Moms Clean Air Force Say NO!
“Our colleagues in America, Moms Clean Air Force, have spoken out against the extraction and processing of methane natural gas,” said Pete Kilvert, Chairman of Trafford’s Breathe Clean Air Group. “They say that there is a great deal of uncertainty about exactly how much hazardous pollution is being emitted into our air. Scientists know enough to be very concerned about how natural gas development is harming the air quality of our communities and jeopardising children’s health,” he added.
Moms Clean Air Force was specifically set up by mothers in the USA to protect their communities, particularly the children, from deteriorating air quality. They say that in remote parts of Utah and Wyoming where there is very little industrial activity apart from the recent natural gas and oil production, they are experiencing excessive levels of air pollution. In Colorado and Texas, elevated levels of benzene, a known carcinogen, have been detected near natural gas development sites. (Google Moms Clean Air Force for more information).
“We can’t let that happen in Davyhulme,” said Pete Kilvert. “The Council must not allow coal bed methane extraction (fracking) to take place next to housing estates and schools. Davyhulme already suffers from serious air pollution thanks to the busy M60 motorway, the sewerage works and heaven forbid, from the proposed Barton Renewable Energy Plant, if this gets built.”
These pollutants cause cancer, according to a report from the World Health Organisation, which classified outdoor air pollution as a Group 1 carcinogen. WHO estimates that outdoor air pollution caused 223,000 lung cancer deaths in 2010 and noted that it also likely increased the incidence of bladder cancer. As air pollution increases in a changing climate, cancer incidence will also likely rise.
The Breath Clean Air Group has been campaigning to stop the Barton Renewable Energy Plant which proposes to burn waste timber and plastics. Its emissions will also have serious ill-health consequences for Trafford, Salford and other parts of Greater Manchester.