Let's Stop Being Idle - Let's Start Switching Off!

According to the Royal College of Physicians there are an estimated ‘40,000 deaths a year in the UK linked to air pollution, with engines idling contributing to this’.

There appears to be a lack of awareness of the dangers of engine idling. Having recently suffered with COVID-19 I looked forward to my 'release date' from the house, however on walking through the local supermarket carpark I was overwhelmed by the fumes from those idling their engines when I was already short of breath. Unfortunately, this is commonplace where I live with the worst offenders being in supermarket carparks where people can spend a lunch hour running their engine.

I propose the manning of supermarket carparks, public carparks, and any areas where people are likely to idle their engines with signs being clearly visible. Educating people on the dangers of idling engines should be paramount in an age where air pollution and climate change are so frequently newsworthy. Every species on the planet breathes the same air and it is our duty to limit the pollution we create.

We are constantly being told to protect our NHS during the pandemic as it is already so overstretched therefore, should we not help to keep the numbers of asthma cases down, those of cardiac disease, cancers and reduced lung function which can all be caused by air pollution?