Air Quality Directive: A Breath of Fresh Air?
Ah, the sweet smell of progress—or should I say the pungent odor of bureaucracy? It seems that with the recent thumbs-up on the new European directive tackling air pollution, our lungs might finally have a fighting chance to… well, breathe. All citizens of Europe, yes, including those lucky enough to live in the Po Valley, can expect some serious air quality improvements. Who knew the air we breathe could be so political? You’d think it was the subject of a hot new Netflix drama!
The directive sets some audacious targets: going forward, the concentration levels of nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter must be halved by the time we all start applying anti-aging creams for 2030. Fantastic! Now, if Italy’s recent announcement of a five-year extension due to “unfavorable orographic conformation” doesn’t send you rolling your eyes, then I don’t know what will! Oh, the classic excuse—just when you thought it was safe to breathe! Seems like “bad geography” is the kind of scapegoat that’ll never go out of style.
Legambiente Lombardy Takes the Stage
Not to be outdone in the blame game, Legambiente Lombardy has chimed in. They seem to think that the new directive won’t just be a walk in the park—but perhaps more of a brisk jog through smog! With the objective of halving the health impacts of pollution and its hefty human and economic costs, they’re saying it’s time to get serious. Apparently, our current idea of “sustainability” has been about as effective as a chocolate teapot. Who knew our road mobility system was as unsustainable as a celebrity marriage?
Now, About Those Intensive Farms
Barbara Meggetto, President of Legambiente Lombardia, has a message for Lombardy: Forget the excuses! While you’re at it, let’s also tackle the pollution from our beloved zootechnics—because apparently, cramming too many livestock into one area is the farming equivalent of overcrowding on a Tube train. Smart move, right? Try reasoning with a cow about personal space! Do we really need to count the number of ‘moos’ per minute as a pollution metric?
Time for a Change!
Fret not, dear Lombardy! You have an entire decade to bring your emissions down—so long as you don’t spend it arguing with your neighbors about how the Transylvanian air is better. Instead, focus on those top two offenders contributing to smog: excessive road traffic and those not-so-adorable, intensive farms. Let’s hope the procrastination fairy doesn’t visit again. Time is of the essence if we want to breathe without getting a headache at the same time!
The challenge is real, but so is the urgency. We must move forward with actions that will genuinely tighten our collective belts—or rather, our environmental regulations—and create a cleaner, healthier Lombardy. So gather the cows, navigate the traffic jams, and let’s make some real changes! Because if we don’t act, the punchline will just keep coming: “How many Europeans does it take to change a light bulb? None—too busy arguing about air quality!”
“With the definitive approval of the new European directive on air pollution they finally come into force the new limits for the quality of the air breathed by all European citizensincluding those residing in Po Valley. The concentration levels of pollutants, close to those recommended by the WHO for nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter, will therefore have to be halved by 2030even if Italy has already announced that it wants to make use of the five-year extension, citing the usual motivation of the orographic conformation of the Po Valley unfavorable for the dispersion of pollutants: what should have been a challenge to act in a more incisive way it has long been an alibi for not acting“. As Legambiente Lombardy in a note following the EU Council’s approval of the new air quality directive.
The new directive aims to halving the health impact of air pollution and its human and economic costsrequiring all national and territorial authorities to act incisively on polluting sources. “In Lombardy this means first of all facing the unsustainability of the road mobility system – says the association – and the very high emission level of one zootechnics which has concentrated an unacceptably high number of bred animals within a small territory”.
“Lombardy presents itself to the challenge of the new directive with the full weight of non-compliance and multiple infringement procedures activated due to the inadequacy of the efforts made so far,” declares Barbara Meggetto, President of Legambiente Lombardia. “We now have a decade to tackle a drastic reduction in emissions, particularly in the two sectors that contribute most to smog, excessive road traffic and the unsustainability of too many intensive farms. Let’s not waste any more time on excuses, justifications and delays, realizing the transition towards a sustainable, clean and energy efficient Lombardy!”
