The air we breathe in London
We live in a smart world and we need to use smart ways of travel. Unlike in China or even in Japan, we in Sri Lanka have not yet started wearing face masks for protection against air pollution.
( October 28, 2017, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Air pollution is a big problem all over the world. But, more so in big cities like London, where tacking air pollution is a top priority now. War has been declared on toxic air and the current Mayor of London has issued seven toxic air alerts in the past 13 months. A £10 “T (Toxic) Charge” has been confirmed (also known as Emissions Surcharge) for the oldest most polluting vehicles in central London to start this October 2017.
First there was the Congestion Charge Zone in London, now there will be the Central London Ultra Low Emission (ULE) Zone in 2019 to tighten emission standards for diesel vehicles. Traffic is monitored at the pollution measurement stations around the ULE Zone. These are small traffic pollution curbing measures. Someday, there will be a Car Free Zone, in the not too distant future, in other areas other than Oxford Circus.
Many Londoners bought cleaner cars only to discover diesel engines were highly polluting engines. Recent research has shown almost 8 million Londoners live in areas that exceed World Health Organisation Air Quality guidelines.
Action to manage air pollution
Action to manage and improve air quality is largely driven by EU law, which sets legally binding limits for levels of major air pollutants. Separate legislation exists for emissions of air pollution.
Five things which can be done immediately authorities say to tackle this issue. They are as follows:
- Use Cleaner transport, less polluting diesel engines
- Use fewer vehicles, rely on bicycle transport and sharing vehicles
- Build less highways and tarmac roads and rely on public transport
- Increase the use of alternative ways of transport; greater use of railways, river and canal transport than at present
- Build more Green and garden cities surrounding highways and roads.
But, it is still uncertain how effective these policies are and can be,
The use of low emission technologies
Using less polluting transport is not just being smart, it is environmentally responsible,
It is cheaper too. Vehicles that run on hydrogen or electricity is on the cards. Many are being trialled in London and in other big cities. The habit of using roads as the means of transport is ending.
Just because you cannot see it, does not mean there is no pollution. In UK where the days of smog filled industrial cities have been consigned to history, air pollution is seen as twice as deadly as road accidents. Major air pollution problems in cities come from particulate matter (PM) or unseen gases. PM floats in and through the air, a fraction of the size of a human hair, which is generally carried by vehicle exhausts.
The effect on breathing
Gases affecting air quality and human health such as nitrogen dioxide are also the result of oil, gas and coal burned at high temperatures. When absorbed, through breathing these pollutants cause respiratory problems, heart attacks and strokes. They have also been linked to autism, schizophrenia and dementia.
The effect of consistent travel in three wheelers
It was only recently that in Colombo we saw many of the three wheeler “auto rickshaws” which run on two stroke engines cough up 13 times more lung damaging particulates (PM) than other engine types. We are thankful to India for exporting these vehicles for cheap transport. But, we are more than thankful to the Yapalanaya government recently to curb the import of these death traps. They may be cheaper to travel, to operate and repair, but produce more health hazards and unwarranted disease.
What are the options available for the ordinary citizen?
We live in a smart world and we need to use smart ways of travel. Unlike in China or even in Japan, we in Sri Lanka have not yet started wearing face masks for protection against air pollution.
We hear of Major Gen, Dharshana Hettiarachchi, the Security Forces Commander in Jaffna for wanting to plant 100,000 coconut saplings in his command region. Reforestation of the coastal belt in his region will produce valuable results not only in 4 to 5 years of produce but also of fresh air. Trees do a great job of trapping PM, a hedge against pollution.
We are also told of alternative ways of travel and transport. Smart ways of travel means cycling to work, using shared transport, using public transport.
What has hardly been tried in Sri Lanka like in London, is adding more carriages to train-sets, so that there will be a seat for every passenger on trains, rather than riding dangerously on footboards. In London, where we were used to a maximum of eight carriages, we have extended our platforms to take twelve carriage trains.
We see more Garden Cities being built to surround major cities. Green spaces in cities cannot be a solution in isolation for air pollution reduction, but tree planting can enhance air quality and help urban towns become resource efficient. Shrubs Surround, Trees and foliage on roads serve dual purpose; they absorb carbon dioxide, take the heat off the tarmac and provide not only shade but greenery. The efficacy of roadside trees for mitigation of PM (particulate matter) is seriously underestimated.
Tackling air pollution is top priority today; it should be top priority in Sri Lanka tomorrow. A Mobile Alert of Air Quality in Colombo would definitely be a start.
