The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that we can dramatically reduce illegal levels of air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels and the use of vehicles. However, dangerous concentrations of harmful particulates are quickly returning as lockdown eases. I demand to know what the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs is doing to keep our air clean for good.

Dear Mr. Eustice,

The impact of air pollution is a major concern for me and I am writing to you because I need to know what you are doing about this important issue. It has been firmly established that air quality in the UK is negatively affected by a variety of factors including our energy sector, which is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Road transport, particularly individual cars, and industry are also major contributors. We burn our rubbish and our homes are inefficiently heated. From this and many other sources, our air - one of the most basic necessities -  is being polluted and causes us harm.

Public Health England states that “Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK, as long-term exposure to air pollution can cause chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as lung cancer, leading to reduced life expectancy.” This affects every single one of us but disproportionately impacts people with lower economic status. This information is sobering and we must take steps to tackle this problem. We must prioritise the air we breathe. 

We have already made progress, but I believe we need to do even more. We need to ‘green’ our energy sector and push for energy generated through renewables at the national and local level. We need to ensure that every home is heated from a low-carbon source and ensure that every person has access to cleaner heating.

We need to change our industry to be less polluting. We need to stop burning our rubbish. We need to drive less and plan for greener transport, with a strong focus on walking and cycling. Guidelines are currently being introduced in cities such as London to prioritise public health, focusing on providing enough space for pedestrians and cyclists to travel safely. These changes should extend far into the future, ensuring that car traffic (and thus, air pollution) does not regain priority.  In making these changes, we can transform the way that we live and make the air we breathe clean for everyone.

If we improve our air quality, we will live longer and healthier lives. Beyond this, I think that we will also improve our happiness - we’ll be able to see more clearly from a hilltop, or breathe comfortably while out for a walk. We will see that not only humans, but the plants and animals, the rest of the world around us, will also benefit from these changes.

This problem is urgent. I am asking you to prioritise our air. As a politician, what are you doing about this enormous challenge that affects us all?  How will you call for immediate and radical solutions, and how will the policies you support contribute to the cleaner air we yearn for?

It has long been maintained that the action necessary to halt  climate and ecological breakdown is not possible. The extraordinary response to the Covid-19 crisis has shown that extraordinary action is possible. People and government together, are able to respond to an existential threat and this can no longer be used as an excuse. Science has long been telling us that a much more far-reaching threat faces us all and now is the time to act.

Acknowledging the complexity and immense scope of climate and ecological factors, bold, urgent and long term changes will be necessary, which need buy-in from us all.  Consequently, I call upon the government to set up a formal, fully endorsed UK Citizens Assembly to oversee the changes needed to tackle this emergency. This Assembly should bring together citizens, selected through sortition, ensure balanced representation from the whole UK population and have powers to initiate legislation and policy.  This should help reinstall trust in the political process and create a democracy fit for purpose. We have only to look at  how the Irish Constitution was changed to allow abortion following a Citizens’ Assembly to see that, alongside government, citizens’ assemblies have shown that solutions can be found to contentious issues.

I call upon you, as my representative in the House of Commons, to support this urgent call for the establishment of a Citizens’ Assembly to address the climate and ecological emergency.

Yours sincerely,

Elaine.

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1 Electricity generation: https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/our-work/generation/electricity-generation.html

2 Causes of air pollution: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/air-pollution/causes

3 UK to double the number of rubbish burning incinerators over 10 years: https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/waste-incinerators-double-burning-rubbish-air-pollution-uk-159516

4 Clean Air Strategy | Clean Heating | Air Pollution | Michael Gove | Decarbonising Heating | low-carbon heating |

Solar Heating: https://www.icax.co.uk/Clean_Air_Strategy.html

5 Health matters: air pollution - GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-air-pollution/health-matters-air-pollution

6 Air Quality and Social Deprivation in the UK: an environmental inequalities analysis: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat09/0701110944_AQinequalitiesFNL_AEAT_0506.pdf

7 Gas heating will be replaced by low carbon systems: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/13/hammond-says-gas-heating-will-be-replaced-by-low-carbon-systems

8 Mayor’s bold new Streetspace plan will overhaul London’s streets: https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayors-bold-plan-will-overhaul-capitals-streets

9 Significant UK air quality improvements over past 40 years cut death rates: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190626124958.htm

10 Environmental Impacts of Air Pollution: https://greentumble.com/environmental-impacts-of-air-pollution/

11 UK government urged to tackle air pollution: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/04/invisible-killer-uk-government-urged-to-tackle-air-pollution