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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be worried about this air pollution?

47 replies

floppops · 02/04/2014 10:22

How come no one seems that interested in this pollution stuff?
Apparently it's the highest it's been for 60 years and can cause stinging eyes,coughs, sore throats etc..
I wouldn't worry that much for myself but I'm worried about taking my 3 week old baby out and my 4 year old. Apparently we should reduce physical activity?? Which means running madly about in the park might not be a good idea??
I don't want to be a mad paranoid parent..anyone else concerned ?(about the kids mainly).

OP posts:

HandN · 02/04/2014 13:54

I'm in Brighton, so SE, I really can't tell the difference tbh... its just abit grey standard British day

curiousgeorgie · 02/04/2014 14:12

I'm in Surrey and my car looks filthy but that's about it!

paragirl1981 · 02/04/2014 16:05

I used to live in Italy and our boat was regularly covered in orange sand from the Sahara.

ThatBloodyWoman · 02/04/2014 16:07

Me and dd's would normally run tonight but dd1 and I have asthma so I have decided to give it a miss.

CorusKate · 02/04/2014 16:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MinesAPintOfTea · 02/04/2014 16:41

Paris are restricting who can use their cars, that's why they've laid on free transport. Can't imagine its all that popular.

And it is a little worrying but I've had ds ringing around the garden and it will have blown over by the weekend hopefully.

IfNotNowThenWhen · 02/04/2014 16:48

I came on to post about this in Chat, but saw this thread. I am LIVID about the news report this morning on BBC Breakfast, where the "out and about" reporter made a report about the dangerously high levels of pullution around at the moment. She was standing on a a busy road, and said, with a big cheery grin "on a road like this, breathing does get a bit tricky!"
Seriously?? A bit tricky? Good thing you are not one of the poor fuckers who has to live on that road then. If I lived on a main road my rent would be about £200 a month less, so, the poor are getting extra bad air, to add to the rest of their problems.
Apparently pollution levels have been DOUBLE THE ACCEPTED SAFE LEVEL for days, the report continued, so, you should probably avoid too much exercise, especially if you have asthma. That was it. Just "Ooh, pollution is dangerously high, and has been for days. Maybe don't run anywhere"
How about suggesting that, where possible, people try not to drive (shock horror)just to make the air a little less vile?
I mean, shouldn't people be at least trying to do something? Rather than just treat the road pollution (which is being held down by very low pressure, and is added to the pollution blowing over from the east) as if it is some kind of natural phenomena!?
This should be a wake up call really. What if the climate changes to the point where air pressure is always lower? People are going to have to make changes in their lifestyles, and we are going to have to have some actual comprehensive working transport system (cos as a nation, we really don't), if we want to make breathing a little less "tricky" in the future.
I work in a city, and I could feel the dirt in my throat today, and now my chest is really tight. Ds has asthma, and I am quite worried about him. And I KNOW it's not all about cars, but the high traffic everywhere makes it sooo much worse.

EverythingsDozy · 02/04/2014 17:54

I can't believe somebody has brought being poor into the discussion. I agree that we need to do more about pollution but being poor having extra bad air? Really??
I'm poor. Because I'm poor I live in the NW. Our air is about a 5/6. Those that live in the nicer part of town, their air is about a 7.
Being poor REALLY has nothing to do with it. Yes, they might live on a main road and it might be cheaper for them to live there, but the air is probably just as bad where it is nice too.

Octopusinabunchofdaffodils · 02/04/2014 17:56

We are in an area with one of the worst levels, it's been hazy all day. Me and DC#1 have had a sore throat all day, I have sore eyes and a lovely yellow spot leaking pus for the last two days. Ironically DC#2 has severe asthma and is unaffected, but then has the highest doses of three different asthma meds to counter act it.

expatinscotland · 02/04/2014 18:07

Meh. Something will kill us all.

madhairday · 02/04/2014 18:13

In the midlands here, haven't been outside but very short of breath (lung disease) and a lot more pain, I have an infection anyway but it's worsened, can't tell really if it's anything to do with it.

Echocave · 02/04/2014 19:02

My DM died of a lung disease that was idiopathic (ie they had no idea how she got it). She had never smoked (although her parents were smokers which I admit may well have played its part). I am slightly obsessed with poor air quality as my dsis suffers from asthma as does my niece. I don't think many people in this country have any idea how bad our air quality is. It is much much worse than in most parts of Europe and our Government is unwilling to tackle the root causes, willingly paying the massive fines levied by Europe on countries in breach of European Directives.

RedandChecker · 02/04/2014 19:06

Levels here are in the moderate zone get I've had a very sore throat since picking DS up from school!

RedandChecker · 02/04/2014 19:06

Yet not get

ScarletLady02 · 02/04/2014 19:10

I had no idea about this until earlier as I'm terrible with watching the news but I just thought I was coming down with something...sore throat, runny nose, muzzy head, general flu-like symptoms etc. I have no respiratory health problems. Apparently we're in a 10 zone (East Anglia) and are supposed to stay indoors!

Hope anyone else affected is OK.

IfNotNowThenWhen · 02/04/2014 19:19

"I don't think many people in this country have any idea how bad our air quality is. It is much much worse than in most parts of Europe and our Government is unwilling to tackle the root causes, willingly paying the massive fines levied by Europe on countries in breach of European Directives.

^^ This.

And, yes, heavy road traffic does directly affect poorer people. When I lived in a vey naice semi rural area, everyone drove a massive Audi, but the air was fresh and sweet. At the inner city school by my work, parents of asthmatic kids have been keeping them home. Because the air is so dangerous.
But our government won't do anything about it. Restrictions on car use? They wouldn't dare upset my Audi driving ex-neighbours.
Public transport? Ha ha.
When we are told not to breathe the air outside, this is pretty serious.

Dawndonnaagain · 02/04/2014 19:25

We're in East Anglia too, Scarlet. Picked dd up from school and took her to the next village for a German lesson. I usually go for a walk and read in the car, or have a coffee. I stayed out five minutes and my nose and eyes were streaming. I went and had coffee and straight back to the car. From where we are I can usually see right across the valley, we couldn't today.

Gileswithachainsaw · 02/04/2014 19:32

How is your dd dawn did she appear to be ok?

ScarletLady02 · 02/04/2014 19:36

Where are you Dawn? We're in Colchester. I haven't noticed anything in the air (to look at) but then it's a built up area. But I'm sat here right now with a really sore throat and DD has sounded bunged up all day. If I wasn't taking daily anti-histamines I'd think it was bad hayfever, but my tablets stop that.

Dawndonnaagain · 02/04/2014 19:38

We're on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Scarlet
She's wheezy, Giles. How was sports day?

Gileswithachainsaw · 02/04/2014 19:41

She managed it on but has required her inhaler twice since lunch and is coughing a bit still.

Could be worse. Three years ago it probably would have been.

ScarletLady02 · 02/04/2014 19:50

Hope all your DCs are better soon. DD just sounds like she has a cold, I'm glad that's all.

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