10 signatures reached
To: UK Government
Consider a burning ban during the pandemic
Pollution has been closely linked to higher number coronavirus cases and an increased mortality. It is also harmful to respiratory health.
Please share and sign to ask the government to consider banning wood, coal, open fires, stoves, bonfires, chimineas, fire pits and bbq burning during the pandemic so as to improve health, relieve pressure on the NHS and stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
Please share and sign to ask the government to consider banning wood, coal, open fires, stoves, bonfires, chimineas, fire pits and bbq burning during the pandemic so as to improve health, relieve pressure on the NHS and stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
Why is this important?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/07/air-pollution-linked-to-far-higher-covid-19-death-rates-study-finds
PM2.5, the main pollutant when burning these fuels, has increased in some parts of the country due to people staying at home more and lighting more fires. The increase is likely to be seen more in residential areas where we now spend most of our time. This could increase further during the winter if there is a second wave of the virus. Wood and coal burning are the largest sources of PM2.5 in normal times.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/24/coronavirus-detected-particles-air-pollution
A number of studies link PM2.5 to a reduced immune response to viral infections and even increase the transmission of viral infections as well as reducing respiratory health; a temporary ban could be very important in slowing the effects of this awful virus.
Even if just as a precaution, can we please consider temporarily banning burning of anything non essential that may lead to an increase PM2.5 levels
Links
'How Air Pollution Makes The Coronavirus So Much More Dangerous
Breathing dirty air damages our health and can create underlying conditions that dramatically elevate the risk of complications and death from COVID-19.'
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/air-pollution-may-be-key-contributor-to-covid-19-deaths-study
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/air-pollution-coronavirus-health_n_5e833c50c5b62dd9f5d5f50d
'Lockdown eases seasonal smog - but wood fires and farming continue to cause pollution...A study of the Sars epidemic in China suggested that infected people were more likely to die if their area had poor-quality air.'
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/02/lockdown-eases-seasonal-smog-pollution
'Air pollutants, especially PM2.5, PM10 ... can increase the risk of influenza like illnesses'
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7607-2
https://twitter.com/atreeon/status/1245626899209916419
PM2.5, the main pollutant when burning these fuels, has increased in some parts of the country due to people staying at home more and lighting more fires. The increase is likely to be seen more in residential areas where we now spend most of our time. This could increase further during the winter if there is a second wave of the virus. Wood and coal burning are the largest sources of PM2.5 in normal times.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/24/coronavirus-detected-particles-air-pollution
A number of studies link PM2.5 to a reduced immune response to viral infections and even increase the transmission of viral infections as well as reducing respiratory health; a temporary ban could be very important in slowing the effects of this awful virus.
Even if just as a precaution, can we please consider temporarily banning burning of anything non essential that may lead to an increase PM2.5 levels
Links
'How Air Pollution Makes The Coronavirus So Much More Dangerous
Breathing dirty air damages our health and can create underlying conditions that dramatically elevate the risk of complications and death from COVID-19.'
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/air-pollution-may-be-key-contributor-to-covid-19-deaths-study
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/air-pollution-coronavirus-health_n_5e833c50c5b62dd9f5d5f50d
'Lockdown eases seasonal smog - but wood fires and farming continue to cause pollution...A study of the Sars epidemic in China suggested that infected people were more likely to die if their area had poor-quality air.'
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/02/lockdown-eases-seasonal-smog-pollution
'Air pollutants, especially PM2.5, PM10 ... can increase the risk of influenza like illnesses'
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7607-2
https://twitter.com/atreeon/status/1245626899209916419
