London's Silent Killer Worse than Feared | |||
Deaths from air pollution expected to rise dramatically
London wide Assembly Member Murad Qureshi has hit out at the Mayor of London’s “truly appalling record on tackling air pollution” after new research from Clean Air London estimated that by 2020 the number of Londoners dying prematurely as a result of air pollution will rise to 6,851 per year. Clean Air London also suggested that the number of people currently dying as a result of air pollution could be as high as 7,500 a year in London. Commenting on the research Murad Qureshi described the figures as ‘catastrophic’ saying they revealed just how bad the silent killer of air pollution had got. In the summer the Mayor provided more details on an Ultra-Low Emission Zone but the scheme would only cover a small area of London and won’t come into effect until after 2020. Murad Qureshi has welcomed the scheme but said it doesn’t go far enough. “For years we have known air pollution is the capital’s silent killer, now we know just how bad the situation has got. For 4,300 Londoners to prematurely die as a consequence of air pollution was shocking enough. The fact that the real figure is nearer 7,500 it is truly catastrophic.
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