Will my kids die earlier than they should?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ruben on September 19, 2014 at 14:18

the rubbish collections is not ironic and I share your view. I did not mean consuming more but rather I'd have my tax spent on the lorry coming in twice a week so the foul smell and flies (especially in summer) don't accumulate so much. I'd rather have half a bin collected twice than a full bin once.

The planting of trees helps negate the air pollution and makes the neighbourhood better. Super. All in for it. That's positive approach. Anything like that will have all my support.

My point was not about defending cars. Rather the fact that in london we pollute a lot less than the countryside (no tractors, no long car drives, etc) but we are more densely populated, so even if we do a fraction, the concentration of it is always going to be higher. Plus government targets into building more homes is only going to make things worse: if the target was to get 240,000 homes more that could put between half to 1 million more people in london. they will produce rubbish, have cars (even if a very small percentage). How many measures do you need to put in to offset that? 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 0aryfxa6pit2s on September 19, 2014 at 14:30

Hi Ruben

Well I think it's important to talk in facts first. The issue of air pollution in cities is due to the choices people make. If you want to talk about environmental issues in the countryside - that is a different issue. 

I don't share your view on rubbish. There are better ways for the local authority, contractor and households to vastly improve on waste management. We are not incentivised to 'do the right thing' and instead it becomes something for those of a good nature. Putting more trucks on the road does not solve anything long term. 

To return to the point, per capita pollution may be less here/more than elsewhere, however this is an issue of density and maximums. I get tired of the 'well the chinese are doing this so why should we...' approach. This discussion is about our area. There is too much air pollution (fact) and it effects our health (fact). Significantly. The costs of this are much higher I assure than the cost of waste disposal. This is affecting us. 

The final fact is that there is huge scope to reduce pollution. If everyone (including those additional households you mention) rode a bike or drove an electric car there would be much much less air pollution at higher density. Now how do we get to that place? Do we want to get there? 

So rather than seek to compound problems by pointing over there and saying "well they do this", focus on the problem in front, and lets think about some ideas to reduce road pollution in our own area, and be part of a local solution to a local problem. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by GillianM on September 13, 2014 at 9:17

http://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/new-study-on-air-pollut...

This is the post I was thinking of.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sapphireblue on September 19, 2014 at 11:12

When mynow adult daughter was born we moved out if London into rural Oxford ... for the very reasons you describe... apart from fact I missed London, felt isolated, no adult company, rained a lot... , kids had to be driven miles to activities, they crop sprayed (with small planes)the surrounding fields with dangerous chemicals, without thought for drift, on a regular basis... My happiest day was driving back over the North Circ sitting next to driver of our Removals van...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by CanadianMichael on September 19, 2014 at 13:14

I am glad Scotland voted No (and I volunteered Monday at Westminster calling up Scots asking them to) but I supposed your kids missed an opportunity to increase their life expectancy... http://order-order.com/2014/09/15/rainfall-down-life-expectancy-up-...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chris on September 19, 2014 at 23:11

I'd be more worried about the pollution on the tubes, some days you can even see a smoggy haze from one end of the platform to another.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page