Expand Birmingham CAZ, think tank argues

The publication of our latest report, Clearing the air: reducing air pollution in the West Midlands, has been covered by the Air Quality News. The article also quotes our Researcher and co-author of the report, Eamonn Ives. Speaking about the findings of the research, Eamonn said:

Air pollution is a major danger to the health of individuals in the West Midlands. The evidence suggests that those living in the West Midlands experience higher levels of air pollution and worse consequences from it. Concern for air pollution in the West Midlands is widespread amongst the public, and many believe that not enough is being done to resolve it.

Read the full article, here.

Poll shows air quality a ‘major concern’ among voters

Our Researcher, Eamonn Ives, has been quoted in an article by Air Quality News.

Commenting on Bright Blue's recent polling on public attitudes towards air pollution, Eamonn said that the Government "should be helping to establish a larger network of low emission zones across England" to control dangerous levels of air pollution. 

Read the full article here. 

Voters want Gove to clean up his act on air pollution

Our Researcher, Eamonn Ives, has written for Red Box in the Times, on Bright Blue's recently released air pollution polling. In his article, he mentions how younger respondents were more likely to agree that a party pledging to cut air pollution would be more likely to get their votes. 

Here's an excerpt:

This anxiety about the impact of air pollution is not without political ramifications. Our polling found that a significant minority of adults (40%) were of the opinion that they would be more likely to vote for a political party which promised to cut air pollution. When looking at voters aged under 40 years old, however, this rises to 54%. In fact, generally, the younger a respondent was, the more likely they were to agree about the political importance of air pollution.

Read the full article here.

UK Government Details Plan to Phase Out Coal by 2025

Bright Blue's senior research fellow, Sam Hall, was quoted in a Desmog UK article about the UK phase out of coal power fired stations. Sam spoke of how:

Closing coal is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to cut carbon dioxide emissions. It also brings benefits for air quality and for industrial strategy by encouraging cleaner forms of electricity generation.

Read the full article here.

We need a more ambitious plan to clean up our air

Bright Blue researcher Sam Hall has written a blog for Huffington Post about Bright Blue's campaign on air pollution. He draws attention to the fact that four in ten councils in the UK last year breached the legal limits of nitrogen dioxide.

Here's an excerpt:

This invisible pollution is responsible for around forty thousand premature deaths each year in the UK. It can damage the heart and lungs, as well impair the physical and mental development of children.

Read the full article here.

Four in 10 UK councils exceed air pollution limits, figures show

Bright Blue researcher Sam Hall had a quote in The Guardian in response to figures obtained by Neil Parish MP that 40% of local authorities in the UK breached legal limits of nitrogen dioxide. He mentioned Bright Blue's campaign for all city councils to be enabled to set up a low emission zones.

Here's an excerpt:

Sam Hall, environment researcher at Bright Blue, said the worst polluting cars should be banned from cities in order to tackle the problem.

Read the full article here.

Treasury accused of 'blocking' proposals to meet EU air pollution limits

Bright Blue researcher Sam Hall is quoted in BusinessGreen welcoming the new report on air pollution by the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change. He calls for all city councils in England to be enabled to establish low emission zones.

Here's an excerpt:

The report also won the backing of Bright Blue, where Sam Hall, researcher at the liberal Conservative think tank, said air pollution was a "major public health issue". 

Read the full article here.

Clean up our act and drive dirty cars off the road

Bright Blue researcher, Sam Hall, has written an opinion piece for the Yorkshire Post about our air pollution campaign. He calls on the Government to expand their air quality current plans for Yorkshire, which would only see Leeds receive a low emission zone.

Here's an excerpt:

The Yorkshire countryside is renowned for its healthy, invigorating and restorative air. The gulf between this and what is experienced in Yorkshire’s major cities is too great.

Read the full article.

Liberal Tories support Sadiq Khan on air pollution

The Guardian published a letter from Bright Blue researcher, Sam Hall, in support of Sadiq Khan's new T-charge on old diesels in London. In the letter, he calls English city councils to be given similar powers to tackle air pollution locally.

Here's an excerpt:

Sixty years after the Clean Air Act 1956 was signed into law, the government must urgently address today’s challenge from polluting cars.

Read the full article.