Indonesia’s air quality has deteriorated from among the cleanest in the world to one of the most polluted over the past two decades, according to Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, with Greenpeace ranking Jakarta recently as the city with the worst air quality in Southeast Asia.

Yet air pollution is often a neglected concern and its causes and impacts are poorly understood. To drive greater awareness towards the issue, this year’s World Environment Day focuses on the theme of air pollution, and how we can tackle it.

There are several drivers behind air pollution, but in many countries, energy production is a leading cause. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas to produce electricity has been a key culprit to emitting greenhouse gases and air pollutant emissions. Energy production and use is the single biggest contributor to global warming, accounting for roughly two-thirds of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, notably reducing air quality and increasing weather extremes.

Energy and electricity touches almost every aspect of our lives, whether it is lighting, heating, water, cooking and sanitation. Also with the rapid increase in the world’s population greatly magnifying the effects of our agricultural and economic activities, a key question remains — how do we live large with a smaller impact?

Continue reading at The Jakarta Post…