Tag Archives: air quality

ULEZ. Who should we believe?

The idea that Sadiq Khan would distort the findings of Imperial College about the effects of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, or that Imperial’s research could be “bought” smacks to me of conspiracy theory. What I do know is that … Continue reading

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Air quality and traffic control

The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) estimates that 43,000 Britons over 30 die every year as a result of air pollution, writes the Telegraph, part of a global annual toll of premature deaths that the WHO … Continue reading

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To prove a point

ULEZ has cut NO2 levels in the capital significantly, reports the Telegraph. Air quality monitoring at Hither Green Lane and Catford, near Ella Aloo-Kissi-Debrah’s home, show NO2 has fallen by over 50% since 2012, with half that taking place since … Continue reading

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Getting rid of the nasty stuff

Most PM2.5 – the nasty airborne particles that we inhale and can lodge in lungs, heart and bloodstream, causing all manner of disease – now comes from brake dust and tyre wear, not tailpipes, says Prof Alastair Lewis, chair of … Continue reading

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Illegal pollution and road closures

Like most traffic “experts” on the BBC, Prof Andrew Lewis failed to mention on the World at One (7.12.20) the role of traffic lights in producing congestion, and contributing to the premature death of 9 year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah. Will the … Continue reading

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Another nail in coffin

Brake dust is as bad as diesel for producing tiny particles that penetrate heart, lungs and bloodstream. It may be even worse because it produces them in greater quantities. The stop-start drive cycle caused by traffic lights and priority junctions … Continue reading

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Air quality post-Corona

The lockdown means less traffic and less polluted air. But 45,000 sets of traffic lights still operate, producing 57,000 tons of CO2 every year, just from the electricity that powers them. Rarely reported is that lights produce congestion by blocking … Continue reading

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Another pitch to the Press

No doubt you heard about the Max Planck study which found that poor air quality is a greater threat to life than war, malaria, HIV or smoking. Replacing conventional traffic control with freedom to filter at low speeds and low … Continue reading

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More policy inanity

The congestion charge exemption for sub-75 g/km vehicles ends in Oct 2021, and from 2025, zero emissions cars will lose their exemption too. Sadiq Khan’s rationale? Traffic pollution damages health and development. We know that. But zero emissions cars emit … Continue reading

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Taking the drama out of a crisis

Today’s Guardian led with a piece about a comprehensive Chinese study which shows that air pollution (already implicated in 7 million premature deaths a year worldwide) damages intelligence and cognitive function, not just in foetuses and children, but in adults, … Continue reading

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