FOE demands urgent action on local Air Pollution
East Dorset Friends of the Earth today renewed its criticism of local councils’ for doing too little to tackle air pollution from traffic. EDFOE estimates that air pollution – mainly nitrogen oxides and particulates – locally causes over 200 premature deaths a year. Road traffic (especially diesel vehicles) is the principal cause.
In January 2017, EDFOE carried out their own pollution measurements at 10 ‘hot-spots’ in Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch. Levels of nitrogen oxide pollution at all sites were higher than UK permitted levels, and higher than levels reported by local councils.
East Dorset FoE spokesman Dr. Martin Price says: “Local councils are largely ignoring the risks from high levels of air pollution. Locally, traffic fumes are probably killing 40 times as many people as die in road accidents. Little is being done to measure pollution levels, let alone reduce them locally. We are calling for more monitoring of air pollution at key sites, and setting up of Clean Air Zones in hotspots. Currently only Poole Council is monitoring traffic pollution, and its results show that levels are generally high or rising”.
As part of a national campaign by Friends of the Earth, EDFOE are calling for Clean Air Zones (CAZs), and Government diesel scrappage schemes, to help people switch to cleaner vehicles and to alternatives to driving.
Read the National FOE Report at: https://www.foe.co.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/unmasked-story-air-youre-breathing-103872.pdf