Almost every day I have an early morning bike ride. It is only about 4 miles and it is completely flat and gentle so not much aerobic exercise.The main virtue is it is along the sea front - some sea wall with no traffic at all - and some very quiet road with very limited traffic. Ozone levels are high, the sea smell strong - the skies big and the weather ever changing. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to start the day is such a wonderful way.
So each morning I fill my lungs with beautiful fresh air! But wait - if I am unlucky I might get passed by a car, worse a white van, very occasionally a lorry or bus. It is then you realise the pollution they are throwing out of their exhaust. By old standards no doubt vehicle emissions are much lower now. However the stark contrast between early morning fresh air and cycling through air just moved through by a vehicle - especially if it has just started up is incredible.
I am assuming as the day moves on the air we breathe is polluted more and more and the change caused by a passing vehicle becomes very much less apparent. We get used to the toxicity!!
Not very good is it! It must be detrimental to our long term health. It certainly must be damaging our planet when you consider the millions and millions of engines throwing out pollutants every minute for every hour of every day.
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