Think of a city with an air pollution problem and, a few years ago, Beijing probably would have sprung to mind. Dense smog, citizens in face masks, this was a problem that cities like London had left behind after the Clean Air Act of 1956 dealt with the problems caused by the great Smog of 1952. But while London and other cities in the UK don’t suffer from a Great Smog today, they are feeling the effects of air pollution in far greater ways than many of us have realised. An estimated 40,000 deaths each year are attributable in some way to air pollution. Too many cars, of which too many of those are diesel, are causing serious health problems.
- Lilian Greenwood, chair of the transport select committee
- Kelly Oakes, science editor, Buzzfeed UK
- Sarah Macfadyen, policy manager, British Lung Foundation
Steph on Twitter.
Further reading
Here’s Kelly’s piece on Brixton Road and its air pollution.
Here’s the British Lung Foundation’s very useful explainer on air pollution.
Here are those adverts about air pollution that Steph mentioned.
