It’s Not Just A Walk In The Park.

WENVOE FORUM


CONSIDERING TODAY AND TOMORROW
A breath of fresh air, it’s not just a walk in the park.


During the periods of lockdown we experienced over the past eighteen months we were only too delighted to get out of the house for one of the few permitted reasons and take a stroll round the village. A breath of fresh air to blow the cobwebs away! Fortunately one effect of lockdown was to reduce vehicle use and engine emissions considerably and for a while air pollution was reduced so the air was fresher. Now, however the pollution is returning.

The air around here looks good; we don’t see the smoky clouds or thick looking air of big cities in India and according to Air Quality Wales https://airquality.gov.wales/ the whole of Wales is in the green band. However the UK adopted EU standards on air pollution which, in the case of fine air particulates, allows 4 times as much as the World Health Organisation recommendations. In truth no levels of air pollution are safe, it’s more a matter of less harm and damage done might not be evident for some years, seemingly unproblematic air may be storing up problems for the future.

According to the Air Quality Wales website the 2 types of pollutants cause the biggest public health concern:

  • Particulate matter (known as PM10 and PM2.5), that easily penetrate the lungs. They are created primarily by vehicle emissions, tyre and brake wear and industry and construction. These are so small that they are drawn down into the lungs and heart and can even enter the blood stream. They are implicated in a whole host of health conditions including kidney, liver and brain damage alongside the more obvious impact on the lungs and heart. Children are more at risk than adults because of their quicker breathing rates and more active lives, though anyone with additional conditions may be affected.
  • Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulphur Dioxide and Ozone. These are primarily created by road traffic, energy generation and industry. They particularly affect those with lung conditions.

 

Links are made between air pollution and cancer, cognitive decline in later life and according to Sustainable Wales (https://www.sustainablewales. org. uk/air-pollution)

poor air quality contributes to brain-related health problems in children, including cognitive decline. One recent study found that exposure to air pollutants in very early life was linked to a worse change in IQ between the ages of 11 and 70.”

BUT… DON’T PANIC!

There are things we can all do to improve air quality in Wenvoe. Broadly, we need less vehicle use,

shorter times with running engines, remembering that though much less polluting, electric vehicles do contribute to air pollution. Next month we’ll suggest some strategies that we can all adopt. We can make a difference.

  1. This will also cut carbon emissions so we’ll be doing our bit for climate change and supporting VoG Project Zero at the same time.

The Forum is always open to fresh suggestions, creative ideas and especially to new members and contributors.

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