The Myth of Healthy Mountain Air
I sometimes travel through big cities. And sometimes I see people wearing an air-filtering mask over their nose and mouth when walking to work. Shocked I stare at them and think “How can they possibly go on living in a place like this?” or “God help us” and “what has the world come to!”
'against irritation, against cough' - just like mountain air?
So, where do I live? I live in Chamonix, the outdoor mountain sport capital of the world, and an idyllic town of 12.000 yearly inhabitants at the foot of Mont Blanc. Protected by the queen of the Alps we are well away from stressful and gray big-city-atmosphere, breathing healthy mountain air and value what is really important in life…
…Sure, dream on, that image is about as a false as the smiling doctor on a Lucky Strike package. The sad reality is that it is me who should be wearing the anti-pollution mask! I am stuck in a tight valley offering among the poorest air qualities in Europe. The levels of certain chemicals and harmful particles in the air are not only illegally high but have already shown to have direct consequences on people’s health.
Going cross-country skiing in Chamonix (inevitably along roads since the valley is narrow) on a cold winter day, you better think twice. I personally wonder if this physical exercise is doing me more harm then good?
What Is The Story About Chamonix Air Pollution?
5 Feb 2012, cold and clear weather has made the smog visible
The situation is very well explained by Gérard Decorps, professor and mountain guide at ENSA and representing FRAPNA 74, in a
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In short he explains that the air pollution in Chamonix have been reaching alarming (as in illegal and harmful) levels for several weeks in a row now, and that the population and its local representatives are waiting for the authorities (more precisely Préfet de la Haute-Savoie) to do something to improve the situation.
The negotiations between environmental and public health associations – demanding that the French law stating peoples right to breath a healthy air must be respected – and the authorities goes back 15 years in time, when the air pollution was first noticed to be a serious problem in Vallee de l’Arve. Finally in 2010, after the added pressure of a complaint signed by 33 doctors treating the valley’s population, the Préfet agreed to install surveillance stations and to make an action plan for when things get intolerable.
This plan (Plan Protection de l’Athmosphere PPA) has been made in cooperation between various associations and local politicians and has been accepted by the authorities to be effective from 1 Jan 2012. The PPA reaches several conclusions regarding; the most significant pollutants, how to measure their concentrations, and the measures needed to be taken in order to improve the quality of the air (during peaks of pollution as well as on a long-term basis).
So people are monitoring the air pollution and reporting intolerable values (well above the recommended European standards), but none of the planned measures are being imposed. The ones in power of this region are wasting a lot of work put in by competent individuals and organizations. The fact that the Préfet has reinforced none of the measures mentioned in the PPA is the reason for Mr Decorps’ (tenth or so) letter to the Préfet 9 Feb 2012. How this man can maintain such a gentle and polite tone in his complaints goes beyond tolerance and patience.
Can it really be true that absolutely nothing have been done?! Oh well, currently they kindly ask people to lower their speed with 20km/h when driving on the Autoroute Blanche – What a courageous and radical measure imposed by the authorities, I’m impressed now!
Public alarm again at Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.fr !Air Pollution 9 Feb 2012!
