date: Thu, 18 May 2000 18:59:25 +0100 from: "Jeremy Bartlett" subject: Re: [norwichgreenparty] URGENT letter to: Excellent letter. Jeremy. ----- Original Message ----- From: Rob Tinch To: Norwich Green Party Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 5:52 PM Subject: [norwichgreenparty] URGENT letter > Hi folks --- there was a reply to my letter in today's EDP, need to reply to > it quickly, here's my attempt. Comments please. > > Thanks, > > Rob > > Dear Sir, > > I read John Barnard's reply (18 May) to my earlier letter with interest. > He's quite right that pollution levels in the UK have improved in the last > century. However that is primarily due to the decline in heavy industry and > improvements in industrial technology. For transport, emissions of some key > pollutants per mile have been reduced --- but this has been partly > outweighed by a large increase in miles driven. > > In any case, the fact that pollution levels have improved does not mean that > the problem has gone away! The Department of Environment, Transport and the > Regions states in its paper "Air pollution: what it means for your health" > that "Daily changes in air pollution trigger increased admissions to > hospital and contribute to the premature death of those who are seriously > ill." In 1994 the New Scientist estimated that as many as 10,000 UK > residents die prematurely each year as a result of particulate emissions. > Of course, it is hard to determine exactly which pollutants are responsible > for which effects, but it seems that pollution from traffic may claim as > many lives as road accidents (which cause around 4000 deaths per year) --- > and there are also major non-fatal effects on general health and sickness. > > What is different nowadays is that road transport is the most significant > contributor to local air pollution, responsible in the UK for over 50% of > nitrogen oxide emissions, over 75% of carbon monoxide, and over 30% of > volatile organic compounds, a category which includes many known and > suspected carcinogens. The contribution of road transport is even greater > in urban areas, as the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards has confirmed. > > Road transport is also the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide > pollution, which is the primary cause of global warming. This is > particularly relevant for a low-lying region such as Norfolk, seriously > threatened by sea level rise, which the Climate Research Unit at UEA > estimates will be around 50cm over the next 100 years. > > Mr Barnard suggests I should remove my rose-tinted spectacles: I think he > should remove his! My original letter was not really concerned with changes > in pollution levels: rather I was commenting on the levels of congestion, > which have greatly increased over the past 70 years. Pollution has fallen, > but if Mr Barnard thinks today's pollution levels are good, or even just > acceptable, he should think again, as the above figures suggest. > > We've now reached a situation in which roads are filled up with cars, while > the DETR advises people who find traffic pollution makes breathing difficult > to "avoid busy streets" and "avoid energetic outdoor activities". But who > are the streets for? Cars, or people? What's the point in City centres > which some people are advised to avoid because other people try to go there? > > We do need to move away from private transport and towards public transport, > to reduce congestion and pollution. If we do not do this, we will see > congestion rising towards gridlock, and urban pollution levels creeping up > again, as the European Conference of Ministers of Transport predicts. > > Prince Charles stated in his Reith Lecture last night that "It seems that > when we do have scientific evidence that we are damaging our environment we > aren't doing enough to put things right, and when we don't have that > evidence we are prone to do nothing at all, regardless of the > risks." This is certainly true of transport. If we continue to push more > cars into cities, and turn our backs on public transport, you can be sure > that some people --- the old, the very young, the infirm, the three million > UK asthma sufferers --- will end up paying the price. > > Yours sincerely, > > Rob Tinch > Norwich Green Party > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Paying too much for Long Distance should be ILLEGAL! $60 in FREE > Long Distance calls when you join beMANY! > http://click.egroups.com/1/4169/5/_/90084/_/958668811/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Up to 60% OFF food! Buy Now and Shipping is Free. http://click.egroups.com/1/4016/5/_/90084/_/958672966/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------