GOVERNMENT promises to banish smog from Britain within a decade will
probably not be met, says one of the principal scientists behind the National
Air Quality Strategy. Dick Derwent of the Meteorological Office told the
National Society for Clean Air (NSCA) in Brighton this week that the government
may have to do more to clean up Britain鈥檚 air.
The air quality strategy was unveiled by environment secretary John Gummer in
August. It included what Gummer called 鈥渁ttainable鈥� targets for eight key air
pollutants. The targets, he said, would eliminate smog by 2005 and 鈥渆nsure
consistent clean air throughout the country鈥� (This Week, 31 August, p 6). But
Derwent, who sat on the expert panel that advised Gummer on the strategy, says
that only the standard for carbon monoxide is likely to be met without further
government action.
鈥淧eak ozone concentrations in the southern British Isles will continue to
exceed the standard set in the strategy for the foreseeable future,鈥� says
Derwent. He warns that sulphur dioxide levels will still be exceeded in the
streets of cities such as Barnsley and Belfast, where domestic coal fires are
still common. Moreover, fumes from vehicles and coal fires will push Birmingham,
Liverpool and Belfast over the limit for PM10s, the fine particles of pollution
believed to kill 10 000 Britons every year. If the number of diesel cars rises,
even more cities will fail to meet the standards.
Advertisement
鈥淭here is clearly a policy gap that the government has yet to fill,鈥� says Tim
Brown of the NSCA. The Department of the Environment says that a clampdown on
the minority of vehicles that cause the most pollution will help. But Brown
suggests that this will not be enough. 鈥淯ltimately we have to address the real
issue鈥攖rying to get people out of their cars.鈥