AIR POLLUTION AND AIR POLLUTION AND REDUNDANT TRANSPORT IN REDUNDANT TRANSPORT IN

CITY OF VILNIUSCITY OF VILNIUS

VILNIUS RADVILOS GYMNASIUMVILNIUS RADVILOS GYMNASIUM

Vilius BarbaravičiusVilius BarbaravičiusMindaugas DrigotasMindaugas Drigotas

Edvardas BorisasEdvardas BorisasAlgirdas PurkėnasAlgirdas Purkėnas

TeacherTeacher:: Genutė KuzmickienėGenutė Kuzmickienė

20082008

ObjectivesObjectives::

Call attention of citizens of Vilnius Call attention of citizens of Vilnius to harm caused by means of to harm caused by means of

transport.transport.

Propose how to reduce air pollution Propose how to reduce air pollution and harmful influence on and harmful influence on environment and people.environment and people.

Now there are 500-600 cars per one Now there are 500-600 cars per one thousand of inhabitantsthousand of inhabitants in Vilnius.in Vilnius. Vilnius Vilnius has a higher index than other European has a higher index than other European

cities - average is about 480 automobiles cities - average is about 480 automobiles per one thousand of inhabitants. per one thousand of inhabitants.

Therefore, drivers fight for a parking Therefore, drivers fight for a parking place. Since there are not enough place, place. Since there are not enough place,

cars are being parked on pavements, cars are being parked on pavements, open-air kindergartens and in other open-air kindergartens and in other impermissible places. Vilnius City impermissible places. Vilnius City

Municipality is silent.Municipality is silent.

Unenviable situation Unenviable situation for drivers in small for drivers in small yards of many-flat yards of many-flat houses in Vilnius, houses in Vilnius, where streets are where streets are narrow and sometimes narrow and sometimes with pits.with pits.

Great number of transport causes Great number of transport causes big traffic jams. The biggest traffic big traffic jams. The biggest traffic jams are in the district ofjams are in the district of Šeškinė, Šeškinė, ŽirmūnŽirmūnaiai, P, Pilaitėilaitė andand Justinišk Justiniškėės.s.

That is how streets That is how streets look in the district of look in the district of Žemieji Paneriai and

Šeškinė every Saturday morning.

On working days On working days traffic jams are traffic jams are much bigger. For much bigger. For example, to get example, to get from district of from district of NaujininkNaujininkai toai to district of district of ŠeškinėŠeškinė you have to drive you have to drive for 45-60 minutes. for 45-60 minutes. It is a daily routine It is a daily routine for many people.for many people.

A big quantity of cars has impact to A big quantity of cars has impact to health as well.health as well.

Every year in Vilnius, the most polluted Every year in Vilnius, the most polluted city, 107,9 tones of pollutantscity, 107,9 tones of pollutants of which 77 of which 77 percent ispercent is carbon monoxide get to the carbon monoxide get to the atmosphere.atmosphere.

The main polluter – transport, 88 The main polluter – transport, 88 percent of all pollutants are from the percent of all pollutants are from the transport.transport.

Because of polluted air people fall sick Because of polluted air people fall sick of variousof various lungs diseases.lungs diseases.

Medical men provedMedical men proved, , that solid that solid fractions in the air cause diseases, fractions in the air cause diseases, sometimes even incurables – bronchial sometimes even incurables – bronchial asthma, bronchitis, other breathing asthma, bronchitis, other breathing diseases.diseases.

Solid fractions do not have any influence Solid fractions do not have any influence when concentration is under 5 to 20 when concentration is under 5 to 20 micrograms in one cubic meter.micrograms in one cubic meter. ((mkg/m3). mkg/m3).

When concentration is 20-30 When concentration is 20-30 mkg/m3,mkg/m3, risk to fall ill is minimal.risk to fall ill is minimal.

But if concentration is 30 and above, But if concentration is 30 and above, risk increases a lot.risk increases a lot.

In those parts of the city, where In those parts of the city, where concentration of solid fractions was concentration of solid fractions was 30-40 30-40 mimicrograms in 2004, 209 out of 1000 crograms in 2004, 209 out of 1000 children were taken ill with bronchitis and children were taken ill with bronchitis and 133 out of 1000 fallen ill in other illnesses.133 out of 1000 fallen ill in other illnesses.

In the territories where concentration In the territories where concentration was above 40 micrograms in a cubic was above 40 micrograms in a cubic meter, fallen in bronchitis 190 children out meter, fallen in bronchitis 190 children out of 1000.of 1000.

Nevertheless, it is possible to fight Nevertheless, it is possible to fight against air pollution and we have against air pollution and we have suggestions that could be realized.suggestions that could be realized.

One of suggestions that should reduce One of suggestions that should reduce traffic jams is metro.traffic jams is metro. It would be It would be convenient to go to work or any other convenient to go to work or any other place by metro since there are no place by metro since there are no obstacles to get from point A to point B, all obstacles to get from point A to point B, all traffic jams would be avoided.traffic jams would be avoided.

Average speed of metro in Vilnius could Average speed of metro in Vilnius could bebe ~40km/h, ma ~40km/h, maximumximum – 80km/h. – 80km/h. Metro Metro would be built in the biggest districts of would be built in the biggest districts of the city.the city.

The second solution – extra roads The second solution – extra roads built above earth.built above earth.

It would be something similar to It would be something similar to bridges, thrown not across the river bridges, thrown not across the river but streets where biggest traffic jams but streets where biggest traffic jams are formed.are formed.

These sorts of roads could These sorts of roads could reduce quantity of cars nearly twice.reduce quantity of cars nearly twice.

It is no reason to be It is no reason to be afraid of such afraid of such

transport mean as a transport mean as a bike.bike.

Even when cycling to Even when cycling to work might look a bit work might look a bit strange, it is fast and strange, it is fast and healthy way to get to healthy way to get to the place you need.the place you need.

It is possible to rent It is possible to rent a bike in park of a bike in park of

SereikiškėSereikiškės.s.

It is a good chance to It is a good chance to leave cars in garages leave cars in garages and try a new mean of and try a new mean of transport which often transport which often can make a journey can make a journey

from point A to point B from point A to point B faster and more faster and more

pleasant than a car.pleasant than a car.

Some more exotic Some more exotic rent of means of rent of means of

transport exists too.transport exists too.

Or instead using Or instead using

a car for short a car for short everydays trips, everydays trips, you could walk.you could walk.

Hence, do not be indifferent to Hence, do not be indifferent to alternatives and try to make Vilnius alternatives and try to make Vilnius

and inhabitants of Vilnius more and inhabitants of Vilnius more beautiful and healthy.beautiful and healthy.