Low-cost biodiesel can help to tackle climate change, pollution

A worker recycling used cooking oil into biodiesel in Langkawi, Malaysia, on 29 February 2024. [AFP]

Every year, air pollution kills about nine million people due to its detrimental impact on the environment and public health, particularly in urban areas. The primary sources of pollution are transportation, industrial processes, and fossil fuel combustion. The combustion of fossil fuels, particularly coal, for energy purposes, accounts for 40-50 per cent of the world's air pollution. This causes localised air pollution and climate change (by CO2 emissions), which can result in smog, acid rain, and health problems. About 30 per cent of worldwide emissions come from the industrial sector, which also heavily contributes to acid rain and airborne particle pollution. Respiratory conditions including asthma, bronchitis, and persistent lung infections can be brought on by this pollution entering the bloodstream and lungs.

Another significant source of urban air pollution, particularly in large cities, is the transportation sector, which accounts for 15-25 per cent of all air pollution worldwide. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that 24 per cent of the world's CO2 emissions from fossil fuels come from road transportation alone. Ground-level ozone, or smog, and particle matter are major contributors to vehicle emissions, primarily from gasoline and diesel engines. These pollutants aggravate respiratory ailments.