PollutionInMadridBy:jonhyMadridpollutionThereisoneotherfact
orthatIbelievecontributestoMadridbeingoneofthemostpol
lutedcitiesinEurope,andthatisthewaythecentralheatings
ystmesareusedandoperatedaroundhere.Notonlyaretheyused
evenwhentemperaturesarenotthatcold,butalso,becausemany
residentialbuildingsstillhavecentralheatingsystems,i.e.,n
ot-individualsystemswherebyanindividualhouseholddecideson
whenandhowtouseitsheatingsystemandpaysforitaccordingl
y,butasystemwherebytheoverallbuildingconsumptioncostis
distributedamongthebuilding''sdwellersnomatterhowmuchthey
haveusedtheheatingindividually,theeffortsonresponsiblea
ndindividualsavingattitudesareseriouslyhampered.Andtheni
trainssofarandbetweenaroundhere,andyettheystillcallt
hatbadweather.PollutioninMadridThetownhallofMadridha
sbeebforcedintoactioninanattempttotryandreducetheleve
lsofnitrogendioxidefoundintheSpanishcapital.Madridhas
record-breakingairpollutionMADRID–Itisnotsurprisingthat
asthmacasesareontheriseinMadrid,whenyouonlyneedtowat
chthesunriseoversmoggyhighwaystoseethepollution.TheWo
rldHealthOrganizationsaidMondaythat2010sawMadrid’sairco
ntaminationlevelshigherthantheyhaveeverbeeninthehistory
ofSpain.Inthelast20years,Madrid’sairpollutionlevelsha
veincreasedmorethan20-percent.MadridPharmacistEvaLópezis
notsurprisedbythesestatistics.Shehasseenasteadyincreas
eincasesofasthmaoverthelastfewyears.Lópezsaidthatthi
sriseinacuteasthmacasesisobviouslycausedbyairpollution
,specificallyfromvehicleexhaust.“Peoplesuffer(fromasthma)
moreinthecenter,withmorereliefinthesuburbs”ofMadrid,shesaidThankyouverymuch |
|
