100 signatures reached
To: DEFRA
Clean Our Air it’s Killing Us
Meet air quality targets set by the EU
Why is this important?
Long term exposure to road pollutants can trigger hospital admissions or deaths for people with heart or lung disease. It is estimated that air pollution is responsible for 29,000 deaths per year in the UK (COMEAP 2010). To put this into context, this is 3 times the number of deaths attributable to alcohol and 16 times that caused by road traffic accidents.
Air pollution is also linked to many life limiting conditions, child development and reduces life expectancy by around six months, worth £16 billion a year. Ill health has a resultant burden on our society and our NHS. Further fines and court costs, paid for by the taxpayer, will be incurred as the UK fails to meet EU air quality targets.
We the undersigned are of the opinion that as a matter of urgency the government needs to sanction a range of measures to reduce air pollution and its effect on health. These include a national framework for low emission zones, infrastructure and incentives for active travel, road user charging and discouragement of biomass burning and diesel vehicles.
