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A warning to all Parisians: Breathing can damage your health – and could possibly kill you | |
(1 day later) | |
Avoid going outdoors in the early morning if you're in Paris. Avoid going out in the late afternoon. If you are over 65, or under five, you should stay indoors. | Avoid going outdoors in the early morning if you're in Paris. Avoid going out in the late afternoon. If you are over 65, or under five, you should stay indoors. |
Do not drive. If you have to drive, drive slowly. Cancel, or reduce, all "intensive sporting activity". (Question: does that include Saturday evening's France-Ireland rugby international?) | Do not drive. If you have to drive, drive slowly. Cancel, or reduce, all "intensive sporting activity". (Question: does that include Saturday evening's France-Ireland rugby international?) |
An invisible but potentially lethal enemy assailed Paris and most of northern France on Friday - the air. | An invisible but potentially lethal enemy assailed Paris and most of northern France on Friday - the air. |
Paris is in the grip of its worst atmospheric pollution for seven years, caused by a mixture of good weather and stubbornly bad public policy. | Paris is in the grip of its worst atmospheric pollution for seven years, caused by a mixture of good weather and stubbornly bad public policy. |
A run of unseasonably warm, windless days and cold clear nights has clamped a lid of warm air over northern France. Under that lid, minuscule particles of pollution - partly generated by France's long love-affair with the diesel-powered car - have accumulated to dangerous levels. | A run of unseasonably warm, windless days and cold clear nights has clamped a lid of warm air over northern France. Under that lid, minuscule particles of pollution - partly generated by France's long love-affair with the diesel-powered car - have accumulated to dangerous levels. |
The Eiffel tower and Paris roofs glimpsed through a haze of pollution (Getty) The level of official "pollution alert" - 80 microgrammes of tiny particles for every cubic metre of air - has been exceeded each day since Wednesday in 30 départements (counties) across northern France. | The Eiffel tower and Paris roofs glimpsed through a haze of pollution (Getty) The level of official "pollution alert" - 80 microgrammes of tiny particles for every cubic metre of air - has been exceeded each day since Wednesday in 30 départements (counties) across northern France. |
In an attempt to keep traffic to a minimum, all public transport has been declared free until Sunday in Paris, Rouen and Caen Even the Velib', the Parisian help-yourself, short-term-hire bikes which fathered the Boris Bikes in London, have been declared free. | In an attempt to keep traffic to a minimum, all public transport has been declared free until Sunday in Paris, Rouen and Caen Even the Velib', the Parisian help-yourself, short-term-hire bikes which fathered the Boris Bikes in London, have been declared free. |
Is that sensible? In the midst of one of the most intense and prolonged pollution scares northern France has ever seen, is cycling still good for your health? | Is that sensible? In the midst of one of the most intense and prolonged pollution scares northern France has ever seen, is cycling still good for your health? |
With the naked eye, it was difficult yesterday to see what all the fuss was about. Paris was basking for the send week in a row in bright, near-summer weather. The daffodils were gleaming in the Tuileries gardens. Women were wearing summer dresses. | With the naked eye, it was difficult yesterday to see what all the fuss was about. Paris was basking for the send week in a row in bright, near-summer weather. The daffodils were gleaming in the Tuileries gardens. Women were wearing summer dresses. |
If you looked just above the roofs of the buildings, however, there was a fat, smudgy, grey layer before the sky shaded into pale blue. The Eiffel Tower, and the skyscrapers in the La Défense office ghetto west of the city, were cloaked in a faint, grey-yellow haze. | If you looked just above the roofs of the buildings, however, there was a fat, smudgy, grey layer before the sky shaded into pale blue. The Eiffel Tower, and the skyscrapers in the La Défense office ghetto west of the city, were cloaked in a faint, grey-yellow haze. |
France is especially vulnerable to this kind of pollution because it is 60 per cent dependent on diesel cars. In the 1960s, French government and industry made a strategic decision that diesel engines were less polluting and would gradually supersede petrol. | France is especially vulnerable to this kind of pollution because it is 60 per cent dependent on diesel cars. In the 1960s, French government and industry made a strategic decision that diesel engines were less polluting and would gradually supersede petrol. |
Exhaust gases are partly blamed for the fine particle pollution affecting Paris and several French cities (Getty) The French car giants, Renault and Peugeot-Citroen invested heavily in diesel engines. Diesel fuel was taxed less heavily than petrol - and still is. | Exhaust gases are partly blamed for the fine particle pollution affecting Paris and several French cities (Getty) The French car giants, Renault and Peugeot-Citroen invested heavily in diesel engines. Diesel fuel was taxed less heavily than petrol - and still is. |
For nearly two decades France has been aware that this was a terrible mistake. Diesel engines are more polluting, not less. Fumes from diesel cars, as well as industrial emissions and agricultural fertilisers, are blamed for increasing the micro-particles in the French atmosphere to potentially dangerous levels. | For nearly two decades France has been aware that this was a terrible mistake. Diesel engines are more polluting, not less. Fumes from diesel cars, as well as industrial emissions and agricultural fertilisers, are blamed for increasing the micro-particles in the French atmosphere to potentially dangerous levels. |
Successive governments have lacked the courage to steer the French car-makers away from diesel engines or to increase taxes on the diesel fuel which is used by two out of three motorists (and voters). | Successive governments have lacked the courage to steer the French car-makers away from diesel engines or to increase taxes on the diesel fuel which is used by two out of three motorists (and voters). |
According to on study, there are 40,000 premature or unnecessary deaths in France each year because of the high level of atmospheric pollution. The European Commission has brought a legal action against France in the European Court of Justice for its failure to respect EU anti-pollution laws. | According to on study, there are 40,000 premature or unnecessary deaths in France each year because of the high level of atmospheric pollution. The European Commission has brought a legal action against France in the European Court of Justice for its failure to respect EU anti-pollution laws. |
Corinne Lepage, environment minister from 1995 to 1997, now an independent ecological activist, said: "There has never been the political will to attack the problem. I tried to set the ball rolling with a clean air law in December 1996, which put into effect European clean air directives." | Corinne Lepage, environment minister from 1995 to 1997, now an independent ecological activist, said: "There has never been the political will to attack the problem. I tried to set the ball rolling with a clean air law in December 1996, which put into effect European clean air directives." |
"That law has never been applied. Governments of both Left and Right have been scared of the car industry and motorists' lobbies." | "That law has never been applied. Governments of both Left and Right have been scared of the car industry and motorists' lobbies." |
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