COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Air pollution in Bristol Are you concerned about the air you breathe in Ashley? Two innovative projects are looking for Ashley residents to get involved. The air we breathe gets affected by many factors like temperature and humidity, as well as pollutants and irritants released into the air from urban activity. What is air pollution? There are two major components of air pollution: Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) emissions are released when fossil fuels like diesel and petrol are burned, for example in cars and lorries. It can lead to asthma and other respiratory diseases. Particulate matter are tiny bits or droplets in the air, released by smoke, dust and the burning of fuels. Particulate matter can travel deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. It is especially dangerous for vulnerable people, children and older people.
Written by Annali Grimes, Creative Producer at Knowle West Media
Why is air pollution bad? Air pollution impacts our health steadily over our lifetimes and the effects on our health is not immediately noticeable. If someone has underlying health conditions, and they are regularly exposed to poor air quality, their health can get worse. Children whose lungs and hearts are still developing are also very vulnerable to poor air quality. Because we don’t see the air pollution and can smell and feel it only in the worst cases, we are slow to realise that our health is being affected. What do people in Ashley think? According to the Statistical Ward Profile for Ashley for 2021, 81% of Ashley residents think air quality and traffic pollution is a problem. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-airpollution/health-matters-air-pollution
The Air We Breathe Bristol has and continues to have, along with many cities around the UK and the world, illegal levels of dirty air. This fact shocked me, as air gives us life – the thought that the very thing we need to live, that the unconscious act of breathing could be harmful to our health or killing us couldn't be true. This was just the start – the more I learnt, the more I was shocked. I felt I had to do something to build on the hard work, share the knowledge and bring the change needed. My project ‘to breathe: community solutions for clean air’ aims to do this by raising awareness, sharing knowledge, asking what people think, feel and what ideas they have for change.
Written by Olivia Sweeney, Green and Black Ambassador
I'm building a picture of clean air in Bristol through photos, questions, and discussions around the themes of lived experience, perception, power and action.
Clean air is about more than NOx, PM 2.5 and pollution, it is about our health, both mental and physical, it is our ability to find space, refresh and reconnect. Clean air means different things to different people and different communities and is more than the legal scientific measurement of clean. The changes we want to see to ensure everyone can breathe clean air are broader and richer than the conversations which currently focus on transport. I have been asking people . . . Where do you go to breathe? I go to. .. . Lords woods, Eastville Park, Church, my garden in Montpelier, Royate Hill Nature Reserve, to the sea, Felix Road Adventure Playground, St. Pauls Park, Victoria Park, Greville Smyth Park, Troopers Hill, Netham Park, Newton Park, the forest...... to breathe fresh clean air.
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