Clean Air Day (16th June 2022) is a well-established annual event changing how people think about and respond to air pollution. The nationwide campaign aims to raise public awareness and understanding of air pollution and its causes, as well as provide ideas for what we as individuals can do to address the air pollution problem so that we can all work together to combat climate change and improve our health. Since the first Clean Air Day in 2017, tens of thousands of people have participated in hundreds of events, with air quality messages reaching millions.
The Benefits of Clean Air
While all types of pollution are hazardous, air pollutants account for roughly 66% of all deaths linked to mass contamination. Aside from the fact that toxins move faster in the air, air pollution is very easy to encounter.
Breathing in contaminated air can cause serious health problems. Therefore reducing the quantity of pollution in the air is vital for humans in general. There are numerous advantages to breathing clean air, including:
- Cleaner lungs
- Decreased asthma and allergies symptoms
- Improved skin appearance
- Helps digestion
- Psychological and emotional stabiliser
- Better mood and normalised sleep patterns
- Reduce chances of lung, heart, and arterial diseases
Aside from the health benefits outlined above, clean air has a favourable impact on animal and plant life all around the world. Furthermore, research has shown that extremely polluted regions of the world suffer from a societal disadvantage. As a result, addressing the pollution problem may also aid in resolving societal concerns, perhaps lowering crime and poverty rates across the board.
What we can do to achieve cleaner air
Breathing polluted air has an immediate and long-term impact on your health. Here are a few basic things we can do to prevent pollution and keep the air pure.
- Try to walk, ride your bike, carpool, or take public transportation when commuting and getting about
- Make your home more energy-efficient to reduce your heating needs.
- Introduce an air sanitisation system to your workplaces, such as the Airdri SteraSpace Air and Surface sanitisers.
- Use battery-operated or hand-powered garden tools. Avoid using lawnmowers and leaf blowers that are fuelled by petrol or diesel.
- If you must drive, use a free internet app such as Google Maps to plan the most fuel-efficient route, keeping construction zones and heavy traffic in mind. Combine journeys and carpool when you have to drive.
- Make sure your tyres are properly inflated. Tires that are properly inflated save money on gas. Under-inflation reduces fuel efficiency by 1% for every 5% reduction in inflation.
- Reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible!
- Try and go chemical and pesticide-free when gardening. Cosmetic pesticides can be replaced with a variety of healthy and safe alternatives.
- Participate. Support initiatives to clean up the air on a national and local level. You can visit https://www.cleanairday.org.uk/ for more information and resources.