Hmmmm, just when I thought things were just about as bad as they are going to get I hear that we’re in trouble because of unacceptable levels of air pollution!
The European Commission has warned the UK that it has failed to meet the required standards as far as their clean air policy is concerned although, to be fair, only two countries in the EU have, namely Ireland and Luxembourg. The other nations, like ourselves, are having their applications for time extensions for compliance considered by the Commission.
The Environment Commissioner, Stavros Dimas, has said that failure to comply will be followed by strict action which could include being hauled before the European Court of Justice and receiving a hefty fine! (Great, as if the economy wasn’t deep enough in debt already!) Assuming the extension is granted we will have until 2011 to get our act together.
In spite of this the Government is steamrolling ahead with the plans for Runway 3 and Terminal 6 at Heathrow, although work on that will probably not start until 2015.
Nevertheless, I sometimes find myself wondering whether that odd smell in the air is really pollution or merely politicians…..