air pollution

air pollution campaign

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air pollution campaign 2021-23

Joseph Carter, Chair of Healthy Air Cymru and Head of Asthma UK & British Lung Foundation Wales, said re: Welsh Govt white paper:
“Air pollution is an invisible killer that sadly affects all of us. All parties in the Senedd committed to a Clean Air Act in their manifestos and it is now important they deliver this. We need to take radical steps to tackle air pollution and this legislation will give us all the right to breathe.’
“However, the enacting this legislation is far too slow.”

As an example, the South Wales community cooperative (founded by Sustainable Wales), volunteer run SUSSED is situated in the centre of Porthcawl town and some drivers ‘temporarily park’ leaving engines running directly outside the shop entrance. The gases are flowing into the shop and also affect people running street stalls. Shop staff wish to draw attention to the dangerous air quality they are exposed to daily from exhaust fumes.

Air pollution from particulates can cause lung cancer, and worsen heart and lung disease. Research has found there is no safe limit of exposure. The fumes also contribute to climate change.

Friends of the Earth

c. 40,000 early deaths per year. (More than obesity or alcohol).

Dirty air leads to worsening asthma symptoms, heart disease and even lung cancer. Air pollution has even been associated with changes in the brain linked to dementia and can lead to children growing up with smaller lungs. Find out more from FOE Cymru.

UK air information

Road traffic biggest problem. The biggest problem for air pollution is road traffic , and diesel is the worst of all. Road transport is the major source of the toxic gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air we breathe. Even the most recent, Euro 6, diesel cars emit more than five times as much nitrogen oxides (NOx) as Euro 6 petrol cars.

Vehicles also produce tiny particles, known as particulate matter (PMs), that find their way deep into our lungs and some of them in to our bloodstream.

We must tackle air pollution at source – and this principally means getting the most polluting vehicles off the road and reducing road traffic.

(That's why we need people everywhere to join us to phase out diesel fuel entirely by 2025).

Clean air Day 15 June 2023. Find out more.

why is idling bad?

Idling increases the amount of exhaust fumes in the air. These fumes contain a number of harmful gasses including carbon dioxide, which is bad for the environment and contributes towards climate change, as well as a range of other harmful gasses including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons which are linked to asthma and other lung diseases.

In December 2020 a landmark ruling, Southwark Coroner’s Court found that air pollution “made a material contribution” to the tragic death of nine-year old Ella Kissi-Debrah. And aside from the devastating and tragic human impact, air pollution costs the UK economy £20 billion annually.

No matter where you live in the UK, clean air should be a basic human right, not something that has to be campaigned for. Our children should be able to take clean, safe air for granted.
Air pollution is a silent, invisible killer that is largely being ignored. But it is preventable. While toxic air is potentially harmful to everyone, the risk of exposure is greater for outdoor workers, for whom the street is their workplace. This means ambient air pollution must be fully recognised as the occupational health issue it is.
Put simply, there is no “safe” level of pollutants when it comes to the air we breathe. UK laws currently adhere to EU guidance on fine air particulates (known as PM2.5), which are four times above the World Health Organisation’s PM2.5 legal maximum – and as more and more research finds health impacts of PM2.5 at lower concentrations than the EU’s limits, the UK Government should look to match WHO-approved levels instead.
Children are disproportionately affected by poor air quality thanks to their higher breathing rate and greater levels of physical activity compared to adults.

our view - time for action

Sustainable Wales believes that Government legislation needs introducing quickly. SW Director Margaret Minhinnick said, “We expect tougher policies, increased monitoring, and regular air quality reviews. However, we recognise that people also need to be proactive by joining in, turning off their engines when stationary, as idling increases the amount of exhaust fumes in the air.”

“An idling engine can produce up to twice as many exhaust emissions as an engine in motion”. Margaret continued.

“The Covid 19 pandemic has shown us that public health belongs at the top of the political agenda. That has to start with the air we breathe. Put simply, there is no “safe” level of pollutants when it comes to the air we inhale.”

Exhaust emissions contain a range of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter. These can affect the air quality of the surrounding environment and the air we breathe.

The On Air Quality publication not only highlights the part indoor and outdoor air pollution can play in children’s respiratory health, but also points to growing evidence that poor air quality contributes to brain-related health problems in children, including cognitive decline. One recent study found that exposure to air pollutants in very early life was linked to a worse change in IQ between the ages of 11 and 70.

That’s the recommendation from experts in a new publication On Air Quality. The report, released by The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit, Policy@Manchester. Read the report in an online version.

Of course, the quality of the air we breathe impacts us at every age – and research even indicates that it acts as a catalyst for cognitive decline in older people.

Clean Air Day: Over a quarter of UK schools are above WHO air pollution limits

On Clean Air Day 2021, Global Action Plan released new data which found that over a quarter of all UK schools are located in areas which are above World Health Organization (WHO) air pollution limits.

“Mae peiriant segur yn gallu cynhyrchu dwywaith gymaint o allyriadau ecsôst â pheiriant sy’n symud.”

Nid oes yna derfyn nac allyriad diogel. Mae ansawdd aer yn fater iechyd cyhoeddus.

oddeutu 40,000 o farwolaethau buan bob blwyddyn (mwy na gordewdra neu alcohol).

Mae nwyon ecsôst yn llifo i’n strydoedd ac i’n hysgyfaint.

Mae’r gronynnau yn gallu achosi canser yr ysgyfaint, gwaethygu clefydau’r galon ac anadlu fel y fogfa yn gysylltiedig â dementia a gall arwain at ysgyfaint llai mewn plant a hyd yn oed gostwng IQ.

Mae’r llygryddion anweladwy hyn hefyd yn cyfrannu at newid hinsawdd.

Rydym angen deddfwriaeth frys a mwy llym gan wleidyddion. Mewn cynllunio, polisïau iechyd cyhoeddus a’r amgylchedd.

Ond mae gennym rôl fel dinasyddion i weithredu hefyd!