As many people are aware, the globe shares at least one problem, climate change. Climate change is where elevated pollution levels are warming up the world. It's called the greenhouse effect, and one of the main causes of this is cars.
Hertfordshire council has listed Sawbridgeworth as one of the most air polluted towns in the county. The main factor is that the road runs through the heart of the town.
In Leventhorpe, specifically, the air quality is poor, particularly in the morning and afternoon (pick up and collection time). Most of this is due to cars leaving their engines on (idling) when waiting to collect children from school. It is against the law to leave your car engine on when stationary, though many people do not know this or do not think of it as important.
A short while ago, Leventhorpe School selected ten climate ambassadors in a competition to help investigate the pollution levels in our school. The climate ambassadors intended to measure the levels of pollution on a daily basis so that the community could be made aware of their impact on the environment.
The school also borrowed two air pollution monitors from Hertfordshire County Council. Recent measurements showed that the pollution levels were highest in the “drop off” period between 8.30 am and 9.05 am. At this point, the monitor showed a moderate reading, which is better than a high reading, but still worrying. One way to combat pollution at our school is to switch off car engines when dropping and collecting students.
We must all work together to stop climate change and global warming.