The surprising problem that is the greatest environmental danger to women and children
The world’s greatest environmental threat disproportionately harms women and children, particularly in the developing world: it is indoor air pollution. The World Health Organization estimates that indoor pollution kills 4.3 million people a year, mainly because 2.8 billion people still use firewood, dung and coal for cooking and keeping warm, breathing polluted air inside their homes every day. Indoor air pollution from cooking and heating with open fires can cause harm equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.