Time for the UK to clean up its act on air pollution
2009 January 2
Europe has begun the legal process to take Britain to court for ignoring its air pollution laws, but the real question is, how come the government has been allowed to get away with it for so long?The immediate issue is PM10 pollution – the minute sooty particles emitted mainly by diesel engines which get into lungs and lead to asthma, heart diseases respiratory problems. Scientists say PM10 pollution leads to the premature deaths of 12,000-24,000 people a year in Britain – more than the deaths caused by alcohol consumption and far, far more than passive smoking. The Rogers review of local authority priorities in 2006 estimated that PM10 pollution alone cost Britain between £9.1bn and £21bn a year in health costs.
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