The last few months have seen local group XR members out on the streets in Warwick District's three largest towns, talking to people about the dangers of air pollution and mapping air quality, using the very useful website addresspollution.org. We invited people to enter their postcode on the website, which then flags up a colour-coded result indicating an overall pollution level at that location.
Almost all of the results obtained fell into the categories orange - "significant" air pollution - and red - "high" air pollution. Each result detailed levels of the particulates known as PM 2.5, PM10 and the gas NO2 (nitrogen dioxide). Higher levels of these pollutants exceed World Health Organization (WHO) limits and are associated with an increased incidence of health outcomes such as strokes, asthma, poor lung functioning, cancer, cardiovascular mortality, respiratory mortality, wheezing, bronchitis, impaired lung development and disease related mortality.
Addresspollution.org has an online petition to sign, pressing for estate agents and property websites to meet their legal obligations and disclose air pollution ratings for the properties they advertise.
Our first outreach event in Leamington on 17 December last year was supported by a member of Clean Air Warwickshire, and we also spoke to District Councillor Jessica Harrison (Labour). Most members of the public we spoke to were very concerned about air quality in the town.
On 24 February we visited Warwick and spoke to a wide range of people, from elders to a very informed young lady with her mother.
Last Saturday, 13 April we descended on Talisman Square in Kenilworth and had some good conversations with concerned citizens. Several people were interested in joining the group, and we encouraged them to get involved.
All in all, it has been a worthwhile and enjoyable effort to raise awareness and give people a chance to learn more about the quality of the air they have no choice but to breathe. Arguably, the improvements we need in vehicle and other emissions may only come about through grassroots pressure via the much-needed citizen's assemblies that are a central plank of XR's strategy.