By Ashley Bouman

With the rise of industrial technologies over the past decades, the levels of pollution in our environment have risen drastically. Take a minute to think about how many factories and businesses there are in the world right now using electricity, burning fuel and emitting harmful chemicals into the air and ground. These factories and businesses, among many things, traditionally produce energy, clothing, process the packing for the food we eat and make the vehicles needed for transportation, all the things we are told we need to have to live in the modern world. This traditional production process, however, results in many harmful toxins polluting the Earth's air, land, water and eventually our health. Air pollution, which includes nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and organic compounds, is a particularly problematic form of environmental contamination resulting from industrial activities. Carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide pollution are caused by burning fossil fuels (coal, gas, oil) and is highly more common than the natural air pollution that can be caused by air pollution from volcanoes and forest fires.

However, those who feel passionate about decreasing the amount of these emissions and air pollution can rejoice: As of October 8, 2009, the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers to the UNECE Aarhus Convention was put into effect. It was formally implemented in May 2003 in Kiev, Ukraine was and signed by 36 EU governments, including all the major economies.

The Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers is a milestone in striving for a cleaner, greener planet. Essentially this will be a collective of inventories of pollutants from industrial sites. That means companies must now report on what happens to the pollutants they produce, there are 86 pollutants in total, including green house gases, heavy metals such as mercury, and dioxins. Other pollutants that are included are carbon dioxide, organic solvents (which are carbon containing chemicals), fluorides, lead, methane and nitrous oxide and ammonia. Those establishments that use alternative methods to dispose of their hazardous waste offsite must also keep track of what is happening to the pollutants and what organisation will be receiving the waste. The protocol was implemented to protect developing countries that are normally destined as a dump site. The information is then gathered and put on an online public register, available for anyone to see.

The UN protocol is not just limited to the "industry giants," it goes after the smaller ones as well, including agriculture, traffic and small to medium enterprises. This will help identify who the biggest polluters in Europe are. It is also a new tool to combat climate change as we will be able to see who the biggest contributors of green house gases are. Unfortunately, the protocol does not maintain a restriction on the emissions in any form, just what the emissions are and how much.

The countries that have already released Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR) in the UNECE Region, and selected other PRTR systems are Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.

We all know the harmful effects these pollutants do to their surrounding environments and ecosystems, yet factories and businesses have been allowed to continue in this practice. We must ask ourselves why we are letting this happen? This new UN Protocol will be a new tool in the effort to promote a cleaner environment. People are much to blame in the pollution of the industrialised world. Many of us who are concerned with our carbon footprint take precautions into reducing our effects on the environment. Since all this information is public record those who are concerned can do their research and stop supporting those industries that are detrimental to the environment. As consumers we could potentially stop buying directly and indirectly from companies that emit dangerous toxins. This is one of the first steps in environmental democracy to help end pollution. The records are public so we as a population can have a voice as to what can be done.