It was the news that toxic air pollution particles had been found in the lungs and brains of unborn babies that did it. I am child-free by choice and have about as much maternal instinct as Matilda’s Miss Trunchbull, yet this disturbing new research literally stopped me in my tracks. The dystopian future climate activists and scientists had warned us about suddenly felt ominously close – and it made me want to flee the capital for pastures green and rolling.
The groundbreaking research from the University of Aberdeen and Hasselt University in Belgium is far from the first piece of jarring data about the impact of pollution in dense urban spaces. In July, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants found that air pollution is likely to increase the risk of developing dementia and accelerated “cognitive decline” in older people. Scientists at Colorado University, Boulder, also found a link in September between inhaled pollutants and an increased risk of allergies, diabetes and obesity in babies. An October study found that air pollution could contribute to obesity in middle-aged women, while in early November, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that world mayors must act now to cut pollution or more people will die.
