Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

How farm fires intensify Delhi’s post-monsoon smog problem

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Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · Jun 30

"In Delhi, the researchers found particles from industrial pollution, including chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics, laminates and adhesives, and in recycling electronic waste. Particle pollution from traffic was greatest in Delhi."

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Extreme air pollution from farming fires meets high population density, causing substantial harm to health

UK air pollution killing more than 500 people a week, doctors say

Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · Jun 19

🚨Major new report on #CleanAirDay.

📉Air pollution costs the UK more than £500m a week, with 99% of the population breathing toxic air, according to
@rcphysicians.bsky.social.

💀It also kills more than 500 people a week, and harms almost every organ in the body.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Royal College of Physicians also says poor air quality costs country more than £500m a week

How does air pollution affect mental health? New study aimed to find out

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Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · Jun 16

"The effects of moving to an area with worse air pollution are not confined to mental health.

"A 10-year study in southern California also showed that lung growth improved for children that moved to areas with less particle pollution."

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Research looked at records of 14,800 people in Bradford to see what happened after they moved to more polluted area

A healthier future starts with children: Our response to the spending review

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Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · Jun 13

What does the Government's spending review mean for health in urban areas?👇

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · Jun 13

🍎 We welcome the Government’s #SpendingReview decision to expand #FreeSchoolMeals to children in families receiving Universal Credit.

🏙️ But more investment is needed to address health inequalities, especially in urban areas.

Read our response 👇
urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/pol...

Read our response to the UK Government's recently announced spending review.

Improving air quality must be central to Labour’s health mission

Reposted by Patrick Lee

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · Jun 11

Improve air quality: Access to healthy food is vital for a healthy society. So is clean air.

The Govt can protect children from toxic air pollution. Bold national action, like a new Clean Air Act, would be an investment in better public health: urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/opi...

Action would help to save money and reduce social inequalities. Matt Towner writes for New Statesman.

Bus fares to jobs: Seven ways the Spending Review affects you

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Reposted by Patrick Lee

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · Jun 11

🚨Fantastic news! The Govt is expanding free school meals to families on Universal Credit, a vital investment in children's long-term health.

But there are more ways the Govt can now build on these foundations for a healthier society 🧵👇
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Spending limits for government departments are being outlined by the chancellor. This is how it affects you.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Patrick Lee

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · May 29

🚧 Construction sites contribute significantly to air pollution.

Discover how we're using data to target interventions and improve urban health.

🔗 Read more: urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/dat...

Using data to reduce air pollution from construction sites

The Air Pollution Risk Index tool identified areas where improving air quality could have the biggest benefit on people’s health.

Does social media influence local elected leaders? A study of online engagement methods through the lens of cycling policymaking in the United Kingdom

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Reposted by Patrick Lee

Cllr Emily Kerr 💚 @emilykerr36.bsky.social · May 29

Very interesting article on how policymakers view social media through the lens of cycling policy.

The key insight for cycling advocates is how many undermine the agenda through being too negative: a constructive approach is much better, plus email (1/2)

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Social media can be sold as a way to improve grassroots citizen engagement, yet the ways in which it affects decisions made by local elected leaders are less well understood. This study examines th...

www.tandfonline.com

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Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · May 27

Not sure if you've seen this, but if not you might find it interesting:

www.actionforcleanair.org.uk/evidence-res...

Policy pathway to reduce air pollution by phasing out domestic burning by 2030

Wood burning in our homes is a key cause of air pollution and has significant impacts both on people’s health and the environment. We outline five critical problems which currently act as barriers to ...

www.actionforcleanair.org.uk

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Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · May 24

Impact on Urban Health are doing loads on wood burning:

urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/new...

urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/rep...

urbanhealth.org.uk/partnerships...

The Government’s backward step on wood-burning stoves puts public health and climate action at risk

The Government's decision to permit wood-burning stoves in new builds contradicts growing evidence about the harmful effects these stoves have on public health and the environment.

Air pollution disproportionately harming marginalised groups, government told

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Reposted by Patrick Lee

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · May 22

In an open letter to Keir Starmer, campaigners at Enact Equality have called on ministers to "take decisive and immediate action to confront one of the most urgent, yet persistently under-reported justice issues" across the UK...

Air pollution 🧵

www.mylondon.news/news/uk-worl...

