It starts with a p...

This 30 second video shares a startling fact: every year, pollution kills 9 million people, mostly in developing nations. Now let's put that in numbers we can understand. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution alone accounts for 1 in 8 deaths globally. 

That's one reason why Global Citizen is featuring this issue at the Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day event.

I was shocked to learn that these numbers are so high, and there's a reason for that- pollution is a silent killer, but it's real nonetheless. Pollution is linked to respiratory illnesses, heart disease, and lung cancer. And since pollution is one of the main causes of climate change, it can also be held responsible for climate related issues that disproportionately affect people living in extreme poverty.

Now, time for some good news. Pollution is something that's entirely in our control. Through every day actions by global citizens, smart legislation, and investments in pollution monitoring, we CAN reduce current levels and save millions of lives. The first step is to get the word out. Share this video to ensure more people understand the consequences of pollution.

This video is part of the roll out of a new fund to mitigate the impact of pollution. Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day on April 18 presents an opportunity for the leaders of developing and developed countries to join together for the launch of a Pollution Management and Environmental Health program, to significantly reduce air, land, and water pollution levels through pollution management planning and investment, knowledge sharing and awareness raising. The fund will focus initially on large cities in Asia and Africa, where urbanization is proceeding the fastest. Such leadership will prove to be crucial if we are to mitigate the impacts of pollution, particularly for those who feel its impacts most acutely. Join us at Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day to celebrate the launch of this new tool in improving our world.