City council fights back against creeping air pollution levels

MAJOR air pollutants are carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour.

Carbon dioxide and methane are by products from burning fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal to power modes of transport with a combustion engine such as cars, buses, airplanes, boats.

They are also produced by the production in factories of new things we buy and during the generation of electricity.

As crazy as it sounds, cow “burps” are a source of global warming too. When cows burp, they release methane and it is also produced when garbage decomposes in landfills.

Water vapour is caused by evaporation of water and is increased by using water besides rain to water the lawns or plants, wash our cars, water farm fields and golf courses.

Air pollution is a key factor that affects the health of a city. In Cape Town, we believe the southeaster wind rids the city of air pollution.

But the city says air pollution levels are frequently high in informal areas and even inside shacks, which exposes children, women and the elderly to dangerous levels of such pollution.

In winter, a brown haze is a common sight across the Cape Flats right up to the mountains that border our city.

These levels of air pollution represent a major health risk.

The city council says it has a responsibility to address the causes of air pollution and eliminate the risks to people’s health. It has a air quality management plan.

The city calls on everyone to contribute to making “Cape Town the city with the cleanest air in Africa.”

COUGH, COUGH: Air pollution can affect our hearts.