London Air Pollution Became a Major Issue in Its Mayoral Race

Air pollution—an environmental problem now more associated with the developing cities like New Delhi than the capitals of the West—has emerged as key issue in the race to elect the next London mayor, with all three leading candidates campaigning on their solutions and voters describing the problem as an important concern. The mayoral campaign comes on the heels of a series of recent reports blaming pollution—largely from the emissions of diesel vehicles—as a leading killer in the United Kingdom. Around 40,000 people deaths annually in the country are linked to air pollution, according to a recent Royal College of Physicians report. Another report, from King’s College London, suggests as many as 9,500 people die of that cause annually in London alone. Those figures—blasted across headlines and bandied about in campaign speeches—have been absorbed by the electorate. Nearly 70% of London parents say they’re worried about their children breathing dirty air and nearly two-thirds say the city should completely ban diesel trucks from the city center, according to recent polls from the London Evening Standard. “We’ve got a real diesel problem in London and pretty awful streets,” says Simon Birkett, the founder of the NGO Clean Air in London. “In London, you can actually smell the pollution… Go down Oxford Street, you can literally smell it.” Read More: These Are America’s 10 Most Polluted Citie...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Environment Source Type: news