"It’s official, London’s choking — so how can we clean up the capital’s act? From flying superpods and bike bridges to car-sharing communities, Rosamund Urwin finds some pollution solutions"
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"There's a map of London that reminds me of an MRI brain scan. It shows the average level of the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide in the capital in 2010. Blue and green represent a low level, an aureolin shade tells you that NO2 is at the European Union’s acceptable limit, orange and red are bad, burgundy the worst. Most of central London is yellow, and there’s a predictable amber puddle around Heathrow. But the network of London’s main roads are painted a dark, boozy red — the capital’s outdoor smoking lounges.
"The air quality in London is among the worst of all the European capitals. That’s thanks in large part to fumes from diesel vehicles, which were encouraged to cut carbon dioxide emissions. So we’ve clogged our lungs trying to stop the ice caps melting. As well as NO2, particulates (minuscule bits of soot) are also cause for concern. During the recent Saharan dust episode, we saw a spike in the levels of these pollutants (the particles known as PM2.5 are especially hazardous to health as they are so small, they can travel deep into the respiratory tract).
"Air pollution is a stealth assassin, usually unseen but brutal. Poor air quality has been blamed for almost 4,300 deaths in London each year."
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