Air pollution kills approximately seven million people worldwide every single year, according to the World Health Organization.

Pollution is defined as chemicals or harmful substances that are introduced into the environment, according to Oxford Languages.

Senior Allie Adams says that pollution affects her life even if she can’t visibly see it.

“Pollution is bad,” Adams said. “Pollution makes the sky foggy, it affects the life of many people and it just pollutes the environment.”

Pollution can cause health risks and health problems that can long term affect a person’s health. 

Heart disease and cancer is the leading cause of death in Indiana, according to the American Heart Association. This matters because air pollution is associated with heart and lung problems, according to America’s Health Rankings. 

Indiana is ranked 48 in the state pollution rankings, according to US News. Indiana is ranked 1st for worst air pollution out of the 6 EPA’s region 5. Those states include Ohio, Illinois

, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

In 2019, Indiana accounted for 2.3 billion pounds of industrial waste and it was also the highest United States state that released toxic waste per square mile, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

“I think it is getting to the point where it’s unmanageable because of big corporations who don’t care about the environment,” senior Lilly Worrall said.

Pollution also contributes to climate change. Climate change is earth’s temperature rising and the weather patterns changing. Pollution increases the greenhouse gasses which is what is causing the earth to heat up. 

Senior Madison Masterson says that pollution isn’t being taken as seriously as it needs to be.

“Pollution leads to natural disasters happening more often,” Masterson said. “Scientists are relating pollution to the tornadoes that happened in Kentucky this past weekend.”

Scientists say the biggest way people can reduce pollution is to reduce the amount of carbon released and how we consume carbon, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.