Spanish air is too polluted
on Oct 8, 2012
A report has been presented by “Ecologistas en Acción” (Ecologists in Action) suggesting that 44,3 Million Spanish people must breathe polluted air with more harmful substances than the World Health Organisation would recommend. For 10,4 million people (22% of the Spanish population) the pollution is beyond maximum allowable limits. The circulating road traffic is the main polluter.
The annual report from ‘Ecologistas en Acción’ is the only one to measure the quality of air and the particles in suspension. Nitrogen dioxide, tropospheric ozone, and sulphur dioxide were the main contaminants in 2011.
400,000 premature deaths occur in 27 members of the European Union every year because of contamination of which 20,000 were registered in Spain. The costs derived from atmospheric contamination represents between 1.7% and 4.7% of Spanish GDP.
Comparing previous years, the Ecologistas say the situation has slightly improved due to the economic crisis. The government however does not do enough to improve the air they say.
“Ecologistas en Acción” are going to take action themselves. They are partners of the ECI “30 km/h – making the streets liveable” and supporting the initiative help to improve the situation. A more constant traffic flow and people turning to walking and cycling has proven to ensure better (and more agreeable!) success for a sound environment than the economic crises.