A new report has found that up to thirteen lives could be saved in Clare every year, if authorities on both sides of the border adopt international guidelines on air pollution.
The Air Pollution and Mortality on the Island of Ireland report was commissioned by the Heart Foundations in Ireland and Northern Ireland and compiled by experts from Queen’s University and Technological University Dublin.
It’s prompted a call from environmentalists in Clare for authorities on both sides of the border to adopt the global standard.
This report found that 41 premature deaths a year in Clare are linked to dirty air, while 17 people in the county were deemed to have died from heart disease as a direct result of air pollution.
The current harmful particulate level reading in the Banner county stands at 7.4 micrograms per cubic metre, which is significantly above the World Health Organisation’s reccomended threshold.
Just last week, the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality sensor in Ennis recorded a harmful particulate level of 148 micrograms per cubic metre – the fourth highest observation in the country.
Founder of the Ireland Air Quality Alerts Twitter Page, Alan Bell says the public need to cut down on the burning of solid fuel in areas of high population density.
A former Green Party Councillor believes all avenues need to be explored to provided optimal air quality.
Under the 2020 Wind Energy Programme, the government have comitted to providing 5 gigawatts of installed offshore wind capacity in Ireland’s maritime area by 2030.
But, Brian Meaney says nuclear energy needs to be considered as an option to accelerate Ireland’s adaption to green energy.
You can listen to the full interview below.
