[ad_1]
Air pollution in many towns and cities across the UK now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, exacerbating the risk of Covid-19 and putting the health of millions of people at risk.
A study published Thursday says that although air quality improved dramatically in the first half of the year when the country closed, pollution now exceeds pre-Covid levels in 80% of the 49 large cities and towns that were analyzed.
There is mounting evidence that exposure to toxic air increases the risks of Covid-19 and the study authors say their findings underscore the need for local city councils to do more to reduce car use and improve air quality by giving priority to walking and cycling.
Andrew Carter, executive director of the Center for Cities think tank, which carried out the study, said toxic air contributed to the deaths of thousands of Covid-19 victims this year and even after the pandemic ended. , would still be a great threat to the public. health, particularly for those who live in urban areas.
“City leaders can reduce the threat of air pollution, but it will take political will,” Carter said. “Discouraging car use will be unpopular in the short term, but combined with the necessary improvements in public transportation, the long-term benefits to public health and the economy will be enormous and our cities will become better places to live. This is not the time for politicians to linger on this. “
The study findings, based on an analysis of the latest data from Defra, reveal that while the spring lockdown reduced nitrogen dioxide levels by 38% on average in 49 cities and large towns, pre-pandemic levels were met or exceeded in four-fifths of the places studied during the second half of 2020.
The authors say the rise in toxic air has been driven by an increase in private car use and has happened despite 98% of the country still being under significant Covid-19 restrictions. This raises concerns that as those measures are relaxed in the new year, air quality will worsen further, with serious consequences for public health.
Since the pandemic broke out, many local authorities have tried to encourage walking and bicycling by building bike lanes and creating low-traffic neighborhoods to prevent drivers from “running like rats” through residential areas.
But these efforts have met with vocal opposition from the pro-car lobby and some disgruntled drivers. Some city councils have already backed down, putting up new bike lanes, while others shelved long-term plans to install low-emission zones, arguing that pollution levels had already decreased due to the closure.
But Hubert Thieriot of the Clean Air and Energy Research Center said the new study highlighted the need for local leaders across the country to step up their efforts to limit private car use as the country pulls out of restrictions. lock.
He said that the pandemic had caused “immense suffering both in the health and social realms” but had also reminded the public “that air pollution is not a fact and that bold actions in transportation could significantly improve health and people’s quality of life “.
“The role of transport in the air pollution of UK cities has become apparent to everyone during the Covid-related closures,” Thieriot said. “That shared awareness offers legislators a historic opportunity to implement bold transportation policies.”
