Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Air pollution - N4 Ladder - wc 8 June
If you live on the Ladder, I hope you also found this a rather pleasant week to be a Harringay resident. Apart from Sunday, pollution readings have been reassuringly low across the board.
A small thank you to the weather gods, who kindly arranged enough wind to whisk the pollution away from us. Although spare a thought for the Gardens, who may have been sitting rather inconveniently in the slipstream. 🌬️
The good news is the numbers are down. The less good news? The overall pattern hasn’t changed. We are still seeing the biggest spikes in the early and late evening.
And what happens at those times? If traffic were the main culprit, surely we would expect a matching morning peak when people are heading out — but that’s not what the data is showing.
So, a polite public question to Haringey Council: what more evidence do you need before investigating the likely sources properly?
Our citizen scientists have been busy collecting the clues. We’d love the council to bring its expertise to the table too — ideally before the pollution decides to solve the mystery itself.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alice B
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And a reminder about attending the meeting with the council to voice our concerns and demand action - Monday 22 June 6.30pm
Please Sign up to the meeting which will be via Teams. Details are included in the tickets delivered by Eventbrite.If you have 2 minutes, could you take a look at the Google Forms containing 3 optional questions asking for your perspective on the pollution, and any questions for the council.For full links please see:Sign up for the event - via Eventbrite -Teams link for meeting:Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/375829307880034?p=0NfK8YqnXaaBgkce4W Meeting ID: 375 829 307 880 034 Passcode: GW6Ub7HUGoogle Forms -Any questions please email harringaypollution@gmail.com
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Permalink Reply by Dan77
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It has been foul in the gardens this week. Feels like every night the smog has descended
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Thank you so much for sharing the impact in the Gardens - it isn't that the pollution is down. Its just that it is blowing a different way. This really highlights the need for better monitoring - actually seeing where the pollution goes.
Thanks Dan and sorry Gardens residents :-(
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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I understand that elected councillors have been trying to get action on this for years.
One suspects that no council employees live in or near the affected areas. And if they did, then action may have taken place. Years ago.
#IntenseInertia
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton
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So, Clive, we must blame council employees for not living in or near the the areas affected by air pollution. Because if they did then action may have taken place years ago.
It's far worse than that!
I can confidently attest entirely from my own imagination that I dreamed up multitudes of fictional Council employees living locally impatiently queuing as they awaited the postal staff delivering the very first edition of "Thank You for Smoking" by Paula Disbrowe.
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Alan, I for one am pleased that Alice is taking this issue seriously.
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HCP: North Mid treating highest number of children with breathing diffic...
HCP: Ethnic disparity in air pollution exposure across London revealed
BBC: Toxic air 'causing more child hospital admissions'
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Clive, I've never dismissed the extreme seriousness of this issue.
But I assert serious fault in your unevidenced assertion/suspicion.
Please re-read your own words.
One suspects that no council employees live in or near the affected areas. And if they did, then action may have taken place. Years ago.
Have you evidence of this assumption about the residences of \haringey staff? Or any data which supports such a direct connection between the numbers of council employees [who] live in or near this part of Green Lanes. and the action taken by particular Council Departments? Do you think Council staff in general don't love or care for their own children or their health or of other people's children?
Please think through the seriousness of the assertions you are making.
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Do you think Council staff in general don't love or care for their own children or their health or of other people's children?
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Alan, you make my point well. I seek to underline the relevance of direct experience and personal impact of a problem.
It is because parents care for their children that they are likely to be energised by an issue that damages their health and their family's health, daily or directly.
Council employees may well have an abstract interest and care for children who live miles away, but not more so than if their own children were affected directly. Nearby.
I'm suggesting that a lack of personal or direct experience or understanding may one of several possible reasons as to why has there been so little action by the complacent New Labour Council over many years.
Please take a look at the links above to news articles about the effects of air pollution on young lungs and ask yourself if Haringey Council has responded adequately?
Over years.
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How about a march down Green Lanes one Sunday afternoon to protest the pollution.
That, with a bit of media coverage, might focus the minds of the grillers and powers that be.
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