BreatheLife Campaign and "Walk to School" Week (21-25 May)

Back in January 2018 it was announced that for the first time in more than 40 years, the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in the US was not from electricity production but from transport – cars, trucks, planes, trains and shipping. A recent report by the World Health Organization, chronicles that air pollution levels remain dangerously high in many parts of the world and estimates that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air. More than 90 per cent of these air pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, followed by low- and middle-income countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, Europe and the Americas.

BreatheLife - a global communications campaign created thanks to the partnership between the WHO, the UN Environment, and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition - has launched a challenge to encourage citizens to take action to reduce air pollution. The first in the series is “Marathon a month” which calls on people to pledge to leave their car behind and use alternative forms of transport for at least the distance of a marathon (42km/26 miles) for one month. The campaign website offers a broad perspective on air pollution explaining how it doesn’t just impact our health; it impacts our climate’s health too. BreatheLife also promotes solutions to curb emissions and advice on how to protect yourself from air pollution.

Coming up in less than a week, “Walk to School” week is a country-wide celebration of walking. With one in four cars on the road at peak times travelling to school, the Charity Living Streets wants to get as many families walking as possible this May – reducing congestion, making roads safer and fighting air pollution.

To join thousands of families across the UK and take Living Streets’ “Walk to School” week pledge: https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/what-we-do/projects/walk-to-school-week

To learn more about the BreatheLife Campaign: www.breathelife2030.org ; http://breathelife2030.org/the-issue/health-and-climate-impacts/ and http://breathelife2030.org/solutions/actions-for-individuals/

To check the air quality in your city: http://breathelife2030.org/the-issue/air-quality-in-your-city/

To read the latest World Health Organization’s news on the topic: http://www.who.int/airpollution/en/