An open letter from activists urged the government to "take decisive and immediate action to confront one of the most urgent, yet persistently under-reported justice issues" across the UK

www.mylondon.news

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Reposted by Patrick Lee

Ben Pearce @benrpearce.bsky.social · May 15

Our wonderful data team have developed a dashboard that highlights the wards in Lambeth & Southwark where

🫁People are most at risk of exposure to air pollution due to existing health conditions and social determinants

🏭There are highest existing levels of air pollution

Do check out the dashboard!

Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · May 15

🧠 We’re using data to drive impact: Our new Air Pollution Risk Index highlights neighbourhoods where improving air quality could deliver the greatest health benefits.

🔗 Discover how it works: urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/dat...

Using data to reduce air pollution from construction sites

The Air Pollution Risk Index tool identified areas where improving air quality could have the biggest benefit on people’s health.

London council plans garden bonfire ban to tackle harmful air pollution

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Reposted by Patrick Lee

Mums for Lungs @mumsforlungs.bsky.social · May 14

EU Member States have highlighted their commitment to protecting children’s health by adopting new binding #AirPollution targets. When will our Labour government afford the same #Health protections to our children @emmahardymp.bsky.social?

A letter to Minister Emma Hardy asking when the Labour government will commit to new air pollution targets, considering the EU has already done so, thereby prioritising the health of its citizens.

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Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · May 12

Kudos to @hfcouncil.bsky.social 👏 for prioritising people's health and the environment:

"The council noted that private wood-burners have contributed to the most severe smog episodes recorded in London during recent winters."

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...

The plan by Hammersmith and Fulham Council involves creating a new by-law to prevent residents from burning household or garden waste

www.standard.co.uk

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Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · May 1

🔥The Government’s backward step on wood-burning stoves puts public health and climate action at risk.

The Govt is ignoring guidance from
@thecccuk.bsky.social, Defra, and the Chief Medical Officer.

urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/new...

The Government’s backward step on wood-burning stoves puts public health and climate action at risk

The Government's decision to permit wood-burning stoves in new builds contradicts growing evidence about the harmful effects these stoves have on public health and the environment.

“And Breathe Normally”: Impacts of low emission zones on sick leave and mental well-being

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Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · Apr 30

Clean air zones work. Full research:

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Air pollution poses a global concern due to its detrimental effects on climate, healthcare, and human capital accumulation. However, there is limited …

www.sciencedirect.com

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Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · Apr 30

Results on LEZ and ULEZ from Uni of Bath:

✅Improvements in general health
🫁Decrease in respiratory issues
🤒People 18.5% less likely to take sick leave
😃People report feeling happier
😳People feel less anxious

airqualitynews.com/local-govern...

Reduced sick leave among the benefits of London’s ULEZ

A team from the University of Bath has found that the progressive improvements to London’s air quality by the introduction of increasingly stringent restrictions on vehicles, has led to a notable drop...

airqualitynews.com

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Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · Apr 12

What are the solutions?

Consider whether what we gain from social media is worth what it costs: Our data sold to the highest bidder to help manipulate behaviour.

And to advocate for/move to ad-free, subscription-based platforms.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technol...

Facebook and Google need ad-free options says Jaron Lanier

Virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier says the tech firms should offer an alternative to ads.

www.bbc.co.uk

Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · Apr 12

It's also exactly what the Centre for Countering Digital Hate warned about Twitter specifically:

counterhate.com/topic/twitter/

Twitter — Center for Countering Digital Hate | CCDH

Hate and disinformation have skyrocketed on Twitter - now X - since Elon Musk took over the platform.

counterhate.com

Jaron Lanier: Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Account Right Now

Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · Apr 12

This is exactly what Jaron Lanier warns us about social media platforms and their business models.

Their focus on advertising, data collection, and manipulation harms people and society.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFsS...

YouTube video by Pioneer Works

www.youtube.com

PR campaign may have fuelled food study backlash, leaked document shows

Patrick Lee @patrickjalee.bsky.social · Apr 12

🧵The meat industry manufactured backlash against one of the most important food and climate reports ever published. Using social media, tactics included...

🚫Content pollution and disinformation
📢Online abuse
✂️Polarising audiences.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Eat-Lancet report recommended shift to more plant-based, climate-friendly diet but was extensively attacked online