France, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain or Bosnia and Herzegovina, all these mentioned countries, whether big or small, are being exposed to the same problem which is Air Pollution.
As per the World Health Organization, this has now become a serious environmental factor causing greatest concern healthwise.
The European Environment Agency states that about 90% of the urban population in Europe is exposed to pollutants which are harmful in nature.
The reason for this rise in pollution is partly due to the increased emissions which are caused by additional heating used to combat cooler temperatures. Other sources of pollution are traffic and manufacturing. The combined effect of these factors leads to an accumulation of pollution.
The European Union is constantly trying to find solutions to this hazardous threat. A directive governing national emissions levels has been issued and the EU has also set limits on the ambient concentrations of fine particles.
Many European cities are aiming to encourage the use of bicycles. The introduction of odd-even rule is quite efficient but has caused problems for public transport. People are no longer using their cars which is why the trains are full, a bit of pain for the residents.
The second solution offered by Public Authorities is to ban vehicles with a high level of pollution.
Some citizens have already taken measures. Anti-pollution masks are slowly but surely infiltrating the large European towns.
Image Credit: euobserver.com