Our editorial team took a long time discussing one of our headlines this month. We did not take it lightly. It might seem ill-mannered, or confrontational, but we decided it was justified and necessary, partly because it so deftly sums up what so many of us are thinking, and partly to draw more attention to a situation that really is quite… well…. f@#ked!
The headline I’m referring to is on Pg5 and it regards the refusal (thus far) to install filtration on the West Gate Tunnel ventilation stacks; one in Yarraville and one in Brooklyn.
There is now no doubt – NONE – that air pollution kills. Air pollution is carcinogenic. It significantly impacts human health, increasing the risk of various respiratory, cardiovascular, and other diseases, including stroke, lung cancer, asthma, and heart disease. Long-term exposure can lead to decreased lung function, neurological disorders, and even affect reproductive health. It’s also now been linked to Alzhiemers and dementia.
Governments of the day might think it’s too expensive to include filtration but it will end up being far more costly, in both lives and money, for taxpayers and governments down the track, especially when you take into account the drain on our health system, not to mention a possible class action.
For too long we in the western suburbs have listened to politicians tell us they care. It’s time for them to prove it. This is one of the most critical issues facing residents in the west, especially the inner west. This one is no brainer.
Barbara Heggen
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