The poor condition of London’s air could have contributed to the deaths of 3,000 in one year, a new report by the London Assembly reveals.
The report, entitled Every Breath You Take and due to be published on Friday, says bold action from Mayor Boris Johnson could improve the air quality, helping create a healthier London and saving money for the National Health Service.
However, the Assembly says experts and academics have questioned Mayor Johnson’s approach to tackling air pollution and have questioned whether his policies will improve London’s quality sufficiently to meet the EU targets.
The Assembly is calling on the Mayor to investigate the use of biofuel for all public transport modes, install information screens so the public can view real time pollution levels and act as a co-ordinator with central government and London’s boroughs to ensure the necessary policies are developed and implemented.
Darren Johnson AM, Chair of the Environment Committee said: “London’s air pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations. Despite action at borough, regional and national level, the capital is still failing to meet air quality targets. Reducing air pollution is not just about improving the environment in some abstract way. Our report shows that it’s about saving lives.”
Well, well, well, I’m glad to see at last that the consequences of not tackling pollution are starting to be quantified in the only language politicians understand – MONEY.
The fact that pollution must have a real cost effect on services is something which has been denied for years – but anyone who applies event he simplest of logic to the situation could have worked this out.
So where does it leave us then? Boris’s cutting of the congestion charge extension was applauded by so many who were obviously so short sighted and self centred they couldn’t see past their own pockets.
Will these same people be moaning about increased taxes to pay for all the health problems they are creating?
Saving money on enviromental measures today is so short sighted, it reminds me of a presentation by Wandsworth council on recycling where when asked about ‘why don’t you recycle all these plastic items’ – the response was ‘because it’s not profitable for our sub-contractors’ – totally missing the point that recycling isn’t about making money – it’s about saving resources for which there is no amount of money that can be attributed.
If you let the market decide everything then you will discover that the market does not value the quality of human life and that we are all ultimately ‘expendable’ in the face of growth and greed.
I’m sure many ‘smokies’ will deny this report is true – I feel it actually under-estimates the problem based on my own personal experience. I suffered asthma when I was a child – being born and bred in London, however when my parents moved away to the country it cleared up rapidly. Now I am back in London the Asthma is back and I have no doubt it’s completely down to the pollution in this city. I now need to visit the Doctor on a regular basis – even though I’m only 35. This is an uneccessary burden on the health service – but conveniently is ‘hidden away’ so it can’t be attributed to the pollution in London.
I shall be interested to see Boris’s response to this report – as long as it’s not a repeat of ‘an inverted pyramid of piffle’. I thought Boris was pushing for a cleaner London with the Estuary Airport and Cycle hire scheme (which are good ideas) – however the reduction of the CC zone and the removal of the High Emmission zone tell a different story.
“It’s OK to be environmentally friendly as long as it doesn’t cost my rich friends who don’t like to catch the bus with the common folk and prefer to drive instead” – eh Boris?
To tackle Environmental issues you need to have foresight and the intelligence to understand that you are tackling a future problem and not a present one – which of course doesn’t fit into a polticians tactics of ‘immediate popularism’. If the majority of people could actually see the damage they were doing to the environment then they would change their minds – sadly in this world where the biggest pollution is the lies being told by all sides – the public remain confused and ill-informed about the situation – and ultimately come to the wrong conclusion.
It’s not like we’re living in the third world here – I’m sure that if the Government paid for it every black cab (and private hire) would be happy to switch to a greener fuel alternative (electic or LPG) – however just as Government always does it will expect the burden to be carried by the same people who have been paying the health price all these years – and of course that will be resisted as it will be seen as yet another tax.
Sadly, most Policiticans (and I include Boris in this) cannot see past their own snouts as they are firmly stuck in the trough. It’s time to rid ourselves of these parasites before their short-sighted behaviour takes us to an unhealthy and irreverseable conclusion.
It looks as though people are finally waking up to the fact that this planet is getting more and more polluted every day. We are exposed to so many toxic chemicals it’s a wonder any of us are alive!