Our Data Analytics and Modelling Officer, Simon Coleman, discusses clean air day and what you can do to make a difference.
Thursday 16 June is Clean Air Day – the largest air pollution campaign in the UK and takes place in June every year.
Clean Air Day is coordinated by environmental change charity Global Action Plan and the slogan for this year’s campaign is: “Air pollution dirties every organ in your body. Take steps to improve your health this Clean Air Day.”
You can recognise that clean air relates to all of us personally, and how it relates to TfN and our role in transport in the north of England.
Every year air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK – that’s probably a surprisingly large number, but air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to our health and can have impacts on every organ in our body.
I’m based in Leeds and catch a train when I work in our Manchester office. While waiting for my train I can certainly notice the poor air quality on the platforms.
Like many rail stations, Leeds is an enclosed space and has many diesel trains idling at platforms, close to travellers and rail employees alike. Electric trains can cause 20–35% lower carbon emissions than diesels with no emissions at the point of use, so the work we are doing to encourage upgrades and electrification of our network contributes to improving air quality in our stations. There’s an interesting (for some!) article exploring this challenge by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
Those of us working and living in Manchester will be well aware of the challenges around introducing air quality improvements on the road network; with the Clean Air Zone being publicly debated between the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, George Eustice. This really highlights the need for detailed and informed evidence to support highly challenging interventions on our transport network.
Clearly TfN has a role to play in many aspects of air quality, both in the rail services, road infrastructure, transport strategies, freight, active travel, and beyond.
Perhaps this leads you as individual thinking of how you can play a role in addressing air pollution or taking part in Clean Air Day?
There are a few events you might like to attend held in the North and some are even being held in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. If you want to find out how your behaviour contributes to air quality, why not take the air quality quiz and look at some of the #CleanAirDay resources.
You might also want to take up more active travel, such as walking short journeys or cycling instead of using a car – with fuel prices at an all-time high, this is more attractive than ever!
If you drive to or from schools, then turning off the engine while waiting outside the school will reduce local air pollution. You could also use quieter streets when on a bike or on foot to avoid polluted main roads. Now that summer is almost here, only burn dry, well-seasoned wood or smokeless fuel on your barbecue.
Finally, talking to others, both at work and at home will educate and raise the profile of this often-overlooked subject, inspiring positive change for individuals and the North!
Use the tag @cleanairdayUK on social media.
Our ambition for the North is to travel faster and further than national policy and maximise the clean growth opportunities that decarbonisation can provide for the North.
Find out more about our Decarbonisation plans
