Many cities around the world have been fighting air pollution for nearly a century. In the 1950s smog killed thousands of people in London.
Much has been done since then to make the air fit to breathe, but the air in this British city is still more polluted than in many European cities.
The UK government says air pollution remains a major health risk. It is even said to be the biggest public health risk after cancer, obesity and heart disease.
What you can do
So what can be done to improve air quality, wherever you live? Here are some ways.
By leaving your car at home you can help in the fight against carbon emissions. The Mayor of London is encouraging people to use public transport, or to cycle or walk for journeys of under two miles. London has also introduced a new £10 "toxicity charge", to be applied to diesel and petrol cars registered before 2006.
When buying a new car, or checking its safety features, look at its emissions. The car with the lowest emissions is best for the environment. Diesel cars in the UK have fallen by 40 per cent, and the government says sales of diesel cars and vans will end by 2040.
Electric cars
The government expects electric car use to grow around the world over the next decade. From 2040, cars running only on petrol or diesel will no longer be sold in the UK, and a decade after that only electric cars will be on the roads. California in the United States could be an example: about 350,000 electric cars are on its roads now, and the state aims to have about 1.5 million zero-carbon-emission vehicles on its roads by 2025.
Source: BBC Bangla. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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