The quality of the air we breathe is detrimental to the health of our planet – not just for humans, but for all living things. Clean air is a basic requirement of a healthy environment for us all to live in, work, and bring up families. Air pollution is a major public health risk in the world, ranking alongside cancer, heart disease and obesity. It shortens lives and damages quality of life for many people and adults and children with lung or heart problems are at greater risk of symptoms.  

Thankfully, there are people in the communities that we live in who care about and monitor the air pollution in towns, cities and countryside – people prepared to stand up to big industry and government and call out bad practice, often with consequences for their actions.

The speakers for this session are:

Gary has been a leading light in th UK Research and Innovation Clean Air Programme. He led the development of the London Air Quality Network, is a member of the Medical Research Council Centre for Environment and Health, Defra’s Air Quality Expert Group and a project reviewer and steering group member for the Irish EPA.

Co- founder of Community R4C - a community-owned organisation advocating for lower-cost, environmentally sustainable waste management. He will share their legal struggle against the installation of the incinerator and the latest research on the true costs of the incinerator (the most expensive in the Country), current progress on legal advice and auditor complaint – and how this leads to a way forward which can mean less incineration of household waste, less pollution and lower costs.

Co- founder of Clear the Air in Havering - a group connected to Mum for Lungs, a quaker organisation whose purpose is to raise awareness about air pollution, tackle misinformation and champion the right to clean air for everyone Ruth has taken Havering Council to court via a judicial review as a desperate last resort to challenge their recent decision not to designate land as contaminated. If they are successful, Havering Council and the Environment Agency will have specific legal obligations to clean up the site once and for all.

Join us for an evening of discussion and debate with guest speakers.

Everyone is welcome and the event is free.

Can’t join us on the night? Register anyway and you will be sent the recording.