Environmental discussions can be extremely polarizing but one thing that nearly everyone can agree on is that air pollution is a problem that should be taken seriously. In fact, it’s more of a problem than previously thought. A new study revealed that air pollution may shorten life expectancy of almost three years globally.

That’s a substantial drop and it’s more than smoking (which is also not great). Air pollution is a problem all over the world and it can be devastating for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and sick people. It causes various respiratory and cardiovascular issues.

Even if you’re not feeling the ill effects yourself, we can all agree fresh, clean air feels (smells and tastes) better to breathe than smog. Stronger legislation around air pollution from manufacturing as well as vehicles would help this issue. For home protection, the use of air filters and the like can also help protect you.