD from the center for economic

studies in planning at JNU in New Delhi

he's published a variety of progressive

economic articles on especially in the

areas of development banking

international trade food security and

energy in the environment civics current

research focuses on the generation of

jobs through investment in clean

renewable energy and developing an

egalitarian green growth program thank

you very much for joining us today sugar

thank you

so let's start with examining the main

sources of air pollution in India what

are they

so the main pollutants are the various

particulate matters

sulfur oxides NO x and other

pollutants which are mainly emitted from

the fossil fuels it's like burning oil

for electricity

for running cars and as you know that

Delhi have a very high car to population

ratio so these are burning of fossil

fuels is the main cause of

pollution in Delhi and other major

cities in any I

understand there's also practice in in

some of the surrounding areas around

Delhi agricultural areas of burning

crops is that a significant source of

pollution in Delhi

see according to the statistics around

75% of the air pollution is due to the

fossil fuels and

most of it like is due to the burning of

worlds due to the production generation

of electricity and irad transportation

means now of course there is a pollution

due to those agricultural burnings and

other non energy sources but the

majority problem lies with the usage of

fossil fuels in the economy

it give us a sense of what life is like

for the residents of Delhi in these

extraordinarily polluted conditions

practically speaking what limitations

does this level of air pollution impose

on their daily lives

so this is a huge impact especially if

you look at the some of the studies

which has come up like The Lancet

Commission it says that one line one

four nine million people in India are

affected by this air pollution are very

heavily affected in fact the Indian

Journal of Pediatrics has come up with a

study which shows that like we own this

heavily polluted cities like Delhi 10%

the children have 10% smaller lungs than

a children compared to the United States

so the life has become very difficult

there during that period I myself was in

Delhi and I it was very difficult like

people have to wear masks during those

hazardous conditions just to

protect themselves from this heavy

polluted air and a day to day life is

has been during those time became very

difficult

now there's a lot of focus and rightly

so on Delhi being the most polluted city

but I understand the problem a severe

air pollution is not one that's unique

to Delhi in India could you talk of us

to us more generally about the quality

of their the air quality outside of the

the capital Oh

even in outside the airport is quite

back like if you look at the some CBS

News The Telegraph UK they come up they

identified some of the major polluted

cities across the world among which many

of the other prominent cities focused

like Abra Collier Ludhiana Amritsar and

many other metropolitan cities the

problem like I was telling you is the

huge dependence on fossil fuels which

actually is

commuting

no it's not only a cause for the

pollution but also as we know a huge

cause for the climate change the

greenhouse gas carbon dioxide emissions

like I was telling you seventy five

percent of this carbon dioxide emissions

comes from the burning of the fossil

fuels so even in other cities since they

are heavily dependent and in general in

India is a huge

on the fossil fuels like cool which is a

very dirty in nature that cool itself

and also other fossil fuels like diesel

petroleum which is popularly known as

gas in the u.s. like the dependence on

these things have been very much

responsible for even polluting the other

cities in India

and what exactly is the national

government that what are the state

municipal governments doing in India to

deal with this quite severe public

health problem

so the to be very honest with you I

don't think this has still picked on a

very important issue in India very sadly

and many it it has not drawn the

attention of the policymakers that it is

supposed to do now that's why

many of us are trying to argue to the

doorman that the time is running out

this is literally a public health

emergency like we have argued in our

article also and we are trying to put

this issue in the forefront of the

policymakers so that they become

concerned about this health emergency

and start looking at this issues more

carefully so this would definitely not

only help in controlling the pollution

but also would help in

protecting the planet and even for that

matter protecting the India from the

impacts of the climate change it is

vulnerable to

you talked about the predominance of

fossil fuel consumption as a source of

air pollutants what is being done we

hear a lot of talk about initiatives

within India to ramp up renewable energy

what is being done in that regard and do

you think enough is being done in India

to transition the economy to a renewable

clean energy economy

so at present the Indian doorman spends

merely around point six percent of his

GDP on

energy on this clean renewable energy

but as my research along with professor

Robert Pollin and aromatase earth who is

from JNU New Delhi has shown that this

is not enough the dormant needs to spend

almost like 1.5 percent more of that 0.6

percent which is existing over so that

this energy transformation can be done

and and what we are suggesting is that

this money because there's a there might

be a fiscal concern about this that this

money can be generated through taxing

the very source which is polluting the

atmosphere which is the fossil fuels we

can up we can collect what we is

popularly known in the literature as a

carbon tax and

spend them on the people's improvement

of the air quality and providing people

with free energy and transport public

transportation so our

study shows that the government is not

doing enough it has to do much more than

required and it needs to come back to

the center stage of our policy makers so

that they spend more on this

remodeling of the energy mix and

finally how important is India's

transition to clean renewable energy to

the overall battle against the climate

crisis

definitely so like I was telling you or

like because a greenhouse gas emission

is a major like India today

contributes in totality around 2.2

billion metric tons of carbon dioxide

into the atmosphere in per capita terms

we are very low but if we look at in

totality it is a very high level and

honestly speaking we don't have to do

this we can remodel the energy mix in

favor of clean renewable energy like

solar geothermal

small-scale hydro and other wind and/or

India's a lot of potential for it and

also India's energy efficiency levels

can be improved by investing in building

retrofits then in improving the

industrial energy efficiency public

transportation investments so there is a

huge scope for improvement in India even

in terms of those usage of energy - in

improving the energy efficiency and at

the same time remodeling the energy and

just to add to this point

you know oh one of the major concerns in

the Indian economy is the huge

inequality in the usage of energy the

reach the status like I was telling you

have been heavily polluted and this is

mainly because the cities are so much

dependent on fossil fuel whereas in the

rural areas people don't even have

access to energy like 2030 percent of

rural India is still not does not have

any access to energy

35% of total in all over India has

access to cleaner fuels and technologies

so there is a lot of scope for

improvement in rural India providing

people with electricity and energy which

is not being done at current this has

been Dimitri Lascaris speaking to shubik

Chakraborty a research fellow at the

political economy Research Institute at

UMass Amherst about a growing and severe

problem their air pollution in India

thank you very much for joining us today

sugar thank you for having me and this

is Dimitri Lascaris for the real news

network