E.ON has unveiled a 16ft installation which visually represents the issue of air pollution, after 88% of people1 admitted they are confused about air pollution and 89% would do more to tackle it if they knew how.
With 63% of people saying they don’t know enough about air pollution and the same percentage admitting they put air pollution to the back of their mind because it’s invisible, ‘LUNGS’ has been created to make the invisible visible and demonstrate current levels of air pollution affecting us all. Erected on the banks of the River Thames, LUNGS fills up with different coloured smoke to represent Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulphur Dioxide and PM 2.5 – three major pollutants which we breathe in daily2.
LUNGS has been unveiled by E.ON ahead of the week-long Global Climate Strike (20th-27th September) and London Car Free Day (22nd September), with Iain Stewart, Professor of Geoscience at the University of Plymouth, to help raise awareness, educate and provide practical advice about air pollution and clean air.
The new research also reveals that:
· On average, people can confidently name one air pollutant whilst almost half (47%) don’t feel comfortable naming any
· Over a third (37%) don’t think air pollution affects parks and green spaces and 13% don’t think it affects the home
· Two thirds (67%) have become more concerned about air pollution in the last year
o Over a third (36%) said that what they read in the media has made them more concerned and a quarter (24%) cited David Attenborough specifically as a trigger
· Two thirds (62%) of parents say that clean air is a key concern for them and their families
o Parents are more likely to tackle air pollution (92%) compared to non-parents (84%)
· The majority (71%) think government should take responsibility for air pollution, followed by large corporations (64%) and the public (63%)
Those in big cities say they put up with air pollution due to the convenience of living where they do (24%), to be close to family (23%) and proximity to work (17%). Eight in ten (81%) say that they don’t feel like they have a choice but to live in an area with poor air quality with a further majority (82%) revealing they are worried about the risk to health from breathing in toxins. Additionally, 45% admit to frequently eating meat regardless of feeling guilty of its impact on the environment.
