Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury:
We are very lucky to live by the sea and air pollution seems a far away problem for someone else. The main sources of outside air pollution are traffic, power stations, agricultural and industrial emissions and fumes from the home caused by heating and cooking. Here we have very little industrial pollution and no fossil fuelled power stations nearby which accounts for our relatively clean air.The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has officially classified that air pollution is a definite cause of lung cancer and is linked to bladder cancer. Outside air pollution is known to increase the risk of heart and respiratory disease; individual chemicals such as diesel engine exhaust, metals, solvents and dust have been classified as carcinogenic but only now is air pollution in general seen as a cause of cancer.
The main sources of outside air pollution are man-made and therefore, there is much that can and should be done to protect the world population from becoming affected by carcinogens. As developing countries industrialise, their inhabitants will become subject to the same emissions as we are and suffer the same unfortunate effects.
2013 is the European Union’s ‘Year of Air’ but our ‘greenest government ever’ has already made attempts to dilute any stronger regulations. The Mayor of London has declared that 80% of all outside air pollution in London is caused by traffic but has not taken significant steps to reduce the problem.
This report sends a strong signal for urgent action.
Victoria Nicholls. Transition Deal.
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