Where is Europe's air the cleanest? | Knowledge & Environment | '
"Smog is very tangible, you can see it, you can smell it," says Andrzej Gula, ‘. "People in Krakow joke that you can even bite him." The Krakowers try to take it with humor, even though the air pollution may cost several thousand lives in Poland every year.
For Gula, there are only two options on how to deal with the dirty air: either you move away or you become active. He has opted for the latter. For the past six years he has been fighting with Polish Smog Alert, the Polish Smog Alert, against air pollution in the country's second largest city.
For many Poles, checking smog levels has become part of everyday life, as has wearing respirators. On some days children and older people are recommended to stay at home – breathing deeply outdoors is then too dangerous. There is a risk of headache, dizziness and shortness of breath in addition to long-term effects such as respiratory diseases and heart problems.
The worst season is yet to come in Poland. Smog increases dramatically in the winter, with many people still using wood and coal for heating. In the winter months, people's clothes stink of smog, says Gula. He compares the dirty air people breathe with smoking. Anyone living in Krakow inhales as many pollutants each year as if they smoke 3,000 cigarettes, activists estimate.
Great health hazard
But the Poles are not the only ones dealing with air pollution. Globally, billions of people breathe in toxic air every day. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 7 million people died of air pollution in 2016. More than 90 percent of children inhale toxic air. In Europe, about half a million people died prematurely in 2015 as a result of air pollution, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Increased particulate matter pollution is particularly dangerous to health as the microscopic particles can penetrate deep into the lungs. Although the number of premature air pollution deaths has steadily declined over the past three decades, pollutant levels are still dangerous and illegal. It is already much better today than it was in the past: In 1990, high pollution levels were responsible for almost twice as many deaths as today. But still, about 90 percent of Europeans living in cities breathe in harmful air, according to the EEA. Air pollution remains the biggest health threat in Europe.
In addition to particulate matter, there are other pollutants in the air, such as nitrogen oxides, ozone and ammonia, which are emitted by industry, road transport, agriculture and heating systems. While pollutants could be reduced in almost all areas, ammonia emissions in agriculture remain high. Alberto González of the European Environment Agency is particularly worried about this. Because when the gaseous ammonia enters the atmosphere and reacts with other pollutants from vehicle emissions, new particulate matter is created, the deadliest pollutant for humans.
About 94 percent of ammonia emissions in the European Union are produced in agriculture, especially in animal husbandry. In agriculture, no major emission reductions have taken place since 1990. "It's very important that we finally get involved in agriculture to fight against air pollution," González told ‘.
Where in Europe is it unsafe to breathe?
Not everywhere in Europe the air is the same. In general, pollution is higher in Central and Eastern Europe than in the rest of the EU. Bulgaria has the worst air and has the highest number of premature air pollution deaths. This is mainly due to particulate emissions from heating systems, says González.
More on pollution deaths here: Beware of epidemiological studies
and here: Epidemiologist: Deaths are predictable
Poland, host of this year's climate conference in December, follows Bulgaria in the list of worst-performing European countries. Air pollution kills around 45,000 people every year in Poland, experts say. According to the WHO, 33 of the 50 dirtiest cities in Europe were in Poland last year. One of these cities is Katowice, where the climate conference will take place. In Poland, too, coal and wood-fired heaters are the main cause of smog and particulate matter emissions.
Germany moves in midfield. If all data are summarized, the Federal Republic of Germany adheres to the annual EU limit values for fine particulate matter. But especially in cities, the air is often much worse. In Stuttgart, for example, 64.40 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter of air are measured, the legal limit is 50 micrograms.
Norway, on the other hand, is the only country in Europe where the air is even cleaner throughout than the WHO requires, which sets stricter limits than the EU. Norway's green strategy, such as the promotion of clean vehicles, is paying off.
Poland exchanges dirty heaters
In some countries, people are becoming aware of how dangerous polluted air is. Also in Poland, the topic of air pollution is making more and more headlines, thanks to campaigns by activists like Gula in Krakow. At the same time, pressure from the EU has helped rethink, says Przemyslaw Hofman, head of the department in low-carbon economics at the Polish Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology.
The Polish government now wants to do something for better air and has banned the sale of heating spas that do not meet emissions standards. In return, it will provide € 25 billion over the next ten years, so that even poorer residents can exchange their old heaters for newer, clean heaters.
Regional governments are even one step ahead. In Krakow, most coal heating systems were replaced by low-emission alternatives such as gas heating systems. Krakow will soon be the first city in Poland to completely prohibit the burning of wood and coal.
At EU level, since 2013, a package of Clean Air measures is slowly improving. By 2030, air pollution is to be significantly reduced and the number of premature deaths halved. This is only possible if all countries comply with the guidelines. After that, however, it does not look like it in many member states at the moment. In May, the EU Commission sued Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Hungary and Romania for bad air in the cities.
Irene Banos Ruiz travel expenses to Poland were taken over by Clean Energy Wire and Forum Energii.
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