THIS ARTICLE IS STILL BEING WRITTEN (AUGUST 2006)

Poor air quality is a public health problem in most developed and developing cities. According to the World Bank in 2002 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5072642.stm#pollution 2 the most polluted city in the world is Delhi but according to the United Nations China's rapidly growing economy contains seven of the top ten most polluted cities in the world http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/chinaenv.html 3.

The Guardian newspaper printed http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1292524,00.html 1 research by Calor Gas that Oxford has the worst air quality in the UK. There is some controversy surrounding this article but by the Oxford County Council's own admission there is serious problem with meeting air quality targets in Oxford, and the 'Breath of Fresh of Fresh Air' http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/portal/publicsite/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKL94k3Mg8FSZnFO8WHOepHogtZIoR8PfJzU_WD9L31A_QLckMjyh0dFQEnurQ-/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82X01fMU9C?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=http://apps.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/wcm/connect/Internet/Council services/About your council/Improving our performance/Scrutiny/Scrutiny reviews/Completed scrutiny reviews/AYC - IOP - Health and social care 4 report states that tranport by buses and cars are the main reason for the poor air quality in Oxford.

An effective transport system is essential to support the current economic model within the Oxford. Food and other goods arrive by lorry, commuters need cars, buses and trains to get to work, and the health, police and rescue services require large fleets of vehicles to carry out their duties. Oxford attracts nnn each year which put heavy demands on the road, rail and air transport networks. Finally Oxford has a large number of state and private schools, Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University meaning a large number of journey's by students and staff.

Oxford like all cities must tackle air pollution to meet standards set by DEFRA the national government responsible for air quality. This challenge will be need to be tackled in ways unique to each city in the UK. The situation in Oxford is exacerbated by it being situated in a low-lying vale or dip, its proximity to London means pollution is carried to Oxford through prevailing winds, its central position within the national road and rail network. Oxford also attracts are large volume of traffic due to it being an attractive place to set up business and work, and a popular tourist attraction.

Definitions

The main pollutants

the main polluters

Pollution and health

Despite advice from respectable organisations on the effects of air pollution popular opinion is often slow at accepting findings from medical research. Just like the Bush administration has refused to accept the science behind climate change despite apocalyptic predictions from the US Pentagon, and cigarette companies produce pseudo-science that clouded consensus on the link between smoking and cancer, we have been slow to acknowledge the between link airbourne pollutants and disease. Medical research has strongly suggested a link between air pollutants and asthma, heart disease, miscarriage rates and various cancers.

Pollution and economic growth

To prosper Oxford must continue to attract business and tourists and maintain transport networks that allow freight to deliver good and public services (health, police, education) to operate effectively. Unfortunately all of the activities associated with these ventures generate air pollution aswell as jobs and prosperity. By NOT factoring in the effects of air pollution onto the costs of creating the goods and services we are able to maintain lower prices in the short term, but this costs are just moved to other parts of the economic system or delayed to some time in the future.

In a free market where organisations are competing for the same resources we can expect little cooperation and so a need for regulation. Without regulation we can expect to observe the following types of dynamics:

Corporations that profit directly from the sale of products that cause disease may create marketing strategies to cloud public opinion and so hide the messages coming from scientific research projects e.g. cigarette company claims that smoking does not cause cancer.

Individuals enjoying harmful habits being reluctant to change their behaviour e.g. drivers continuing to use their cars in Oxford despite MET office warnings that pollution levels are rated 'High'

Corporations indirectly profiting from harmful activities will be likely to refute research hinting at preventative appoaches to dealing with disease e.g. pharmaceutical companies persuading doctors to prescribe drugs for asthma and heart disease

Governments being reluctant to regulate profitable corporations because they would be loosing tax revenue and risk raising unemployment figures

Lack of joined-up thinking between government departments because they are competing for funds to maintain funding for their jobs. So the Hamilton Report created a large "Build more Roads" department which is still trying to do that same thing despite arguments from departments such as DEFRA that air pollution is killing more people than die through car accidents

Popular rather than ethical decision-making in government to enable political parties to win votes. This will mean minority groups are repeatedly ignored such as those suffering from diseases caused or worsened by poor air quality

Due to small budgets in the civil services local and national government not being able to attract the skills or gain access to the resources necessary for implement change

Modes of transport

This section will contain information about:

The powers that representatives of Oxford government have to regulate different modes of transport

The number of people who use each mode of transport

The pollution caused by each mode of transport

Planes

Subsidies for air transport to boost trade and tourism.

Trains

Regulate performance by enforcing statistics are published

Automobiles

Fuel tax

Tax on size of engines

Road tax

Congestion charging

Buses

Regulate routes

Geographic location

Low lying

Pollution from london

Transatlantic pollution: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3886275.stm

Central within national road and rail networks

Local airport and close to Heathrow the busiest airport in world

Monitoring air quality

Around the world: Air Quality Index

who manages

how technology works

what is monitored

* lack of ozone monitoring in center

Use statistics site to produce graphs

Note disparity between graphing and data

On car use i.e. why do people use vehicles in Oxford

Strategies for reducing pollution

Reducing number of vehicles

* Congestion charging

* Working from home

* Commercial use of lorries and vans

* Shared ticketing systems across bus companies

Behavioural

* Improving public awareness and changing attitudes (love of cars)

* reducing speed limit on roads: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/3109958.stm

* Car sharing

* Public transport

Cleaner forms of transport

* Cleaner engines

* Bike schemes

* Walking

Energy supply

* Fission (Nuclear Power)

* Fusion

Innovation

Biofuels

Fuel cells and cleaner energy production

Fusion

* Quotes from leading scientist on when this will be commercially viable

Solar

Wind

Exhaust technologies (particulate trapping)

Tidal

Wave

Conclusions

Need for unequivical announcements from trusted and authoritive souces that air pollution does cause disease

In years x,y,z the givernment advices x number of people to (a) stay away from the city center, (b) stay indoors, (not to exercise)

Should monitor Ozone more closely

Alert system is misleading because when reports are low ozone levels can be high

Need for innovation in engine technology

Decrease dependence on motorised transport in favour of walking and cycling (and staying at home)

http://www.eea.europa.eu/maps/ozone/impacts

Improve presentation of data through the web

Make it easier to compare cities

Do people in Oxford believe that air pollution is effecting their health?

What are the prevalent attitutes towards each form of transport e.g. the car, the bus, trains, planes?

References

World Bank

United Nations

etc

Notes

Intensive farming and air pollution (pollen, agro-chemicals)

Thom Yorke's support of the Big Ask

Images: Cyclist wearing pollution masks; an SUV/ humby; asthmatic; people shopping

Attitudes towards pollution are varied which results in different approaches to dealing with it

REFERENCES:

* Pollution Oxford: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1292524,00.html

* Love affair with the car: http://www.bized.ac.uk/current/leisure/2005_6/241005.htm

* Milband's speech (DEFRA): http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/ministers/speeches/david-miliband/dm060719.htm

Cars are a status symbol and popular commodity contributing significantly to many individual's sense of wealth and identity

Lack of public transport to many areas of the UK mean cars are essential for local residents wanting to get to get away