Dangerous levels of air pollution are having a devastating impact on the health of people living in Greater Manchester reducing life expectancy in the region by an average six months and, over the next century, estimates “1.6 million life years” will be lost unless action is taken.
Alison Cook, policy director at the British Lung Foundation, said the report showed Manchester was one of the most polluted places in the UK.
Alison Cook, policy director at the British Lung Foundation, said the report showed Manchester was one of the most polluted places in the UK.
The IPPR thinktank’s director, Sarah Longlands, said the “human cost of the air pollution crisis” in the city could not be overstated. “People’s lives are being cut short, our children’s health is being put at risk and this is before you even consider the £1bn annual economic burden that poor quality air places on the local economy. For too long, the debate on air pollution has been focused on London. But now for the first time, we understand the full extent of the problem in Greater Manchester. We simply cannot allow this to continue.”
The report found:
- Central Manchester has the highest rate of emergency hospital admissions for asthma in England, more than double the national average. North Manchester comes in second place.
- Manchester council ranks as the second worst in England for PM10 particulate pollution, which is linked to conditions such as lung cancer and asthma.
- Hotspots for dangerous air quality include Manchester’s Oxford Road, which exceeded legal limits 90 times during 2016.
It also found that the region has one of the worst polluting bus fleets in the UK, with 20% of the fleet made up of the most polluting vehicles, compared with just 10% in London. Only 15 buses are entirely electric, compared with more than 500 in London
No comments:
Post a Comment