Air pollution is the main environmental cause of early death. Research shows that the impact of climate change on air quality in the U.S. will intensify inequalities for people unable to adapt to protect their health.
The study, led by University of Waterloo professors Dr. Rebecca Saari from the Faculty of Engineering and Dr. Chris Bauch from the Faculty of Mathematics, found that by 2100, people would need to stay indoors an additional 142 days (about 4 and a half months) per year to avoid health risks from air pollution.
The number of air quality alerts in the U.S. is set to quadruple in about 75 years. This increase is expected to be greatest in the eastern half of the country. People who are unhoused or live in homes that allow polluted air wouldn’t get the same health protections and are at greater risk.
“The prevailing advice helps the most if people can live and work in buildings with clean indoor air,” said Saari. “It is unlikely to protect against the rising risks of climate change without additional policy. We should ensure that policy will address emissions that cause air pollution and climate change, and boost adaptation, for example, by compensating people for fixing leaky buildings.”
The research urges policymakers to act as relying on individuals to adapt by staying inside or repairing air leaks will likely be ineffective.
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