Air pollution – a public health crisis
The Clean Air Bill proposed by Green Party Baroness Jenny Jones came top of the Lord’s ballot for private members bills and therefore, it stands a good chance of getting through all three stages in the Lords, before moving into the Commons.
Baroness Jones has named her Clean Air Bill ‘Ella’s Law’ after Ella Kissi-Debrah, the child who became the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of their death last year. The bill seeks to establish a right to clean air, bring together policies on indoor and outdoor air pollution, and set up a commission to oversee government actions and progress.
Each year, air pollution causes between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths in the UK (1) and around 7 million globally. In September 2021, WHO published their new Air Quality Guidelines with targets for six main pollutants (CO, lead, NO2, O3, PM, and SO2) aimed at policy makers, lawmakers and technical experts, academics, NGOs, and advocacy group worldwide. (2)
However, health inequalities are a challenge to the implementation of these targets globally as people in deprived groups continue to be exposed to the higher levels of air pollution.
Our hearts and lungs are not the only ones affected by toxic air. When inhaled, polluted air moves into our blood stream and affects every organ. In research reported by The Guardian, air pollution is linked to the global obesity epidemic alongside some pesticides, flame retardants and bisphenol, a chemical widely used in plastics production. Furthermore, the scientist found that high levels of road traffic pollutants, in the first year of life lead to faster weight gain later. (3)
So, what can you do?
On 16 June, Clean Air Day, Green Party members will be raising the profile of Ella’s Law in Westminster with Jenny Jones and members of Ella’s family. We’re meeting from
10.00 in Victoria Tower Gardens, then going on at about 11.00 to the Joseph Bazelgette memorial on Victoria Embankment. Join us!
Download the campaign pack, which includes details of the Westminster event and social media materials you can use.
Celebrating Clean Air Day
The annual Clean Air Day takes place on the 16th June. As the UK’s largest air pollution campaign, Clean Air Day brings together communities, businesses, schools and the health sector. Global Action Plan, a charity the co-ordinates the Clean Air Day campaign, has provided useful resources that enable people and organisation to act on air pollution.
We can all help improve the quality of the air that we breath by making changes in the way we travel, shop, and develop our industries.
North Herts and Stevenage Green Party support the Clean Air Campaign and we urge our members and supporters to join Action for Clean Air.
Sources:
- Associations of long-term average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide with mortality (2018): COMEAP summary - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- WHO global air quality guidelines: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide
- Environmental toxins are worsening obesity pandemic, say scientists | Pollution | The Guardian
