Change Energy Use To Reduce Pollution And Protect Our Health | Letters

The European Code Against Cancer is correct to spot aerial contamination firmly connected nan argumentation agenda, arsenic your study highlights (Tackling aerial contamination should beryllium portion of authorities activity to trim crab rates, scientists say, 6 March). But buying aerial filters and limiting wood burning astatine location aren’t solving nan rumor astatine its root. If governments are superior astir mitigating climate-related wellness issues, they request to tackle nan problem astatine its source: energy.

Energy accounts for much than three-quarters of full greenhouse state emissions globally. That matters not only for nan climate, but for nan aerial we breathe. The fossil fuels that powerfulness overmuch of today’s power strategy merchandise harmful pollutants specified arsenic good particulate matter and nitrogen oxides erstwhile they are burned. The measurement we nutrient and usage power is simply a awesome driver of some ambiance alteration and harmful aerial pollution. Addressing some requires fundamentally rethinking power systems.

Your article cites nan summation of wood burning successful homes arsenic a origin for concern, but this is uneven crossed countries and seasonal. Reducing emissions is not only astir shifting to cleaner power sources, but changing really power is used. Technology (such arsenic power pumps and power guidance solutions) already exists to thief america trim emissions and amended air quality.

On a larger scale, measures specified arsenic electrifying extremity uses, peculiarly successful energy-intensive sectors specified arsenic industry, carrier and building, tin present important emissions reductions while quickly reducing dependence connected fossil fuels and related aerial pollutants.

Improving aerial value truthful requires much than tightening contamination standards aliases individual behaviour changes. It requires accelerating nan modulation to cleaner, businesslike power systems.
Frédéric Godemel
Schneider Electric, Grenoble, France

As a campaigner for cleanable aerial successful schools, nan caller European Code Against Cancer including a telephone for politicians to tackle aerial contamination is hugely welcomed. We are greatly encouraged to spot that schools are mentioned, arsenic children walk astir of their time successful classrooms and are peculiarly susceptible to nan harms of mediocre aerial quality.

The codification specifically advises that caller schools shouldn’t beryllium located adjacent to engaged roads and existing schools adjacent roads should beryllium incentivised to usage aerial filters. Most schools are already located successful areas wherever PM2.5 levels (the good particulate matter that is linked to respective cancers and respiratory diseases) transcend nan recommendations of nan World Health Organization.Installing aerial filters successful schools is simply a cost-effective solution that will region harmful particulates from nan aerial and besides region nan pathogens that origin illness. A caller study of nan effect of installing aerial filters successful schools successful Milan demonstrated that nan involution decreases student absenteeism by much than 10%

Clean indoor aerial besides increases attraction and moving memory. A study involving 100 schools successful nan US showed measurable advancement successful maths and reference (assessed done standardised tests) erstwhile improving indoor aerial value successful nan classrooms. These conclusions are confirmed by a large cohort study performed connected much than 8,000 children successful nan UK.

The caller code’s argumentation proposal of adding portable aerial filters is elemental to enactment connected and will prevention money very quickly. For little than a tenner per kid per year, nan authorities would guarantee that children astatine schoolhouse person nan aforesaid correct to respire cleanable aerial arsenic they do to portion cleanable water.
Ruth Brooker
Clean Air for Kids, Bristol