POLLUTIONA presentation on Sydney’s pollution

Ben Magistrale & Benjamin Gresham

TYPES OF POLLUTION

light

noiseair

water

BACKGROUNDWhy is Sydney’s air pollution so bad?

SYDNEY’S GEOGRAPHICAL PROBLEM& AIR CIRCULATION CYCLE

Source: Google, Gresham & Magistrale, 2009

Sydney’s Photochemical Smog problem

Source: ANSTO, 2000

WHERE DOES THE POLLUTION COME FROM?

Source: NSW DEC Atmospheric Science emissions data, 2003

HAS SUBURBIA CONTRIBUTED TO SYDNEY’S SMOG PROBLEM?

“Millions of suburban houses means millions of cars, millions of smog belching passenger kilometres and millions of kids

with chronic asthma and bronchitis”

(Farrelly, 2009).

Source: ANSTO, 2000

IN A CRISISIf nothing is done to stop pollution...

What could happen in South-West Sydney in 5 years time?

Respiratory illness

The South-West Growth Sector

Source: Wordpress, 2007

Source: NSW GCC,

2008

2014 – SOUTH WEST SYDNEY IN CRISIS

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RE H

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SES

, MO

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LLU

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WHAT COULD HAPPEN??

Source: NSW Cancer Council 2002

Incidence of Lung cancer in the Sydney R

egion in 1998 to 2002

Female

Male

CARS

SOLUTIONSCan we prevent this crisis from happening?

Is it possible to solve the pollution problem?

OBJECTIVE

Reduce car usage and vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) within Sydney Metropolitan Area

Lower Greenhouse gas emissions

Cleaner Air

THE ‘ONE HOUSE, ONE CAR’ INITIATIVE A local council initiative Intended to reduce car numbers and VKT, therefore

reduce air pollution. Designed to combat the increase in asthma and other

respiratory illness. Also helps in addressing the issues of car dependency

in light of peak oil and climate change concerns.

THE ‘ONE HOUSE, ONE CAR’ INITIATIVE & GREEN POINTS

Council offers rebates for residents that take up the initiative.

The idea of ‘green point’s which can be gained through a number of council initiatives that are designed to tackle air pollution and climate change at a local level.

The ‘one house, one car’ initiative is designed to start local then move throughout the greater Sydney Metropolitan region. This will further help tackle pollution.

Current Situation The number of cars in NSW between 2003 and 2008 has

increased by 14.6% (ABS, 2009).

1.6 motor vehicles per dwelling in NSW (ABS, 2008).

5184 kg CO² per household in South-West Growth Centre.

‘One house, One Car’ Initiative Change to 1 motor vehicle per dwelling in South-West

Growth Centre = 3240 kg CO².

SAVE 37.5% of emissions= less air pollution

= lower rate of respiratory illnesses

WHAT’S POSSIBLE WITH THE ‘ONE HOUSE, ONE CAR’ INITIATIVE?

Comparison of Possible Car Emissions in the South-West Growth Centre

5184

3240

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Car Emissions (kg C02)

Car emissions based on current average number of vehicles per dwelling in NSW

Car emissions per household based on the 'One House, One Car' Initiative

SOLUTIONSPOLICY & DESIGN

CHANGES TO LEP AND ZONING LAWSClean

Industrial

Minimisation of land release areas

Creation of

Sustainable villages and town centres

Increased density around transport hubs

and town centres

“...one way of constructing a way of life which is more

sustainable is to construct more local ways of living, for if the inhabitants of an are also work, play, go to school and shop within

their locality then, obviously, they will travel less and so not draw on non-renewable and/or

polluting energy resources to get around”

Barton, 2000

DESIGN SOLUTIONS: SUSTAINABLE VILLAGES

SOLUTIONSHow do we implement the solutions?

TACKLING AIR POLLUTION - A TIMELINE

PRESENT FUTURE

2014Local

•‘One house, one car’ initiative

•Green points• Changes to LEP and

zoning laws

2019•Sustainable Villages established in South-West

moving throughout Sydney

•City-wide implementation of ‘green points’ and ‘one house, one car’

•Councils work with Heart Foundation & cancer council

2024-Cessation of land release areas

- Implementation of ‘greener’ new metro strategy

- Expansion of parklands and ‘green’ reserves.

- Compulsory ‘one house, one car’

The Breathe Easy Foundation © 2009

Benjamin Gresham (3220356) & Ben Magistrale (3218963)

THANK YOU

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Air Pollution in Sydney Basin - Sources, Cycles and Health Impacts, J Barros 2001, viewed 13 January 2009, < http://condellpark.com/bear/smogbasin.htm>.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006, ‘Capital cities streets ahead with motor vehicle ownership ‘, Motor Vehicle Census, Australia, Mar 2003, viewed on 20 January 2009 <http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/DEEABD21F88CDF3ACA256DEA0070DBD1?OpenDocument>

Barros, JA 2001, Sydney Basin: Air Toxic Emissions & Health Update, Alliance of Residents Concerning O'Hare Inc., viewed 13 January 2009, <www.areco.org/SYDNEY%20BASIN.pdf>.

Barton, H 2000, Sustainable Communities: The Potential for Eco-Neighbourhoods, Earthscan Publications Ltd, London.

Crenson, A M 1971, The UN-Politics of Air Pollution: A Study of Non-Decisionmaking in the Cities, The John Hopkins Press, London. Curson, P 1993, ‘Climate and Chronic Respiratory Disease in Sydney – The Case of Asthma’, Climatic Change, vol.23, no.3-4, December 1993, Springer Netherlands, p.405-420.  

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) 2005, Air Pollution Economics: Health Costs of Air Pollution in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Region, Department of Environment and Conservation NSW, Sydney, viewed 13 January 2009, <mpcb.gov.in/airtrends/Links/Papers%20&%20Literatures%20.pdf>.  Environmental Protection Authority South Australia 2004, Photochemical smog —what it means for us, Government of South Australia, Adelaide, March 2004, viewed 13 January 2009, <www.epa.sa.gov.au/pdfs/info_photosmog.pdf>. NSW Cancer Council 2002, Cancer maps for New South Wales 1998 to 2002, viewed 13 Januaray 2009, <http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/editorial.asp?pageid=2297>.

State Pollution Control Commission 1979, An Assessment of Photochemical Smog in the Sydney Region, Sydney

Young, A 2000, Environmental change in Australia since 1788, 2nd edn, Oxford Univeristy Press, Melbourne.