Action Needed on Air Pollution

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

 

Air Pollution – the killer in our midst.

June 30th 2017

 Friends of the Earth this week published our report “Unmasked: the true story of the air you’re breathing“.

The results of  a massive people-powered air monitoring experiment suggest that dirty air is a problem in far more places than the government’s headline policy admits. That makes it all the more important for MPs and their constituents to demand a tough plan for Clean Air Everywhere.

In Poole and Bournemouth pollution levels from nitrogen dioxide exceed the national limits, and in Poole at least, levels are rising even in areas which meet the limits.  As a result, over 200 local people a year die 10 years earlier than they would do due to air pollution.   East Dorset FOE call on all local councils to take the threat of air pollution seriously and ACT NOW!

Read the FOE Report at: https://www.foe.co.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/unmasked-story-air-youre-breathing-103872.pdf