Visual investigation: Issue research

Using a number of websites and articles I was able to collate the research and organise it under the headings to then make it easier to understand.

Issue

Air pollution in London has reached the legal limit for the whole of 2018 less than a month into the year, prompting calls for the government to “get a grip and show they’re serious about protecting health”.

The law requires that the hourly measurement of toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) must not exceed 200 micrograms per cubic metre more than 18 times in a whole year. 

When the levels are thi sbad, the government's Daily Air Quality Index recommends that even the healthy mebers of the public 'reduce physicl exertion, particularly outdoors. 

The Royal College of Physicians estimates that outdoor air pollution is a contributing factor in around 40,000 deaths per year.

Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause cancer, asthma, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and dementia. There are also links that it may even be damaging your mental health. 

"Children living in highly polluted areas are four times more likely to have reduced lung function in adulthood. Improving air quality for children has been shown to halt and reverse this effect."

Causes

Some of the localised pollution contained high levels of particles from wood burning fires, but no where near as much damage is coming from fires as it is cars. 

Diesel cars. Diesel cars are much worse than petrol cars as modern diesel cars are only just meeting the standards that they should have been meeting 10 years ago. 

Diesel vehicales are respnsible for 90 percent of toxic nitrogen oxides coming from roads, and the Government has confirmed that all petrol and diesel cars will be banned in 2040.

Improvements

It has improved since last year due to the action taken by the mayor of London, who introduced cleaner buses on routes through pollution black spots and charges to stop 'dirty' vehicles in central London. 

The most effective policy that has been introduced is the charging zones, as it has been shown to deter dirty cars from urban centres.

The Mayor of London has also received a comprehensive funding settlement formt he government, worth more than £5bn, which includes measures to deliver compliance with the air quality limits.