Already, good news: the concentration of certain pollutants (sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, lead, etc.) in the outdoor air has decreased in France over the past 20 years.
However, air pollution remains a major issue, especially in terms of health. Globally, 99% of the population breathes air that exceeds the maximum pollution threshold recommended by the World Health Organization. In France, it is responsible for 48,000 premature deaths each year and would cause us to lose up to 2 years of life expectancy.
It is not enough to go to the countryside to escape it. Even outside cities, air quality is degraded by other sources of pollution, such as the spreading of pesticides.
Tackling air pollution involves reorganizing human modes of production and travel, which are today the main source of pollutant emissions.
Cities can act by developing public transport and the cycle network, for example (in order to encourage people to use their cars less), by integrating more green spaces, or by creating low emission zones (prohibition for most polluting vehicles to access certain urban areas).
The “very low emission zone” created in the heart of London city center in 2019 would have reduced fine particle emissions by 15% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 35%.
A good first step is to avoid emitting pollutants yourself. So for example by favoring walking or cycling rather than the car for short trips, or by refraining from burning green waste in your garden (this is also prohibited by law).
The key to good air quality in the home is to ventilate: if you have a VMC, check that it is working properly, and do not block it under any circumstances. In general, you have to open your windows every day for at least 10 minutes (yes, even in winter) to renew the air.
This instruction remains valid during pollution alerts: in this case, it is simply necessary to adapt the time of ventilation, by opening rather at the beginning of the morning/evening in the event of particle pollution or in the middle/late afternoon in the event of ozone pollution.
If you are a do-it-yourself enthusiast, you can also check the “Indoor air emissions” label that appears on certain products (glue, paint, varnish, etc.). The concept, which recalls that of the Nutri Score, allows you to quickly see how much a product will emit pollutants into the air. The best is of course to favor the A+ score which corresponds to a low level of emission!
NOWU is the positive media to get informed and get moving for the planet! Its mission: to enable young Europeans to become actors in the face of environmental challenges through content that relieves guilt and is focused on solutions.