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Pendle Council is supporting Clean Air Day 2019 - Thursday 20 June
Published: Monday, 17th June 2019
Clean Air pledge
In support of Clean Air Day 2019 Pendle Council is encouraging you to take simple steps so that we can all breathe cleaner air.
Air pollution is the largest environmental health risk we face today, according to the UK government and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
It affects us all from our first breath to our last and is the cause of 36,000 deaths a year in the UK.
Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, Leader of Pendle Council, said: “This is a startling figure which is why we’re supporting Clean Air Day 2019.
“There are many sources of air pollution and by taking some simple steps we can have a big impact on the air we all breathe.
“In Lancashire the main sources are emissions from road transport and wood and coal burning fires.
“I’m pledging to give the car the day off and walk to meetings more and I’m encouraging staff and councillors to pledge what they will do to reduce the impact of air pollution.
“Together we can make 20 June a Clean Air Day. Let’s all do our bit to protect our future generations.”
Dean Langton, Chief Executive, explained that Pendle Council has annual targets to reduce emissions from its vehicles (5%) and buildings (2%).
He said: “By November we’ll have changed our entire fleet of 44 vehicles.
“From bin wagons to street sweepers – every vehicle will give off the lowest emissions possible.”
Meanwhile, a number of buildings have been fitted with solar panels, which meant that in 2018/19 the Council reduced its emissions by 5%.
Dean pledges not to idle his car engine when stationary to reduce the emissions from his car.
Here are some ways you can help combat air pollution:
- Give your car a day off – walk, cycle or take public transport to work
- When you’re sitting in stationary vehicles turn off our engines when it’s safe to do so
- Only burn dry, well-seasoned wood or smokeless fuel on stoves, open fires or BBQs
- Discover the side streets – use quieter streets when you’re on a bike or on foot to avoid polluted main roads
- Ventilate your home – open windows and use extractor fans when cooking or using cleaning products but close windows near busy roads during rush hours
- Use fragrance-free milder cleaning products
- Choose paints and varnishes that are labelled low volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Clean Air Day, which is on Thursday 20 June, is the UK’s biggest air pollution campaign.
To learn more about how air pollution could be affecting your health go to www.cleanairday.org.uk
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