MNHQ here: how concerned are you about air quality?

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

We've been contacted by the Mayor of London's office; they're asking us to find out what Mumsnet users think about air quality - particular in relation to children's health, although it doesn't have to be exclusively so.

So we'd be grateful if you could let us have your views. Here are some prompts, although as ever feel free to ignore if you have other thoughts

*Is air quality something that you think about often, or that impacts on your daily life (or that of your family members)?
*Have you ever considered air quality when making decisions about where to live or work, or where to send your children to school?
*Do you take any measures to try to protect yourself or family members from poor air quality (such as filter masks)?
*Are you particularly concerned about any individual pollutants?
*Who do you think should be responsible for improving the quality of the air (if anyone)?
*If you could opt in to auto-alerts that gave you information about the air quality each day, would you do so? How would you use this information?
*Would you support policy measures to reduce air pollution such as scrapping diesel automobiles or charges on car use?

All feedback (not just from Londoners!) very welcome - thank you.
MNHQ

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

Shame they all kicked it in the long grass until after the election.

[BojanaMumsnet]

@ChardonnaysPrettySister

Any updates on this, MNHQ?

Hi there,

We've spoken to a few organisations but none of them had active ongoing calls to action that we could share at that time - we'll have another look around to see if anything develops after the general election.

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

Any updates on this, MNHQ?

[SafeToCross]

I have recently noticed studies reported in the media linking certain illnesses, iirc dementia and stroke, and anxiety and depression and some illnesses or disorders that affect children. Of course the links need to be carefully studied and some may ultimately be disproved. But in the meantime this may be one of the biggest risk factors we are exposed to, and have minimal control over. It is a big concern for me.

[Jimbob63]

I am working this week in Tranquil Vale, Blackheath. What a total misnoma. It's a tiny, narrow high street with lorries, buses and vans thundering through only a foot from mothers with prams and pushchairs each side.
The damage to young lungs will be irreparable.
Whom do I email to get this stopped?
thanks
Jimbob

[ijustdonotknow]

It's a big worry. Especially around school pick up time when the streets are clogged with cars. Many seem to think they need to keep their engines running, I wish I had the courage to tap on their windows and ask them to switch off. If you're one of them why do you do it?
I think public monitoring with a display would be a good first step to help people see the scale of the problem.
I think it would be good if the car drivers had an earlier drop off and a later pick up time (and paid for the privilege) or were sent to a distant (e.g. supermarket car park ) and walked from there.

[Idliketobeabutterfly]

Not something I worry about. Live in a suburb in the west Midlands next to a park and to be honest not a non seat issue

[unadulterateddad]

Not worried about the rural area where I live, but I'm a frequent traveller up to london and I hate how the air quality affects how I feel, plus getting home and having to clear the gunk from my nose where the contaminants have been picked up.
Would be very pleased to see an air quality app, as it would influence the days I travel

[hannah80s]

I'm very concerned about it. I work right in the centre of London next to a major road and frequently get sore throats and start coughing when walking to and from work. I have read that the area where I work can be particularly bad in terms of air quality, and think that cars (except service vehicles) should be banned in some parts of London. Since I am now 8 weeks pregnant I think about it even more and have even considered wearing a mask when walking to and from work/being out on my lunch break, although I'm not sure how much this would actually prevent me from breathing in the fumes.

[Yolande7]

*If you could opt in to auto-alerts that gave you information about the air quality each day, would you do so? How would you use this information?
I don't see much use for myself.

*Would you support policy measures to reduce air pollution such as scrapping diesel automobiles or charges on car use?
Yes!

[Yolande7]

*Is air quality something that you think about often, or that impacts on your daily life (or that of your family members)?

Yes, I am very concerned about it. I wished something would be done about pollution. Reduce traffic, plant more trees.

*Have you ever considered air quality when making decisions about where to live or work, or where to send your children to school?
Yes, I try to live in areas with lots of trees.

*Do you take any measures to try to protect yourself or family members from poor air quality (such as filter masks)?
A special hoover as several family members suffer from allergies which are made worse by air pollution.

*Are you particularly concerned about any individual pollutants?
Nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, fine dust.

*Who do you think should be responsible for improving the quality of the air (if anyone)?
The Mayor and the government.


*If you could opt in to auto-alerts that gave you information about the air quality each day, would you do so? How would you use this information?
*Would you support policy measures to reduce air pollution such as scrapping diesel automobiles or charges on car use?

[TiredMummyXYZ]

I'm not a London resident but our last house was found to be located in an area of poor air quality so we moved.

[GrumpyOldBag]

yes, very concerned.

I'm asthmatic and so is DS1.

We moved out of London 10 years ago because of the poor air quality. Now live in a rural area.

