Institutions, companies and consumers can take various measures to prevent and reduce a problem that causes thousands of premature deaths annually
Urban air pollution causes 16,000 premature deaths in Spain, 370,000 in Europe, according to various estimates. Road traffic is the main cause of this problem, especially diesel vehicles. To combat this problem, institutions, companies and consumers can take various initiatives.
Knowing the problem and demand action to the cause of the problem
The industry moved to other environments, it is not currently the largest issuer of bad fumes of cities, but traffic, causing up to 80% of urban pollution.
Transport, especially diesel vehicles generate pollution invisible but significant adverse effects on citizens. Fine particles are much thinner than a human hair, can be inhaled and cause respiratory problems, cardiovascular and even cancer.
The Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) ensures that pollution causes about 16,000 premature deaths each year in Spain, seven times more than those killed in traffic accident. For its part, the EU believes that these particles, together with ground-level ozone, are responsible for the premature death of about 370,000 people in the States every year.
Automobile manufacturers can develop cleaner systems. Diesel engines, more harmful emissions, can reduce pollution by specific filters. Refiners can add fuel additives to reduce their environmental impact.
For its part, power plants, other major issuers, may also include filtering technologies. This is the case of selective catalytic reduction systems that reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide produced during combustion.
Supporting preventive measures
According to an OECD report, the measures foreseen in the European strategy to reduce air pollution savings account for six times higher than the investment needed for control. In addition, once contamination occurs, it is often very difficult and expensive to neutralize their effects. The possibilities of reducing tropospheric ozone short-term corrective measures are minimal. To cope with acid rain can add corrective substances, but they are expensive techniques are not always guarantee results. Therefore, prevention is essential.
In this regard, institutions may support various initiatives that can support and consumer demand. The use of public transport would be one of them. Bonds offer cheaper, especially on days that may be more contaminacio'n, or increase public transport and encourage its use frequency among consumers and lead to more than one to leave the private car.
Another possible measure would be the spread of greener vehicles such as hybrid or electric. The construction of electric charging posts, the granting of aid and subsidies for the purchase or rental of these vehicles, or investment in R & D to improve these technologies, would be some possibilities. And of course, the bicycle: the increase of cycle paths, areas 30 or public loan systems are some of the initiatives to promote this mode of transport.
Some countries have implemented several ideas, such as low emission zones, which prohibit the most polluting vehicles, there are traffic lights that are placed on red when it detects a high level of fine particles or the speed limit to 30 km / h for urban areas. The Greater London Council restricts entry to the most polluting cars, while in Germany is obliged to diesel vehicles to use catalytic converters for driving on their cities.
Support for energy-efficient systems also help, as imporant could achieve reductions in energy consumption without compromising comfort.
Research to identify and learn more about this type of pollution are also very important. The largest study to date on fine particulate pollutants has been underway in Paris for two years. Their leaders are part of the megalopolis, which aims to assess the impact of air pollution in large urban areas and climate change.
Enact legislation to improve air quality and ensure compliance
In 2007 it approved the Law on Air Quality and Protection of the Atmosphere, which transposes EU legislation on this issue. If implemented correctly, its leaders believe that Europe could prevent 140,000 deaths a year and save 42,000 million euros in healthcare.
Among other issues, the Air Quality Act states that if pollution levels exceed, autonomous regions and municipalities should develop plans for reduction and mobility. However, Ecologists in Action said that in many cases the institutions do not have action plans and information to citizens is inadequate.
In short, the EU directives on air quality are increasingly stringent, but community leaders say that almost none of the Member States, including Spain, meets the limits.
Provide accurate and timely data
Hide reality or provide information based on biased or unreliable measurements does not eliminate the pollution, but rather the opposite. Citizens can think of no serious problem or not and continue their polluting habits. In addition, knowing where and when there is more pollution may be helpful to avoid doing at that time outdoors. In London offer daily information media on the prediction of air quality and pollution level areas.
