• Air
    Awake!—2023 | No. 1

    • What Is Being Done

      A man parking his bicycle after commuting to work.

      Commuting by bicycle can help reduce air pollution

      Governments continue to press industries to reduce air pollution. Also, scientists keep discovering new ways to reverse the effects of pollution. For example, one process uses microbes to turn pollutants into nontoxic substances. Also, experts advise people to walk or cycle instead of driving and to make their homes more energy efficient.

      A woman cooking a meal while seated on the floor of her modest home. Her small, open-flame stove is simple yet produces little smoke.

      Some governments are providing citizens with modern cooking stoves to reduce air pollution, but many people are still without access to them

      But more is needed, as is evident in a 2022 report compiled by international agencies, including the World Health Organization and the World Bank.

      The report states that in 2020, about one third of the global population relied mainly on air-polluting cooking fuels and technologies. In many areas, few people can afford new stoves or have access to alternative fuels.