Guardian investigation finds 98% of Europeans breathing highly damaging polluted air linked to 400,000 deaths a year

  • FlyLikeAMouse@feddit.uk
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    1 year ago

    I predict that nothing will change, we will carry on breathing polluted air, the situation will get worse but still, nothing will change.

    • Zacryon@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      Germans would say “Tja”, shrug and then drive with their unnecessarily big car to the bakery which is around the corner to buy some Mettwurstbrötchen. Sitting then with their friends at a Stammtisch over a beer and talk angrily about how people need to change something before they fall into bed and forget about it.

      • First@programming.dev
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        1 year ago

        Sound more like the U.S. than Germany - Germany has the €49/month public transport ticket, relatively good public transport offerings and a green party that has the best election results of the western industrial countries. Of course shutting down nuclear power plants didn’t do them any favours regarding pollution.

      • Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        No way man. All those Germans have moved to Atlantic Canada and drive pickup trucks they don’t use for anything but show and build multi million dollar homes where their neighbors are starving and living hand to mouth. Then talk about how immigrants are ruining Germany without seeing they are doing the same here.

    • elouboub@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      We will vote for the same people, keep buying iPhones, and get distracted by stupid shit. As is customary.

    • EmilieEvans@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Wood stoves are a major problem. As soon as it gets cold in Germany, air pollution rises from below 5µg/m^3 to 20-100 µg/m^3 and stays there for months (in this particular area).

      • 601error@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Dang. In wildfire season here in western Canada, my air filter gets brought out well before the 100 mark.

      • quinnly@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        As someone who lives in a wood-heated house, what do you suggest I do? I’d rather not freeze to death and I can’t afford any other heating options

        • MJBrune@beehaw.org
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          1 year ago

          Keep doing what you need to. Don’t feel bad for living. If you have the ability to switch them consider it but realistically it needs to be pushed into law to ban wood burning furnace. Individuals changing isn’t enough.

  • MJBrune@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    So, I live in Western Washington and was wondering if this is actually one place where the USA wins over Europe and… I’m currently breathing 4.5 micrograms of PM2.5. So equal to living in Denmark. Success!

    Let’s spot-check… wait… https://www.iqair.com/us/uk/england/london/putney-weimar-street London is only at 9 micrograms. I guess that’s still double mine. Let’s be fair and pick the worst part in Seattle: https://www.iqair.com/us/usa/washington/seattle/overlook-at-magnolia still 5.8 micrograms. Let’s try one more time in Germany, It seems like any place in Germany will be above a 10. https://www.iqair.com/us/germany/nordrhein-westfalen/koln/rodenkirchen it’s 5.

    So maybe this is a time when Western Washington is on par with Europe? Is IQAir not a great source?

  • Amilo159@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Question is, how much do you trust the Guardian to do a proper research.

    They claim no area of Sweden has twice the recommended value, but there are clearly orange/red areas near the very south near Helsingborg.

      • Amilo159@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I was thinking of Malmø with i said Helsingborg, which is further north ofc. Copenhagen is big (by Nordic standards), cramped and old. No wonder it has worse air.