EPA - Ireland's Environment 2016 - An Assessment

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Ireland’s Environment – An Assessment 2016 36
a combination of secured national investment,
advancements in technology, policy developments and,
most importantly, a shift in behaviour by us as individuals
where we are provided with viable alternatives. While
there is hope that technological advancements will
yield improved reductions in pollutants from motorised
vehicles, or potentially a viable alternative to fossil fuel
as a motor fuel, these improvements are aspirational and
for an indefinite time in the future. Policy changes can
be implemented immediately and will yield results more
quickly. Emphasis and priority should be given to public
transport or clean transport over conventional internal
combustion vehicles in all aspects of society. However, it
is the individual choices that people make that will have
the most immediate and greatest impact on transport
emissions in our urban areas where NO2 is problematic and
where public transport is a viable option.
Ireland’s air mass is subject to occasional transboundary
impacts of pollutants, in particular ozone and particulate
matter. To tackle this problem, an integrated, pan-
European approach is needed to reduce the levels of
ozone precursor compounds in our air.
To tie all these strands together, education will be of
paramount importance, particularly increasing public
awareness and understanding of the link between
air quality and health. Many of the sources of air
pollutants are also the sources of GHGs, so an increased
understanding and policy alignment of air quality and
climate change is essential. More research is needed
into the links between air quality and public health,
specifically in order to develop a better understanding
of the links between air quality data and the health
impacts and mortality rates associated with pollution. This
understanding will help to identify the critical issues and
help policymakers implement the necessary changes to
improve our air quality and associated public health.
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