Patrick Lee

What's new about the Govt's new Environment Improvement Plan? Is it it ambitious enough? And what does it mean for air quality?

Enjoyed working on this one with @benrpearce.bsky.social

It was positive to see the EIP published earlier this week.

Highlights include:
- Acknowledgement we need to focus on sources such as woodburning and freight
- EU alignment on PM2.5 targets
- Support for local authority AQ teams
- More data to build awareness and engagement with vulnerable groups

Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) 2025 We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

🚨Great news! Limit for UK’s most dangerous air pollutant, PM2.5, is being cut to 10 µg/m³ by 2030.

🔥New Environmental Improvement Plan aims to reduce emissions at source.

👏Kudos to Emma Reynolds and Defra for setting ambitious targets.
www.gov.uk/government/p...

#BanDiesel | @london.gov.uk pledged he'd restore London's #AirQuality to legal and safe levels in 2016. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels are neither. In a way, we're back where we thought we were 20 years ago after @who.int slashed guideline levels in 2021. We need zero air emission buses and buildings

🔔London meets clean air laws🔔

Great news that London has finally met legal limits for NO2, proving that bold action on dirty air delivers real results.

This is a crucial milestone towards reaching World Health Organization guidelines as soon as possible. 1/

www.london.gov.uk/london-meets...

At Impact on Urban Health, we believe the people whose health is most affected by air pollution should be at the heart of the solutions to improve it. Our Amplifying Voices strand supports the… Amplifying Voices: Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, The Ella Roberta Foundation

📢Our Amplifying Voices strand partners with the communities who are most affected by air pollution to advocate for change.

♥️As part of that strand, we're proud to support the Ella Roberta Foundation's work to protect children from air pollution.

youtu.be/5xDn-UZQN-U

Brill reporting. Most people underestimate the social cost of diesel vans.

Diesel delivery vans cost London alone over £2 *billion* every year.

Our changing climate is an urban health emergency The climate crisis is making urban areas increasingly dangerous places to live, with marginalised communities in cities the most affected.

From air pollution, to food poverty and extreme heat: I wrote about how the climate crisis is affecting health in towns and cities:

urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/opi...

How farm fires intensify Delhi’s post-monsoon smog problem Extreme air pollution from farming fires meets high population density, causing substantial harm to health

"In Delhi, the researchers found particles from industrial pollution, including chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics, laminates and adhesives, and in recycling electronic waste. Particle pollution from traffic was greatest in Delhi."

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

UK air pollution killing more than 500 people a week, doctors say Royal College of Physicians also says poor air quality costs country more than £500m a week

🚨Major new report on #CleanAirDay.

📉Air pollution costs the UK more than £500m a week, with 99% of the population breathing toxic air, according to
@rcphysicians.bsky.social.

💀It also kills more than 500 people a week, and harms almost every organ in the body.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

How does air pollution affect mental health? New study aimed to find out Research looked at records of 14,800 people in Bradford to see what happened after they moved to more polluted area

"The effects of moving to an area with worse air pollution are not confined to mental health.

"A 10-year study in southern California also showed that lung growth improved for children that moved to areas with less particle pollution."

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

What does the Government's spending review mean for health in urban areas?👇

Improve air quality: Access to healthy food is vital for a healthy society. So is clean air.

The Govt can protect children from toxic air pollution. Bold national action, like a new Clean Air Act, would be an investment in better public health: urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/opi...

Bus fares to jobs: Seven ways the Spending Review affects you Spending limits for government departments are being outlined by the chancellor. This is how it affects you.

🚨Fantastic news! The Govt is expanding free school meals to families on Universal Credit, a vital investment in children's long-term health.

But there are more ways the Govt can now build on these foundations for a healthier society 🧵👇
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Using data to reduce air pollution from construction sites The Air Pollution Risk Index tool identified areas where improving air quality could have the biggest benefit on people’s health.

🚧 Construction sites contribute significantly to air pollution.

Discover how we're using data to target interventions and improve urban health.

🔗 Read more: urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/dat...

Does social media influence local elected leaders? A study of online engagement methods through the lens of cycling policymaking in the United Kingdom Social media can be sold as a way to improve grassroots citizen engagement, yet the ways in which it affects decisions made by local elected leaders are less well understood. This study examines th...

Very interesting article on how policymakers view social media through the lens of cycling policy.

The key insight for cycling advocates is how many undermine the agenda through being too negative: a constructive approach is much better, plus email (1/2)

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Policy pathway to reduce air pollution by phasing out domestic burning by 2030 Wood burning in our homes is a key cause of air pollution and has significant impacts both on people’s health and the environment. We outline five critical problems which currently act as barriers to ...

