Foul skies, fading light: How air pollution is stealing India’s sunshine
A thick blanket of smog has descended upon several regions in India, stealing the sunshine and casting a gloomy shadow over daily life. The air pollution levels have soared to hazardous levels, prompting health warnings and calls for immediate action.
In major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, residents are grappling with poor air quality, exacerbated by vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, and crop burning. The lack of proper waste management and emissions control measures has further worsened the situation, leading to a visible deterioration in air quality.
Authorities are under pressure to address the crisis, with environmentalists and health experts urging strict enforcement of pollution control measures. The government has been criticized for its slow response and lack of stringent policies to curb emissions.
In response, government officials have pointed to initiatives such as the implementation of pollution control norms, the promotion of electric vehicles, and the adoption of cleaner technologies. However, critics argue that more urgent and comprehensive actions are needed to tackle the root causes of air pollution and prevent further environmental degradation.
As the debate continues, the people of India are left to grapple with the immediate consequences of the pollution crisis, including health issues, disrupted daily routines, and the diminishing sight of clear blue skies.
Sources Analysis:
Source 1 – Environmental activists – Environmental activists have a history of advocating for stringent environmental protection measures and may have a vested interest in highlighting the severity of the pollution crisis to push for stricter regulations.
Source 2 – Government officials – Government officials may have a motive to downplay the extent of the pollution crisis to avoid criticism and portray themselves in a favorable light. Their statements should be analyzed with this in mind.
Fact Check:
Fact 1 – The air pollution levels in major Indian cities have soared to hazardous levels. – Verified fact, as air quality data is widely available from reliable sources such as government agencies and environmental monitoring stations.
Fact 2 – Critics argue that more urgent and comprehensive actions are needed to tackle air pollution. – Opinion statement, as the definition of “urgent” and “comprehensive” actions can vary among different stakeholders.
Fact 3 – The government has been criticized for its slow response to the pollution crisis. – Verified fact, as criticism towards government actions can be evidenced through public statements and media reports.
—
Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Foul skies, fading light: How air pollution is stealing India’s sunshine”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.