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n Jakarta, one of the major problems is air pollution. Over-population, drastic increases in traffic volume and exhaust emissions from motor vehicles and industries are the main causes of this problem. Air pollution is also a major health risk. By reducing air pollution levels, you can reduce the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease and lung cancer.

Not only can polluted air damage our health, it also can cause global warming because of the huge amount of carbon dioxide that slowly erodes the ozone layer that actually protects us from ultraviolet light and causes the UV light to be trapped in our beloved earth and make the weather even hotter.

The average speed of a car in Jakarta is 8.3 kilometers per hour. Traffic jams increase air pollution further as a result of increased idling, acceleration and braking. The second thing that might cause air pollution is factory waste because many or most of the factories do not recycle waste to make it less dangerous. The third thing is the small number of green areas, mostly because people just simply want to build residencies, hotels or office buildings for their own selfish purposes. If the trees are slowly disappearing from the city, then one day there will be no more green areas left to absorb the carbon dioxide that can cause air pollution.

 So, what can we do to reduce air pollution in our capital city? Here are some simple examples that every one of us can try. The first is to plant more trees. You can try buying seeds in the supermarket or any other market. I'€™m sure that it'€™s really not that hard to find the seeds and also the supplies, like pots and fertilizer. You just need a few things to plant trees. And you can water the plant before you go to work in the morning and after you get back from work in the evening.

The second method for reducing air pollution is for those who need to lose weight. This might be a win-win situation for you guys. Try using your vehicles only when you need to. Walk or ride your bike to nearby places. You can begin slowly by riding your bike to work twice a week if your workplace is near your house. Later you can try riding your bike to work every day. It is really healthy for you rather than just sitting in your car and producing really dangerous air for us to breathe every day.

We need to take this air pollution issue seriously and start to take action because in 2010, 57.8 percent of Jakarta'€™s residents suffered from various diseases, among others asthma and lung obstructions generated from air pollution. It also causes 16,000 premature deaths a year.

One in 10 suffers respiratory infections. One in 10 children suffers from asthma, 95 percent of children suffer from cough, cold and fever caused by the polluted air they breathe. So, just do your part, take action, it can literally save someone'€™s life.

Keisha Annabelle

Jakarta