How can we help improve our air quality?

Reasons why you should consider travelling in to and around Dundee by bus or train rather than using your car include:

• Using buses and trains helps reduce the number of vehicles on the road. This helps reduce congestion and improves traffic movement and therefore air quality.

• It’s generally cheaper as there is no road tax, no MOT, no insurance, no licensing, no breakdown recovery services, no fuel bills and no unexpected expenses. You save even more money when the cost of parking is also removed.

• Modern buses are required to comply with strict emission levels. New ‘hybrid’ buses that have even lower emission levels are being introduced on certain routes through Dundee.

• The number of trains stopping at Broughty Ferry station has increased significantly over the last twelve months and now offers additional commuting opportunities for residents of Broughty Ferry to Dundee.

Nearly a quarter of all car journeys are less than one mile. In addition, if every car commuter used an alternative just one day a week, car usage levels for commuting would be reduced to the levels experienced during school holidays.

Ideas on how to help reduce the amount of pollution we create from using our cars:

• Sign up to a car sharing scheme. The major proportion of cars going to work contain the driver only. In many cases it would be possible for people travelling to the same destination to car share - reducing pollution and saving money. See if you’re workplace has any car sharing programmes or even see if there are any other drivers near you looking to car share via the Dundee Lift Share website.

• Create a car pool with other parents if you need to take kids to school by car. You could pick up each other’s kids on different days which could free up more time for yourself as well as helping reduce air pollution.

• Join a Car Club such as Co-wheels Car Club that is now operating in Dundee. The Co-wheels car club has a number of vehicles available to members from locations across Dundee which can be booked at short notice. There is a fee to join and for each car use however when compared to the cost and hassle of the running of a car (which you may not use every day) you could end up saving money as well as helping the environment.

• Turning your car engine off when at a stand still. Idling creates a lot of pollution and turning your engine off and on is absolutely fine for your car. Not only will this help cut pollution but it will also help save fuel.

• Choose a less polluting fuel. The worst types of cars for air pollution are those with diesel engines. Even with the latest Euro 6 standard diesel engines, diesel cars emit more NO2 and more soot (particulates) than petrol engine cars. Euro standards have failed to improve the amount of NO2 gas that is emitted in city driving situations. Modern diesel cars do have soot filters however not all particles are caught in these systems. If you do choose to drive through the city, you can reduce your impact on the environment by choosing petrol or alternatively fuelled cars.  Information on the cars available that use alternative fuels can be found on the 'Vehicle Certification Agency' website.

• Dundee Travel Active - Dundee Travel Active is a project that encourages residents of, or visitors to, Dundee to walk or cycle a little more to improve people's health and the environment. A number of related projects have also been happening in Dundee as part of Travel Active including:
  - Personalised Travel Planning so that local people can easily join in and walk or cycle a little more.
  - Improving streets and paths to make it easier and safer to walk or cycle.
  - Providing better information on walking and cycling routes.
  - Working with schools so that children and their parents can see the many benefits of cycling.

Electric cars are becoming well served in Dundee some of the public car parks in Dundee having electric charging points available to the public. With zero NO2 emissions, by increasing the percentage of electric cars on our roads you will be helping improve local air quality levels.

Reasons why you should consider buying an electric car?

• Much cheaper fuel – electric cars average around 2.4 p per mile.

• Zero emissions resulting in improved local air quality. Electric vehicles have no exhaust meaning no NO2 and particulates from petrol/diesel combustion.

• Energy efficient – typically have only half the carbon footprint of petrol/diesel equivalent when charged from the national grid. Electric vehicles can also be charged from clean renewable sources of electricity making them carbon free.

• Cost effective – electric vehicles can be cheaper to run compared with a new petrol/diesel when total cost of ownership is considered due to greatly reduced fuel and servicing costs.

• Environmental benefits - while the production of the battery might have more environmental impact than the creation of an engine, the overall environmental impacts of electric cars are still far less. This is because more than 95 per cent of a conventional fuelled car's impact across its lifespan comes from the combustion of fossil fuel.

Cycling is a healthy and environmentally friendly form of transport. Many car journeys are a distance which could easily be cycled.

Some reasons why you should consider cycling:

• During rush-hour, a bicycle is about twice as fast as a car.

• Bicycles incur no road tax, no MOT, no insurance, no licensing, no breakdown recovery services, no fuel bills and no unexpected expenses. Also a bicycle can be parked just about anywhere, so no more car park bills.

• Cycling is the least polluting way of travelling after walking. There are no NO2 or PM10 emissions and, on average, 2 kilograms of carbon is saved for every short journey that is made using a bicycle instead of a car.

• Regular cyclists enjoy a fitness level equal to that of a person ten years younger. Even if you cycle only a few miles per day, your muscles will gain the benefit, usually becoming trimmer and more toned.

For many people, walking is rarely considered as a travel option, yet it is a cheap, healthy, flexible and realistic travel choice for short journeys. We are all recommended to walk 10,000 steps a day to keep fit and healthy.

Remember walking is most suitable for journeys under two miles and can be combined with other methods, such as public transport to cover longer distances.

The burning of garden waste not only releases pollutants in to the atmosphere, it may also cause a nuisance to your neighbours. There are alternatives to burning your garden waste and the Council recommends wherever possible that garden waste is taken to the Riverside Recycling Centre for composting and recycling. Alternatively, the Council offers a kerbside garden waste (brown) bin collection service. Further details on brown bins and how to order a brown bin can be found on the Brown Bin Garden Waste Collection pages of this website.

Although solid fuels such as wood, wood chips and pellets are renewable fuels with lower CO2 emissions than gas, coal or electricity, they still have a negative impact on air quality and public health. This is through the emissions of nitrogen dioxide and particulates even when burnt in an 'exempt appliance'.  The increasing popularity of the installation of wood burning stoves / biomass boilers etc. may actually lead to a decrease in Dundee’s air quality which people may not be aware of.

In 2019 Clean Air Day will be held on Thursday 20 June and brings focus to what we can do about air pollution - both to protect our health and reduce air pollution levels. The day aims to give everyone the knowledge needed to respond to air pollution. The Clean Air Day website contains very useful tips on how to reduce air pollution and has plenty of downloadable resources in regards to improving air quality.