French city bans cars, fertiliser for day to tackle air pollution
Published: 03:03 PM,Mar 25,2022 | EDITED : 06:03 PM,Mar 25,2022
A weather balloon for monitoring the air quality in Ile-de-France region flies next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. -- AFP
PARIS: The northern French city of Lille is cracking down on high air pollution by temporarily banning the use of high-emitting cars and the use of certain fertilisers by farmers.
Local authorities announced they had decided 'to take measures aiming to reduce airborne pollution and limit their effects on human health and the environment.'
Traffic restrictions due to high particulate matter pollution came into effect on Friday morning and will last until midnight. Only cars with the appropriate environmental stickers may be used in the city and neighbouring towns. The restriction does not apply to carpools.
The police announced they would be carrying out checks, with fines of $75 for violations.
Speed limits of 110 and 90 kilometres per hour were imposed on motorways and rural roads respectively, outdoor fires were banned and the population was warned against doing intensive sports outdoors.
In the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais, farmers are obliged to use low-emission fertiliser methods until air quality improves.
GLOBAL CLIMATE STRIKE
Meanwhile in Sydney, hundreds of school students rallied outside Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's official residence on Friday kicking off a 'global climate strike' demanding action to stop the world heating up.
They waved banners outside Kirribilli House reading 'Don't be a fossil fool' and 'Scotty coal 4eva' in protest of Morrison's support for coal, a major contributor to emissions of gases that trap the Earth's heat.
The prime minister has promised to back coal mines for as long as they are financially viable, arguing that coal is important to the country's resource-rich economy and necessary to provide affordable power.
The young protesters also marched down Sydney's streets in the latest demonstration organised as part of a global movement originally launched by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg in 2018.
'We are angry at the Morrison government. We're seeing climate disaster after climate disaster with bushfires and floods,' said Natasha Abhayawickrama, 17, a protest organiser.
Australia suffered one of its worst bushfire seasons on record in the Black Summer fires of 2019-2020.
The country has also recently emerged from a two-week rain and flooding disaster that killed more than 20 people as it engulfed a string of east coast towns and swept cars from the roads.
'We know that it's fossil fuels that are exacerbating these floods and these climate disasters,' said Abhayawickrama, warning that young voters would vote in favour of climate action in the next federal elections, expected to be held in May.
Another protester, 13-year-old Ella O'Dwyer-Oshlack, said she had been affected by the east coast floods.
'I was really angry that I lost pretty much everything and couldn't do anything about it,' she said.
'I'm afraid for the future and I'm afraid that things like this could happen again. And then my future and my kids' future will not look very good at all.' -- dpa
Local authorities announced they had decided 'to take measures aiming to reduce airborne pollution and limit their effects on human health and the environment.'
Traffic restrictions due to high particulate matter pollution came into effect on Friday morning and will last until midnight. Only cars with the appropriate environmental stickers may be used in the city and neighbouring towns. The restriction does not apply to carpools.
The police announced they would be carrying out checks, with fines of $75 for violations.
Speed limits of 110 and 90 kilometres per hour were imposed on motorways and rural roads respectively, outdoor fires were banned and the population was warned against doing intensive sports outdoors.
In the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais, farmers are obliged to use low-emission fertiliser methods until air quality improves.
GLOBAL CLIMATE STRIKE
Meanwhile in Sydney, hundreds of school students rallied outside Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's official residence on Friday kicking off a 'global climate strike' demanding action to stop the world heating up.
They waved banners outside Kirribilli House reading 'Don't be a fossil fool' and 'Scotty coal 4eva' in protest of Morrison's support for coal, a major contributor to emissions of gases that trap the Earth's heat.
The prime minister has promised to back coal mines for as long as they are financially viable, arguing that coal is important to the country's resource-rich economy and necessary to provide affordable power.
The young protesters also marched down Sydney's streets in the latest demonstration organised as part of a global movement originally launched by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg in 2018.
'We are angry at the Morrison government. We're seeing climate disaster after climate disaster with bushfires and floods,' said Natasha Abhayawickrama, 17, a protest organiser.
Australia suffered one of its worst bushfire seasons on record in the Black Summer fires of 2019-2020.
The country has also recently emerged from a two-week rain and flooding disaster that killed more than 20 people as it engulfed a string of east coast towns and swept cars from the roads.
'We know that it's fossil fuels that are exacerbating these floods and these climate disasters,' said Abhayawickrama, warning that young voters would vote in favour of climate action in the next federal elections, expected to be held in May.
Another protester, 13-year-old Ella O'Dwyer-Oshlack, said she had been affected by the east coast floods.
'I was really angry that I lost pretty much everything and couldn't do anything about it,' she said.
'I'm afraid for the future and I'm afraid that things like this could happen again. And then my future and my kids' future will not look very good at all.' -- dpa