[Stealthtoast]

*Is air quality something that you think about often, or that impacts on your daily life (or that of your family members)?
Yes, every day I think about the impact on me and my family
*Have you ever considered air quality when making decisions about where to live or work, or where to send your children to school?
Yes, not living on or between main roads
*Do you take any measures to try to protect yourself or family members from poor air quality (such as filter masks)?
Yes, trying to pick quieter roads to walk on, but this isn't always possible and we can't avoid a polluted main road on the journey to nursery
*Are you particularly concerned about any individual pollutants?
All
*Who do you think should be responsible for improving the quality of the air (if anyone)?
The mayor and the government
*If you could opt in to auto-alerts that gave you information about the air quality each day, would you do so? How would you use this information?
No, I can't see how they would help. Spend the money improving air quality every day instead
*Would you support policy measures to reduce air pollution such as scrapping diesel automobiles or charges on car use
Yes, definitely. The long term health impacts are huge, and unacceptable. If this risk came from our water or food there'd be an outcry, and calls to sue the companies responsible and make them fix it immediately. We need fewer cars, stronger emissions targets for new cars, and old diesels off the road

[BluePitchFork]

very concerned.
live in london and not far from one of the measure points that are always over the limit.
hope that by having a plantfilled garden and being generally concious of the environment that we make things better, if at least not worse.

[iminshock]

Never
No
No opinion on this

[EightNoineTen]

Oh and I think the Mayor's Office is responsible for keeping the air quality at an acceptable level.

[EightNoineTen]

Poor air quality was a major factor in my decision to move out of London once my first child was born. I was born in London and lived there for most of my life so was sad to leave but I have asthma and lots of allergies and suffered myself and did not want to take any risks with my daughter.

Auto-alerts informing people of the daily air quality may be useful for at-risk groups but for most people who have no choice but to go to work/school each day I can't see that would be much use.

I would very much support any iniatives to improve London's air quality.

[ToffeeForEveryone]

I'm very concerned about it. We live in a flat on a main road and bus route in London (Wandsworth) and the pollution is really terrible. On particularly bad days the air smells and tastes foul with traffic fumes, it's very noticeable. The rooms that face the road get thick with black sooty dust every couple of days, whether or not the windows are open. I'm constantly having to wipe it up and am concerned at what it is doing to us breathing it in all the time.

Air quality wasn't something I thought about when we bought this flat but since having DS1 I am increasingly worried about it. What's the point in eating healthily, not smoking etc. to try to minimise health risks when we are breathing in poisons daily that are probably far far worse? We are going to move soon and the pollution here is one of the reasons.


*Who do you think should be responsible for improving the quality of the air (if anyone)?

Local government should be responsible for air quality in their area - so the Mayor's office in London.

*If you could opt in to auto-alerts that gave you information about the air quality each day, would you do so? How would you use this information?

That would actually be really helpful. How would you use the information - well I suppose that when pollution was very high you would just have to limit going outside / opening windows??! It's crazy that the air is so bad that might happen, but it would stop me taking my child outside to breathe in dangerously polluted air.

*Would you support policy measures to reduce air pollution such as scrapping diesel automobiles or charges on car use?

Yes.

[RowanMumsnet]

Thanks very much for all your thoughts; we'll feed them back to the Mayor's office and let you know what happens.

[marytuda]

Yes I'm concerned and have been for years - my DS is asthmatic and much as we love being in inner London I have wondered since his birth whether staying here is the right choice, for this reason alone. We live near a major junction and have to cross it to get to the local park . . . I remember wheeling him there in his pram as a newborn and torment myself with the suspicion that had he had been born elsewhere, he would not have spent much of his babyhood on a nebulizer in A&E or the children's ward. Aged 8 he's better now, but not over it completely, and I worry it has had a lasting impact on his lungs.

[Thistly]

I think Air quality has an enormous impact on child health in polluted places worldwide. There has been a huge effort on some countries to reduce smoking levels, and anyone who used to work in a smoky environment will remember how awful it was.

The same approach needs to be taken with air pollution.

People need to be enabled too make good decisions about transport, with realistic alternative to private car a available. Fuel tax should be spent on improving air quality and Developing technology to prevent pollution.
I choose walking routes away from traffic, but am not convinced this helps much.

[user1464887935]

Really concerned about it! Would love to change to an electric car for starters....imagine a world where solar powered electric vehicles were the majority... (Air and noise pollution!)

Q.Have you ever considered air quality when making decisions about where to live or work, or where to send your children to school?
YES! We moved out of London

Q.Would you support policy measures to reduce air pollution such as scrapping diesel automobiles or charges on car use?
Yes, but preceded by even bigger subsidies for electric cars, (and solar panels for powering them), than there already are. There are some good grants in place but IMHO I think the grants/subsidies need to be far higher to make it more widespread and affordable for more people.

[zeddybrek]

I left London with a view to return in a few years, however now with children we have decided not to and the air quality was one of the biggest reasons. I really notice it when I have to commute to The City. It's definitely an issue now and I am glad the Mayor is addressing this.

[Fairylea]

We live in south Norfolk having moved here from London and I have to be honest and say it's not something that's ever occurred to me at all.