Read this book and join the effort to terminate air pollution.--Arnold Schwarzenegger 38th
Governor of California The story of what's happened to the air we breathe the impact it has
had on our health and what we can do to fight back. Clearing the Air tells the full story of
what's happened to the air we breathe. Sustainability journalist Tim Smedley explains exactly
what air pollution is which chemicals are the dangerous ones and where they come from. He
interviews the scientists and politicians at the forefront of air pollution research as well as
those whose lives have been affected by smog. This groundbreaking book reveals the extreme
instances of air pollution that have happened around the world including London Beijing
Delhi and LA as well as examining recent stories like the VW diesel scandal. Globally 18 000
people die each day from air pollution. For the most part air pollution is anonymous an
invisible killer borne from the cars in our driveways and the industrial processes used to make
stuff but there is so much we don't know. Parents on the school run in their 4x4s have never
been told that the pollution inside the car is 5 times worse than that on the street outside
or that studies show how air pollution stunts lung growth in children. Around the world more
than eight-out-of-ten people who live in cities breathe in concentrations of air pollutants
that exceed international air quality guidelines. The annual number of deaths--6.5 million--is
far greater than those from HIV AIDS tuberculosis malaria and car crashes combined and it is
getting worse. These problems can be solved and the message of the book is positive. The
overwhelming majority of air pollutants are local short-lived and can be stopped at source
the benefits to health instant and dramatic. There are many stories that show how the
fightback against air pollution can and does work and we can all play a part to clear our air.
