The Royal College of Physicians estimates that over 40,000 people die early every year in the UK because of poor air quality.
The six Green councillors on the city council take this very seriously.
- They supported Worcester’s first-ever free bus service in the run-up to Christmas.
- They are pushing for the first electric taxis to be introduced this April.
- They are pushing for funding for ‘real time’ air quality measurement machines to be included in this year’s council budgets.
- Karen Lewing has successfully pushed for refuse trucks to use low-emission fuel, which reduces the carbon footprint of each truck by 90%.
A motion proposed by Green county councillor Matthew Jenkins calling for action to improve air quality was rejected by Conservatives. He urged the council to produce an updated Air Quality Strategy and Action Plan for Worcestershire. The current plan is almost ten years old. The Conservatives drastically amended the motion, removing any reference to updating the outdated plan. If you want to check the pollution levels where you live, go to addresspollution.org.
Worcester Green party are calling on the Government to get behind the Clean Air Bill or more lives will be put at risk.
#EllasLaw would make clean air a human right for all. However, the longer the Government takes to clean up our dirty, toxic air, the more lives will be put at risk: they *must* support this Bill.
The 2nd reading of Ella’s Law (Clean Air Bill) in the Commons is scheduled for 24th March. Caroline Lucas MP has an Early Day Motion (EDM) in support of the right to breathe clean air:
Has your MP signed in support of the EDM yet? Please email your MP and ask them to sign Caroline’s Clean Air EDM
Ella, was the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as cause of death. The bill which received cross-party support in the House of Lords, would make the right to clean air a human right.