Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Weekly air pollution data - N4 Ladder - w/c 26 Jan
As a mum with two small children I have been increasingly worried about the air pollution on the ladder. Fed up of the council ignoring the issue (including numerous complaints of smoke nuisance) we invested in an external air pollution monitor. Sharing the results of the monitor in our back garden in the N4 area of the Ladder - interesting to see the time of the peaks...
For context, PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter in the air. Major sources include vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, burning fossil fuels, and even indoor activities like cooking and burning candles, leading to various health problems and reduced visibility, with vulnerable groups like the elderly and children being most at risk.
The WHO recommends that the limit (15 micrograms/m3) should not be exceeded for more than 3-4 days per year. Just last week, this was exceeded on 4 days!!!!
Haringey Council have shown limited action on clean air - with the upcoming elections, let's see who engages with some hard facts and wants to take action
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson
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Even more worrying when you consider how much rain there was over January, when you would expect particulates to wash out and levels to be lower.
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Permalink Reply by Dick Harris
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Well done Alice. I really like to see such active initiatives.
I don't know where your house is exactly but can you easily identify the likely cause of the apparent surge on Sunday evening?
And why would the level on Monday be so steady over the day. It seems odd.
May I ask for details (eg brand etc) of your "external air pollution monitor"?
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Permalink Reply by Alice B
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I could make an educated guess but would be good for Haringey Council to investigate and identify the culprit...
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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Alice, thanks for posting this.
Fed up of the council ignoring the issue (including numerous complaints of smoke nuisance) … Haringey Council have shown limited action on clean air
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The council cares about air pollution, but not enough to take action.
The view of the Council Ruling Group Cabinet—if not most of the Majority Group—is likely to be that, in respect of the biggest contributor to air pollution, there is nothing that can be done.
Nothing—or next to nothing—is what the council has done for decades.
Cabinet are likely to take the view privately that their perceived impotence can be camouflaged indefinitely by their PR team. PR can gloss over the lack of action with endless promises of action. I don't know how much longer residents can remain satisfied with this approach. It's alway worked in the past and could work for a while yet.
Cabinet's view on traffic is leave it to the experts.
Leaving it to the experts has got us to where we are today. In this case, the "experts" are employees in the council's Highways Department. The team's political lead is the Cabinet Member for Highways, who just happens to be an old school friend of the leader. This may be the main qualification for the role.
In my view, our Borough needs a Highways lead Member who has interest and knowledge and not merely a rubber-stamp, or nodding toward employees' advice. And supported by colleagues in the council's final decision-making body, the Cabinet.
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While traffic is a significant issue, I think there may be a more immediate source... just look at the timing of the emissions
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If traffic were the sole contributor you would expect a morning peak between 7-9am and evenings between 5-7pm. There seems to be a big increase between 7-9pm when restaurants are busiest. Charcoal grills?
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