Men can also be the victims of abuse
I am really glad that your newspaper has said that domestic abuse does not discriminate.
Being continually put down, especially if you are a male, which people do not often hear about, can be really upsetting.
Yes, women can be abusers as well, controlling a man’s life by keeping on putting him down and by telling him he can not do this or that.
In response to Dr Potjewyd’s letter (Chronicle, 18th March) concerning air quality, I’d like to direct residents and local businesses to the air quality monitoring pages of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s website, where both live air quality data, and also annual average data, are available in the form of an interactive map, allowing you to see historic levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in specific areas of the city.
Annual Status Reports are also available, documenting all the air quality results since 2016. Go to www.bathnes.gov.uk and search for ‘air quality.’
Our latest figures for 2019/2020 for Bath indicate that NO2 levels continue to exceed both EU and UK legal limits in four roadside areas, despite lockdown i.e. they remain above 40 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre of air).
We have been told by the UK government to reduce annual average NO2 concentrations in Bath to within legal limits by the end of 2021 at the latest, and we know that a charging clean air zone is the only way we can do this.
Contrary to Dr Potjewyd’s claims, Bath is one of the more polluted cities in Europe, partly due to its unique geography, sitting in a basin surrounded by hills and with roads flagged by high buildings in several city centre locations.
This makes it difficult for vehicle emissions to disperse quickly.
NO2 pollution accounts for around 36,000 deaths every year in the UK.
It irritates and inflames the lining of airways, which can worsen asthma and make breathing difficult among those with lung disease (such as bronchitis and emphysema).
Research also shows that high levels of NO2 can affect children’s lung development and that children who grow up in highly polluted areas are more likely to develop asthma.
Bath’s current pollution levels are unacceptable, and the clean air zone is just the first step on our journey to improve the environment across the area.