Air pollution is the silent killer. That’s why we’re here to make noise.
Skaters. Cyclists. Runners. Commuters. We should all be able to breathe clean air. But Lambeth & Southwark have some of the worst air pollution levels in London. Whenever we’re outside in our communities, we’re risking our health.
We don’t always realise what dirty air can do to our bodies.
Air pollution can make it difficult to breathe, it can damage our organs, cause asthma and heart attacks, cause long term health conditions, and other life threatening diseases.
But it isn’t the same for everyone. Black, Asian and other ethnicities are excessively affected by air pollution. Because of where we live, communities of colour experience the health impacts of toxic air first.
Ella Kissi-Debrah was the first person in the UK whose cause of death was ruled as due to toxic air pollution. She was 9. She lived in South London too.
Equality means we all breathe clean air.
Air pollution is a social justice issue. The people whose health is the most affected do the least to contribute to the problem. An estimated 36,000 people die every year due to the effects of air pollution in the UK.
This is the air that surrounds us every day. And it’s attacking everyone’s right to live and breathe freely. We are coming together to demand change.