Dundalk drivers are slowly committing suicide. We decrease our life expectancy everytime we turn the key in our car’s ignition, especially if it’s a diesel engine. In Paris, air pollution brought about a drop of six months in average life expectancy, according to one report. A WHO study puts that figure as high as eight months, for all of Europe. The gases that bubble from exhaust pipes are poisonous. Should you breathe them directly, they can kill you within minutes. When diluted into the air we all breathe, they kill more slowly. Motor traffic is responsible for the majority of particle emissions which are linked to lung cancer, adverse birth outcomes and childhood illnesses, among too many other diseases to mention.
It’s hard sometimes to understand how important your actions are. After all, you’re just one person. We forget that “a thousand” or “a million” is just a simple way to say: “one plus one plus one…” etc. Mass change begins with individual change. Drive less, walk more, and try your hand at cycling.