Reductions in air pollution tend to be a cause for rejoice, but how can it be when its heroics are nothing short of barbaric? Reductions in air pollution in the Middle East mean that the region has been decidedly cursed with cleaner air. The air was clarified not by any bettering, social, green movements, but by conflict. In this case, the decrease is no sign of progress but a sign of unwavering misery.
Visualizing Air Pollution in the Middle East
Researchers consisted of a team of atmospheric scientists led by Jos Lelieveld. His team uncovered that in the region, nitrogen oxide emissions were experiencing a steady rise until 2010. What happened next is the exact opposite.
NASA’s Aura research satellite had a hand in obtaining atmospheric data for the scientists with its Ozone Measurement Instrument, hovering 700KM above Earth’s surface. With it, scientists were able to actually visualize nitrogen oxide emissions over cities within the Middle East and compare them with economic data from the World Bank. They were also able to compare these data sets with a timeline of major political events over the region.
The results of their study revealed something blatant, yet disturbing all the same: As war tore life in major Middle Eastern cities apart, air pollution in the Middle East was reduced. Why? Pollution is normally blamed on fossil fuels–driving, power plantations and industrial technologies. When war is all a region knows, how can life continue?
This Time, Reductions in Air Pollution is not a Pro
“It is tragic that some of the observed recent negative NO² trends are associated with humanitarian catastrophes,” researchers opined in their paper.
While it is not exactly accurate to call this reduction of air pollution in the Middle East harmful, the outcome of the study has taken another kind of centerpiece. It has given us a more emotional picture, tugging at shirt folds of human brutality, disheartening to say the least.
What was the Impact of the Quest for Oil in the Middle East?
What was the impact of UN and US sanctions on Iranian Oil? Mobilizing Syrian refugees? The interference of the Islamic State (IS) on Iraq? Though this may not sound commendable, the average advancing nation will see increases in air pollution (e.g. Asia). The Arab Spring’s, beginning in Tunisia, moving haphazardly through the nation, have seen overthrown governing bodies, civil warfare, and a decline in nation’s needs for modern advancement rather than nuclear artillery. Electrical energy was no longer a necessity but something closer to a luxury.
The air pollution in the Middle East declined so greatly due to a combination of air high quality management as well as political elements.
This study was published this week in Science Advances.
