Speaking: Air pollution

Speaking: Air pollution

1. Prop: conscious / aware in Madrid

   • It´s hard to get used to smog ( smoky fog) if you´re never lived in a city

2. Causes

   • toxic fumes of diesel cars
     • *fumes: noxious gases
   • ammonia emissions from farming, wood, and coal fires
     • *coal = carbón
   • Tyre burning
     • Tyre = pneumatic
   • Open rubbish dumps
     • Rubbish tip = garbage dump tip = dump (vaciar)
   • Dust from construction sites

3. Consequences

   • restrictions in traffic circulation
     • Madrid had to declare an emergency and banned traffic for several days over Christmas
     • Because of several Madrid areas breached = broke their annual limits for nitrogen dioxide
   • not running in open air areas
   • Worsen health public condition: heart and respiratory diseases, blood vessel conditions, strokes, lung cancers, and other long-term illnesses
     • worsen = get worse blood vessel (vaso sanguíneo)= vein, artery or capillary
   • Madrid lifted partial car ban as pollution eases
     • *ease=reduce
     • Madrid lifted an unprecedented ban on half of most private cars, as pollution in the Spanish capital ease up (be less severe).
       • A day earlier and for the first time in Spain, authorities decided to implement a measure already used in other cities abroad by ordering vehicles with even-number registration plates to drive on even-number days and cars with odd-number plates on odd-number days.
         • The measure took effect one day (on Thursday) but it was short-lived. Because in a tweet, Madrid city hall said it had lifted the partial ban from Friday "given the improvement in NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and (weather) forecasts".
           • The partial ban on cars is activated when levels of harmful NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) go extremely high and if the air is unlikely to clear imminently.
             • There are exceptions to the ban, such as for mopeds ( motorbikes), those carrying three people or more or used by disabled people.
               • Buses, taxis, emergency vehicles are also exempt (excluded, excused)
                 • But city hall said that some restrictions, such as a ban on parking in the city centre for non-residents, would continue as pollution levels had still not come down to satisfactory levels.

4. Solutions

   • encourage to use public transport
   • collect public funds
   • It was inevitable in places like Madrid in the 19th century, when health wasn´t considered so important; but today, it is irresponsible to allow it, and the argument of economic development is not valid. We need to develop a different culture in our cities. We need much better public policies.
   • Heavy investment in renewable energy has improved air quality in some areas
   • we need much better public policies