Not sure if you've seen this, but if not you might find it interesting:

www.actionforcleanair.org.uk/evidence-res...

The Government’s backward step on wood-burning stoves puts public health and climate action at risk The Government's decision to permit wood-burning stoves in new builds contradicts growing evidence about the harmful effects these stoves have on public health and the environment.

Impact on Urban Health are doing loads on wood burning:

urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/new...

urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/rep...

urbanhealth.org.uk/partnerships...

Air pollution disproportionately harming marginalised groups, government told An open letter from activists urged the government to "take decisive and immediate action to confront one of the most urgent, yet persistently under-reported justice issues" across the UK

In an open letter to Keir Starmer, campaigners at Enact Equality have called on ministers to "take decisive and immediate action to confront one of the most urgent, yet persistently under-reported justice issues" across the UK...

Air pollution 🧵

www.mylondon.news/news/uk-worl...

Our wonderful data team have developed a dashboard that highlights the wards in Lambeth & Southwark where

🫁People are most at risk of exposure to air pollution due to existing health conditions and social determinants

🏭There are highest existing levels of air pollution

Do check out the dashboard!

A letter to Minister Emma Hardy asking when the Labour government will commit to new air pollution targets, considering the EU has already done so, thereby prioritising the health of its citizens.

EU Member States have highlighted their commitment to protecting children’s health by adopting new binding #AirPollution targets. When will our Labour government afford the same #Health protections to our children @emmahardymp.bsky.social?

London council plans garden bonfire ban to tackle harmful air pollution The plan by Hammersmith and Fulham Council involves creating a new by-law to prevent residents from burning household or garden waste

Kudos to @hfcouncil.bsky.social 👏 for prioritising people's health and the environment:

"The council noted that private wood-burners have contributed to the most severe smog episodes recorded in London during recent winters."

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...

The Government’s backward step on wood-burning stoves puts public health and climate action at risk The Government's decision to permit wood-burning stoves in new builds contradicts growing evidence about the harmful effects these stoves have on public health and the environment.

🔥The Government’s backward step on wood-burning stoves puts public health and climate action at risk.

The Govt is ignoring guidance from
@thecccuk.bsky.social, Defra, and the Chief Medical Officer.

urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/new...

“And Breathe Normally”: Impacts of low emission zones on sick leave and mental well-being Air pollution poses a global concern due to its detrimental effects on climate, healthcare, and human capital accumulation. However, there is limited …

Clean air zones work. Full research:

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Reduced sick leave among the benefits of London’s ULEZ A team from the University of Bath has found that the progressive improvements to London’s air quality by the introduction of increasingly stringent restrictions on vehicles, has led to a notable drop...

Results on LEZ and ULEZ from Uni of Bath:

✅Improvements in general health
🫁Decrease in respiratory issues
🤒People 18.5% less likely to take sick leave
😃People report feeling happier
😳People feel less anxious

airqualitynews.com/local-govern...

Facebook and Google need ad-free options says Jaron Lanier Virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier says the tech firms should offer an alternative to ads.

What are the solutions?

Consider whether what we gain from social media is worth what it costs: Our data sold to the highest bidder to help manipulate behaviour.

And to advocate for/move to ad-free, subscription-based platforms.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technol...

Twitter — Center for Countering Digital Hate | CCDH Hate and disinformation have skyrocketed on Twitter - now X - since Elon Musk took over the platform.

It's also exactly what the Centre for Countering Digital Hate warned about Twitter specifically:

counterhate.com/topic/twitter/

YouTube video by Pioneer Works Jaron Lanier: Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Account Right Now

This is exactly what Jaron Lanier warns us about social media platforms and their business models.

Their focus on advertising, data collection, and manipulation harms people and society.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFsS...

PR campaign may have fuelled food study backlash, leaked document shows Eat-Lancet report recommended shift to more plant-based, climate-friendly diet but was extensively attacked online

🧵The meat industry manufactured backlash against one of the most important food and climate reports ever published. Using social media, tactics included...

🚫Content pollution and disinformation
📢Online abuse
✂️Polarising audiences.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Should drivers of bigger cars pay more road tax? Charges depend on emissions and vehicle value, but what about those heavy SUVs? When it comes to road duty, should size matter? We hear opposing views

SUVs...
🤕Are more likely to kill or injure people
🛣️Cause more wear and tear on roads
🚦Disproportionately add to congestion
❤️‍🩹Pollute the air for us all.

So should SUV drivers pay more road tax? Have your say:
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...