The Need for Education in Developing Acceptable Air Pollution Control Strategies

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 130; no. 1-4; pp. 1811 - 1816
• Main Author: Bull, Keith R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01-08-2001
• Subjects: Acceptability; Acute effects; Air pollution; Air pollution control; Air pollution effects; Air pollution measurements; Control equipment; Costs; Decision making; Education; Emissions control; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Pollution abatement; Pollution control; Public health; Soil pollution; Strategy; Europe
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1013945027159

The acute effects of air pollution on human health and the environment are well understood and the arguments for measures to prevent local, gross pollution are strong. Governments and the public will accept the need for controls where effects are obvious. At the broader scale where effects may be more subtle, and where the costs of abatement are high, a convincing case is necessary before acceptable solutions are adopted. An education process is needed to provide the relevant facts in an understandable form. For major air pollutants, where international agreement for control of emissions is required, effect-based instruments have proved successful in Europe. These are designed to be cost effective by offering protection to the more sensitive areas by targeting the cheapest emission controls on the sources responsible for effects. This level of complexity has demanded improved education and communication for all those involved in the decision-making process. The principles and approaches that have provided success are discussed. Attention to these is needed in the future if more stringent and costlier measures are to be agreed.