Thursday, February 12, 2015

Local Madrid Government to Enforce Pollution Controls





With 2015 set to be an important step in combating climate change for future generations, the European Union passed a series of environmental laws aimed at reducing its carbon footprint throughout its Member States. Spain used to be known as a leader in wind power generation in Europe - and the world - but because of the financial crisis, Spain is only a shadow of what it used to be. 

In the city of Madrid, progress has stalled to reduce its NO2 emissions. However, that has apparently changed according to El Pais. According to the Spanish newspaper, March 1st will be the first day restrictions will be made on the amount of vehicles circulating in the capital of the country. Looking to maintain NO2 levels within 400 micrograms per cubic meter, the city of Madrid will apply restrictions in several phases spanning three days. 

Madrid follows the examples of Lisbon, Paris, and London which have already established measures aimed at reducing the amount of greenhouse gases within their bustling, city centers. Specifically in Madrid, if the amount of NO2 exceeds a certain threshold, parking in the city center will be restricted to only local residents. This will (hopefully) motivate those looking to go to the center to take public transport and ultimately reduce contamination in the center. Living in Madrid and seeing these measures are great news for the environment, both because it will motivate businesses to change or improve their portfolio to be more sustainable. 


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