Air pollution is a big issue, but cities like London, Amsterdam and Beijing are now leading the world in helping to reduce it. Air pollution is not just clouds of smoke, it’s in the harmful substances breathed in like dust and soot, plus nitrogen oxides from exhaust pipes and power plants. Volatile organic compounds (found in paint) are also a problem. Read about zero VOC paints.
Air pollution may be annoying to most of us. But for others it can be serious, say for people with asthma or heart conditions. It can also contribute to climate change, heat island effect (heatwaves) and even throw weather patterns out of whack.
London’s Clean Air Strategy
London has now got an Ultra Low Emission Zone, that aims to reduce pollution by charging fees for vehicles that are more polluting. To counter this, the city has better public transport than most places, to encourage people to give up their cars, or at least use them less.
Amsterdam is known for everyone cycling, and of course this has greatly contributed to less air pollution. It also has one of the best public transport systems in the world (you can go practically anywhere in western Europe in a few hours, from the main train station).
3 Cities with the Worst Air Pollution
Paradoxically, London is one of them, but it is making inroads with planting 8 million trees. The other 2 cities with the world’s worst air pollution (2023) are Beijing and Los Angeles. The latter is famed way) for its ‘smog’, common with higher temperatures. ‘London smog’ is also in LA, but appears in colder months from burning coal. But LA smog is mostly from car fumes and emissions from industry.
You’d think everyone in California was living green, vegan and zero-waste. Sounds good, but the truth is not really. It’s a city packed with traffic jams, and the Hollywood film industry promotes excessive consumption (just see those ‘real housewife’ programs or the multi-million dollar homes that could probably house 100 people). This is a city of limousines, not bike lanes!
The huge emissions is causing havoc with the health of the (poorer) population that live in LA city. This is causing more wildfires in susceptible areas, and some people are dying of heatwaves. More needs to be done to get people out of their cars. On the east coast, Miami offers free public transport on-demand (paid for by ads on vehicles). But LA does have the world’s first solar-powered Ferris Wheel!
Lessons from Naples (air pollution)
Smog does not just affect Los Angeles, European cities like Naples are now so polluted, experts say that locals living normally are akin to smoking packs of cigarettes each day. We don’t want to start having the same issues, so what is Naples doing to reduce the effects, so we can learn never to experience the same problems?
Car bans during certain hours at certain places are already in order (safer for anyone trying to cross the road in Naples – a reason why many people pray the Rosary!). But also other measures are being taken into place like banning street wood-fired pizza ovens and even prosecuting those who pollute, as the smells are even affecting pollinators, who can no longer smell certain flowers in the city.
Officials are also cracking down on the dumping of illegal waste like cars. Recently, a fire broke out at a local Roma camp (where people live with their children) due to combustion of tires, car parts and electric appliances). We have the same problems here with illegal fly-tipping – report any you see to Fix My Street, so complaints are sent to councils immediately (making them public online, tends to get them fixed quickly).
