Air Pollution. Why we fail to learn the lessons of history

Longhurst, James

Abstract

This presentation explores contemporary issues of air pollution through the lens provided by history. It presents a perspective drawn from an analysis of historical, and mostly failed, attempts to manage air pollution from classical times until today. It asks the question why have we not learnt from the lesson history provides? A range of lessons and warnings from history are identified before returning to the issue before the conference, why have we failed to manage air quality? The paper considers the recent epidemiological evidence for premature death from PM2.5 and NO2 in the UK. It notes the recent WHO Europe estimate of the costs of death and ill health caused by air pollution in the European area before considering the scale of this annual cost in relation to the UK national debt and the Greek debt. These issues are then considered in the light of the right expressed in the Air Quality Strategy, 2000, the implications of the European Court of Justice judgment of 25/7/08, confirming the enforceable “Right to clean air” for all EU citizens, and the Supreme Court Judgement of April 2015 in which it ruled that the UK is in breach of the European Air Quality Directive. These issues are further explored in the context of the recent VW emissions scandal and the new Defra consultation on Air Quality which sets out draft plans to improve air quality in the UK

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: Routes to Clean Air
• Start Date: Oct 22, 2015
• End Date: Oct 23, 2015
• Acceptance Date: Oct 1, 2015
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2015
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: air quality, air pollution, historical perspective, right to clean air, VW emissions scandal
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1434105
• Publisher URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LyJ24uSbWc
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Routes to Clean Air