Where there’s pollution, there’s money to be had from cutting it

THE battle to save the world’s climate will not be fought just here in and around Bristol – it will be fought in Asia, which is home to all 50 of the world’s most polluted cities.

Have you ever been to a polluted city? The pollution hangs in the air and is awful to breathe.

Asia also has most of the world’s top 500 most polluted cities.

The struggle to improve poverty, education, healthcare and infrastructure will also be at its sharpest in these emerging and existing mega-cities, with high population density, infrastructure pressures and energy, water and food requirements.

Globalisation has delivered its greatest blessings to Asia and these have come at the highest environmental costs.

Bristol has a vital role to play in this. We can develop new, greener, less polluting technologies and practices here, and then sell our know-how to others and offer aid.

We can be an example of what can be done, for the rest of the UK and also for these new Asian and African mega-cities.

“Where there’s muck, there’s brass” – where there’s pollution, there’s money to be made from cutting pollution and offering solutions.

Bristol can be a “pollution solution” city. So hopefully we can andwill develop these technologies and practices, meaning new green jobs aplenty for people here and better ways of living in other parts of the world. Megacities can be “shipshape and Bristol fashion!” as pollution solution cities.

Urban imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This is a 21st century challenge to embrace!

Mel Taylor

Bristol