London Air Quality - Pollution

Mayor of Paris tells people not to drive when pollution is dangerously high. Boris asks people not to walk.

OK. I'm actually getting a headache from riding to work and back at the moment, not to mention having half a tonne of diesel/dust/whatever comes out of busses at the back of my throat. Seriously considering a mask of some sort - worth it? Is there any reading on this I can do?

Apparently they don't filter out the bits that do the actual damage

I told him this last night.

I didn't want to say "tester says".

The worst bit about the pollution atm is that my skin actually itched yesterday.
WHAT THE FUCK is that about?

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/feb/20/air-pollution-cyclists-bike-blog

Damn you @Chalfie , I wanted a second opinion!

Also, my legs itch the minute i leave my house. I had assumed it was hairs growing back...

Having read those papers I wouldn’t say they have no benefit. I might say that people who wear them probably overestimate the benefits that they’re delivering, but I think there’s enough in that paper to say they make some difference.

That's in China. In a population of 15 people who walked.

http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/5/1091.long

I'm one of the subjects in this study. I think there are more "on here".

I've had to stop cycling to work since the start of my journey (Walworth/E&C/Lambeth area) became a car park. Having developed asthma this year this start fucks me up for the rest for the journey.

Also, it's really not nice when you blow your nose and black stuff comes out.

well get me. I emailed someone at King's who put me intouch with someone from PHE-MRC.
There is no definitive evidence about the masks, they can filter down to PM10. But below that probably not.
There's also the complications of:
mask fit
pulling air in through breathing hard
pulling more low particles in harder to the deepest sections
the +ve health benefits outweighing the -ve aspects
whether by wearing one it will protect if you've underlying health conditions
whether if you have underlying health conditions you'll make it worse by working harder
and then
London is big on Nitrogen dioxide which probs can't be filtered.

There is some work being planned to look into this as the evidence around isn't definitive.

Have your say on updated ULEZ proposals for taxis and Private Hire Vehicle licensing

https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/environment/ulez-2

Consultation is Open
Runs from 1 Jul 2015 to 11 Aug 2015

In March, following a public consultation, the Mayor confirmed that the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be launched in central London on 7 September 2020, significantly improving air quality and helping to protect the health of Londoners. It will require vehicles travelling in the Congestion Charge Zone of central London to meet new emission standards 24 hours a day, seven days a week or pay a daily charge.

In addition to meeting these standards, Transport for London (TfL) is committed to ensuring all 300 single decker buses operating in the ULEZ are zero emission (e.g. electric), and all 3,000 double deck buses will be hybrid by 2020.

At the same time, we also proposed changes to taxis and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing requirements to reduce emissions from these fleets and increase the number of taxis and PHVs capable of operating with zero emissions. In light of concerns raised by the taxi and PHV trade organisations during the consultation, the Mayor asked TfL to undertake additional engagement and to bring forward revised licensing proposals, before confirming these changes.

Can you see yourself getting one of these? http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/10/lord-drayson-takes-on-uk-air-pollution-crisis-with-new-smart-sensor

Is it just me, or is anyone else struggling at the moment? I feel like I'm breathing treacle.

For me no, but I can see people taking to it a bit like strava, every daily commute becomes a remote race with people on the Internet you've never met, only there is an added benefit of having less bus in your lungs

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Turns out that it's bronchitis. Again. Here's to another two months of coughing and crackling.

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I don't get how many cycles you see on all the busy roads, and so few on the back streets. Well duh!

Cos on the back streets cars and spaces and death. In my head anyway.

Letter to the Guardian (probably unpublished)

Re: VW Scandal (pages 10 & 11, 1st October 2015)

Annual deaths from particulates and NO2 amount to 52,500.

Forget terrorist attacks, that's a moderate sized war.

And VW have the effrontery to say (page11) that "The affected vehicles remain technically safe and roadworthy".

But what about those of us outside the 'roadworthy' VW's? This even includes the VW drivers themselves when they're not driving.

Good point, well made.

Panorama tonight was about the VW cheat device and air pollution from NOS. Interesting. Check it out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06q6nh2