<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/21/eu-cuts-toxic-air-limits-but-still-falls-short-of-who-guidelines>
"The European Union has agreed to set stricter limits on the toxic particles
and dangerous gas that dirty its air, but will not aim for the levels that
doctors and economists recommend.
The new rules slash the yearly limits for fine particulates known as PM2.5 –
which wreak havoc on the whole body because they are small enough to slip into
the bloodstream – from 25 µg/m³ to 10 µg/m³, and for nitrogen dioxide, a gas
that hurts the lungs, from 40 µg/m³ to 20 µg/m³.
But the 2030 targets still allow twice as much pollution as the guideline
levels set by the World Health Organization.
The EU environment commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said the upgrade set
Europe on track to make air pollution a problem of the past. “Air pollution is
still the number one environmental health problem in the EU. The good news is
that clean air policy works, and our air quality is improving.”
The law, which must be formally adopted before it comes into effect, was
watered down to include loopholes that let member states delay meeting the
targets by up to a decade. Governments can postpone the 2030 deadline by five
to seven years if projections show that the limit values cannot be met on time,
according to the commission, and by 10 years in areas with difficult geography
or in which the targets can only be met with “significant” impact on domestic
heating systems.
But the law also gives citizens the right to compensation when governments fail
to follow the measures and damage their health as a result. It also calls for
air quality plans for countries exceeding limits and roadmaps for all member
states that lay out how they will comply with the 2030 targets."
Via
Fix the News:
<
https://fixthenews.com/good-news-human-rights-greece-education-burundi-reforestation-america/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
