CGIL’s Giordano: “You can’t hide forever behind cycling paths and planting, which are fine, because a worker who is trying to get around at 5 in the morning with the thermometer below zero needs free, widespread and not overcrowded public transportation.” Venessia.com: “The health of thousands of people is at stake”
By Mario Nascimbeni
February 7, 2024
The air quality in the Venetian area is now at alarming levels. To understand the extent of the phenomenon, consider that some schools have decided to no longer let children go outside for recess. But let’s proceed in order, with today’s announcement: “ARPAV communicates the maintenance of alert level 2, “Red”, for the concentration of PM10 in the atmosphere in the territory of the Municipality of Venice, which will be valid until the next control day, scheduled for Friday February 9, when new bulletin will be issued”. This is the third consecutive press release from the Municipality in these terms, following the three previous “Orange level” alerts.
And while everyone is talking, “The citizen gets sick…”, says the CGIL. “The calls for greater synergy between the Municipalities – declares Daniele Giordano, General Secretary of CGIL Venezia – seem to us to be wasted, especially when they are made by the Council of the Municipality of Venice itself. Perhaps a temporary forgetfulness makes us forget that the Mayor of Venice is also the Mayor of the Metropolitan City. It seems to us that synergies only apply where they meet the interests of the Administration, while nothing concrete is done regarding air quality. Perhaps Brugnaro thinks that the Bosco dello Sport project is enough to solve pollution; someone should explain to him that renderings and slides are not enough to take care of citizens’ health”.
“The most immediate actions that the Municipal Administration could put into play are a real incentive to use public transportation (which means free fares and trips that are not overcrowded) and a contribution to the replacement of boilers. It should be clear that free buses would not be used to go on day trips, but would rather be a necessary measure to offer a plausible alternative to tens of thousands of workers. You can’t hide forever behind cycling paths and planting, which are fine, because a worker who is trying to get around at 5 in the morning with the thermometer below zero needs free, widespread and not overcrowded public transportation.”
“It is not possible – concludes Giordano – that the health of citizens can always be treated superficially. The correlations between PM10, and especially PM2.5 (which also were detected at Malcontenta and Punta Fusina, exceeding 100µg/m3) and diseases are overwhelming, and doing nothing about this situation means accepting deaths and diseases that will result. We ask for concrete intervention to stop the continuous recurrence of pollution “emergencies” which unfortunately are increasingly predictable.”
But the chorus of concern about particulate pollution is unanimous. The first protests were recorded from families who brought the problem to the educational management of the schools attended by their children, and in some cases, to overcome the problem, it was decided to suspend outings for recess by keeping the children inside to have a snack in the classroom. In other cases, however, optional masks are provided for those who want to stay outside in the courtyard.
Meanwhile, Venessia.com has written a letter to the Region and the Municipality entitled «The gas masks of the 2024 Carnival» denouncing the air quality in Venice but above all the lack of initiatives to combat it. “We are condemning ourselves to serious health problems,” the association wrote. “We ask that the Municipality adopt all possible countermeasures. The health of thousands of people is at stake”.
Source: La Nuova di Venezia e Mestre
Campaign For A Living Venice 