Air quality is a matter of life and death (From Your Local Guardian)

Air quality is a matter of life and death

8:50am Wednesday 18th February 2009

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Sir – Just what will it take for the Government to take air quality seriously?

Let us hope the decision from the European Commission to take the UK to court over its breaches of standards put in place to protect human health – and the unlimited fines this could lead to – is a start.

The Government has been dragging its feet on this issue for far too long, and last week it unveiled another delaying tactic, setting an even later deadline before it applies for yet more time to meet EU-agreed standards for the amount of particulate matter (PM10) in the air.

PM10 particulate matter are tiny airborne particles, primarily emitted by industry, vehicles and domestic heating, which can cause and aggravate health problems including asthma, cardiovascular disease and lung cancer, and lead to premature death.

The facts are frightening. It is estimated that more than 1,000 Londoners die prematurely every year because of poor air quality, and a further 1,000 are admitted to hospital.

In Hounslow, Brentford is already one of the worst sites in the whole of London for PM10, with a level in excess of the EU’s recommended limit.

The Government says it is discussing measures to reduce air pollution, but can we really take this seriously when just weeks ago it took the deplorable decision to go ahead with the expansion of Heathrow?

Enough is enough. We need urgent efforts from the Mayor and the Government to reduce emissions and cut the volume of road traffic to ensure we meet these vital standards.

For some, it is a matter of life and death.

Jean Lambert MEP

Green Party

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