Cape Town - This year’s World Environment Day is especially significant for South Africa, where it was found that air pollution from coal-fired power stations kills more than 2200 people every year and causes thousands of cases of bronchitis and asthma.
This is according to a 2017 report by UK-based air quality and health expert Dr Mike Holland.
“It costs the country more than R34 billion annually through hospital admissions and lost working days,” said Bobby Peek, director of environmental justice group groundWork.
To underline the seriousness of the situation, the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning yesterday began an outreach campaign to
primary schools in the Karoo and
Kannaland regions.
Schools visited included St Matthews, Murraysburg and Van Wyksdorp primaries, and one of the key messages to learners was: “Even though you can’t see it, air pollution is everywhere.”
The outreach forms part of the global World Environment Day programme. This year’s theme is #BeatAirPollution.
Anton Bredell, MEC for Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape, said that his department was committed to ensuring a cleaner, safer environment for all citizens of the province.
“To protect the air that we breathe, we have prioritised steps focused on improving air quality and waste management across the province. This is done by investing in specialised skills and equipment like air quality monitoring infrastructure,” he said.
Jan Arkert, the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute’s (SAFCEI) science adviser based in the Karoo, said: “South Africa’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions according to the Paris Accord cannot be overlooked at this stage. As the 14th greatest national polluter on the planet, South Africa urgently needs to clean up its act.”