Abstract
Over the past several decades, the amount of attention given to various countries’ environmental impact has greatly increased. Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) have been drawing special attention due to the pollution emissions released into the atmosphere by their increasing number of industries and their exaggerated consumption of products. This article aims to elucidate and analyze the evolution of some of the atmospheric indicators of the BRIC group of countries, the amount of money each country invests in research and development of renewable energies, and the possible human health consequences of excess exposure to CO2. Secondary data on atmospheric indicators of the BRIC group of countries were obtained and critically analyzed. They were first tabulated in an Excel spreadsheet and then presented in tables and figures. Linear regression and the correlation between CO2 and global warming for the next few years were also determined. The findings reveal that CO2 emissions per capita as well as the kilograms in USD$ of the GDP of the countries showed an average increase of 15% in Brazil, Russia, and India. The average increase in China was 30%. China and Brazil are the countries that invest the most in research and development. It is concluded based on the forecasted predictions that if the surveyed countries adopt effective preventive measures, the CO2 emissions and amount of air pollution could show a downward trend over time; on the other hand, if nothing is done to reverse this situation, the indexes may even exceed the forecasts.
Key words: Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC), carbon dioxide, air pollution.
