Air pollution is one of the greatest threats to our health today, yet one of the least recognised. Costing the UK economy more than £53bn per year, and causing the premature deaths of more than 29,000 people – ten times the death toll on our roads. Thankfully, the issue of air pollution is finally receiving significant media coverage, and many more people are becoming aware of the issue. The question is – what should happen next?
The ‘Visible’ initiative brings together academics, businesses, government, and communities to better measure, mitigate and increase awareness about air pollution.
Understanding how views, attitudes and behaviour relating to air pollution changes with location – with the view to increase awareness. In recent months and years – there has been a lot of discussion about the problems in London, but it is important to realise that it is not just a big city issue – many smaller locations could be at risk.
Deliver Change wants to give communities themselves the tools to make positive action in their area. Many recognise the potential threats from traffic, industry, agriculture etc but lack the tools and data to make any changes – we want to change that. This project will be about Communities taking control and feeling empowered. See below for more information.
Air and noise pollution are a localised issue, as well as a national problem. The toolkit was created for Communities and residents who are concerned about their impacts on quality of life, including:
• School children’s exposure to traffic pollution
• The impact on the health of older people or asthmatics
• Noise or vibration nuisance
• Dangerous heavy traffic levels on narrow roads
• Continual deposit of dirt/dust on washing, windows, etc.
The toolkit provides communities with a range of tools to:
• Understand the problem
• Organise a response
• Take positive steps to press for the challenges in their area
Content of the toolkit provides:
• Data monitoring – to collect and present localised data
• Citizen surveys – to engage the community and provide insight into support for the project
• Ideas and resources for involving schools
• Pointers on garnering human and financial resources, if required
• Templates for communication with a wide variety of groups