Air pollution is an all-Party problem and we must all play our part
Although we’ve all known for a long time, somewhere in the back of our minds, that the air we breathe in big city centres may not be doing us a world of good, the topic of air pollution in the UK now seems to be hitting the headlines on an almost daily basis. Today saw the shocking findings that showed every person in London is breathing air particles that don’t just exceed global guidelines, but in places are 50% higher than the recommended safe levels.
The silver lining to this is that as we learn more about the health impact and the real levels of air pollution, the media uproar shows that people are finally willing to talk about it and commit to finding a solution.
My colleague, Matthew Pencharz, has spent the past week attending events at both the Labour and Conservative Party conferences. The panels, hosted by ClientEarth, looked to tackle the problem of air pollution, with discussions about how local and national Government could come together to address it. The issue is too big to be solved by just one party, or be divided by partisan politics; everyone has a role to play and we need both immediate and long-term strategies operating in tandem in order to effect real change.
At the Labour Conference in Brighton, Tantalum sponsored the panel which saw speakers from Leeds City Council, Unite, ClientEarth, a shadow transport minister, Council of Europe and the London Assembly gather to share ideas around how legislation and technology can combine to reduce air pollution. These were not dull or tired discussions, neither was there any pessimistic shrugging of shoulders; all of those in attendance were desperate to find a solution. Everything from increased taxes to the outright ban of taxis was proposed, but what everyone agreed on was the need to act now.
At Tantalum, we are dedicated to helping the Government and individuals use smarter technology to monitor and manage vehicles. We submitted our recommendation to the Mayor of London’s office for his upcoming transport strategy, and will continue to work with anyone who wants to make a difference today in order to eradicate this health-crisis for tomorrow.
If you would like to find out more about the work we are doing, please get in touch and I would be happy to talk further.