Apr 4, 20234 min read

UK Clean Air Day: how to improve the air we breathe!

Updated: Feb 26

Join our 30 WAYS to Cleaner Air challenge!

Choose the ways you can make a difference to the air we all breathe!

Download our info pack, or use the FAQs & Links below.

WHY THIS MATTERS TO ALL OF US

Air pollution puts us all at risk – one breath at a time. It’s the biggest environmental risk each of us faces every day. If we could SEE it, we’d probably have tackled it far sooner. But there’s growing awareness – and much more information, so we can make a difference.

This Cleaner Air Guide lists 30 ways we can improve the air around us.

Try out the options that best suit you, where you live and your lifestyle.
Select just one action to do OR try out all 30 different ideas OR mix and match!

When can you start? Why not now? The info pack provided here to download is launched on UK Clean Air Day 2023 - but it will make a different WHEVER you start!

UK Clean Air Day reaction: Councillor Jane Byrne, cabinet member for connected, clean city, Newcastle City Council, thanked people helping tackle air pollution through trying out the guide's suggestions: “30 great suggestions and practical tips help everyone to make a difference through small changes to things, such as the way we travel, shop and heat our homes. Doing just one thing, from turning your car engine off when you’re parked up to choosing to walk or cycle or switching to a green home energy supplier, can all add up.”

Here’s how to use the list

Build your own list of the actions that work for you - tick them as a reminder
Add a note, if extra support or changes made by other people would help you to carry out additional actions and tick more boxes
Spread the word about successes! – including to Climate Action Newcastle 😊
Let us know if you’ve queries or suggestions: see us at a stall, email climatenewcastle@gmail.com or get in touch via our social media

The "30 WAYS to Cleaner Air" Guide is available here to download (as a Word doc or a PDF). If you would like a printed copy, please email and we'll post to you. It includes:

30 ACTIONS!
SUGGESTIONS
RESOURCES
FOLLOW-UP IDEAS

Topics in the info pack include:

Guide to tackle ENGINE IDLING – for drivers, passers-by, commercial vehicles
MAKE AIR POLLUTION VISIBLE – find the facts about local air quality
ACTIVE TRAVEL, PUBLIC TRANSPORT – walk or wheel, use bus or train. Reduce the air pollution you generate, get exercise, lose weight, save money
DELIVERIES – to homes and workplaces (we often overlook online shopping, takeaways)
REDUCE VEHICLE EMISSIONS – carshare, drive in eco-friendly way, support electric taxis
GARDENERS – open fires, use compost as a “carbon sink”
HOMES AND AIR QUALITY
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES
CONSIDER CLEAN AIR WHEN SHOPPING
How to support “ELLA’S LAW” – lobby for this new bill to make our lives healthier and safer
DEMAND YOUR RIGHT FOR CLEAN AIR – take action!
BREAK DOWN BARRIERS THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR US TO TAKE ACTION! – turn them into opportunities to help us all breathe cleaner air!

Our 30 WAYS Guide is part of Climate Action Newcastle's campaign for Cleaner Air - catch up on pictures, updates and future plans here.

FAQs & LINKS

Have you found useful information not included below? – let us know, so we can share with people who, like you, want to improve the air we breathe! Get in touch via our social media or email climatenewcastle@gmail.com.

Why does air quality matter to me?

· air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in UK

· World Health Organisation and UK Government recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk we face today

EU countries could save 238,000 lives a year by meeting WHO air pollution guidelines - Feb 2024 report here: https://www.theguardian.com/global/2024/feb/23/eu-countries-could-save-238000-lives-a-year-by-meeting-who-air-pollution-guidelines

How polluted is Newcastle?

Here’s how to check air quality for every postcode around Jesmond: https://www.addresspollution.org/

What is Ella’s Law?

The Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill is up for debate later this year. It could be the most positive piece of environmental legislation in decades - for health, climate & quality of life.

PETITION: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/support-the-clean-air-human-rights-bill

READ ABOUT ELLA’S CHARITY: https://ellaroberta.org/

MORE INFO: http://ellaslaw.uk

EARLY DAY MOTION - PLEASE ASK YOUR MP TO SIGN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE: https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/60394/the-clean-air-human-rights-bill

Idling: use our myth-busting guide!

Drivers often keep engines turning over based on out-of-date past guidance. And they often aren’t aware how the pollution harms the driver’s health even more than that of passing pedestrians! As well as contributing to climate change. Here are Word and pdf versions of our Climate Action Newcastle guide to tackling idling.