Growing a Possible Solution To Pollution

A study conducted in 2019 by Lancet found that air pollution in India was a contributing factor in the deaths of 1.7m people (1). That is 12.5% of all recorded deaths that year. The report stated, "pollution in India has led to an increase in diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, neonatal disorders and respiratory diseases, resulting in millions more deaths" (2). To provide context for the scope of this problem: the average annual air quality of Nashville is 45 AQI. It's common for Delhi's AQI to reach 500 during the winter months. It's seldom below 100.These conditions affect the poor most harshly. Unlike their wealthier neighbors, most cannot offset pollution with good air purifiers.

Some days the haze of pollutants is thick and unavoidable as it fills the streets and invades indoor spaces. Women and men cover their faces with scarves trying to reduce the ill effects from simply breathing. A solution to this massive problem seems impossible. Unless you realize that what seems like ‘small’ efforts are not fruitless. Plants purify air. Plants are natural, available, and sustainable. With the right kind of plants, the quality of air in a home can be improved.

India has 2.4 percent of the world's land area with 1.34 billion people (the second highest population in the world). The ability to grow food in limited spaces is a pressing need. Several years ago, we started a rooftop garden project where our friends in India were able to produce food in the city. They not only grew their own food but learned the health benefits of fresh produce.

God has made us responsible for our environment. In Genesis 2:15, God instructs humanity to "till and keep" the earth (3). India's environmental crisis demands more than alliterative catchphrases. Anyone hoping to improve the lives of India's citizens must respond to this crisis. If their responses are to impact the poor, those who experience the adverse effects most, they have to be affordable.

Many organizations are responding effectively to this crisis. You can find a good summary of some of them HERE. Our response to this crisis has been educational and practical. We've conducted seminars to equip students with knowledge and skills to combat exposure and healthy ways to detox. Along with these educational seminars, we've developed a rooftop garden to make various fresh produce more available, useful in improving respiratory health, and we've improved the sealing of offices and homes to limit exposure as much as possible.

Manohar and Sneha purchased a variety of plants known for their air-purifying qualities. They will monitor the air quality in their home and record the results. Afterwards, they will let others know the most effective plants, how to care for them, and the benefits to air quality.

Earlier this month, we launched our latest initiative. We are testing the effects of indoor house plants for improving indoor air quality. Building on the research of Kamal Meattle ( summarized HERE), we are cultivating several Areca Palms, Snake Plants, and Money plants, closely monitoring their effect on the air quality of our ministry employees’ homes. This particular initiative was appealing because it does not require a significant financial commitment. For a solution to impact the poor, it has to be affordable. Very few can get an air purifier, much less consistent electricity to make it effective. Almost everyone can grow house plants.

It's appropriate to conclude this article with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi. "The earth, the air, the land and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us." In this spirit, we've initiated this project to make India safer for families, as God intended in the beginning.

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Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:8

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(1) Chatterjee, Patralekha. “Indian Air Pollution: Loaded Dice.” The Lancet. Last modified December 2019. Accessed May 2021. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(19)30247-5/fulltext.

(2) ibid

(3) This piece written by our founder and CEO Gregg Garner gives a more full treatment to humanity’s environmental responsibility. https://www.godinternational.org/god-intl-blog/2019/3/oh-lord-heal-our-land