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Hertfordshire County Council

Let's clear the air

Together, we can work towards cleaner air for everyone.

 

 

‘Let’s clear the air’ is a campaign that highlights some of the simple, small actions we can all make to protect ourselves and our loved ones from air pollution. It also highlights how we can reduce our own personal contributions to the problem so we can all breathe cleaner, healthier air.

 

What is air pollution?

Air pollution happens when harmful substances (pollutants) are introduced into the air inside or outside your home.

Some of the most common causes of outdoor air pollution are petrol and diesel vehicles, burning fuels for heat (for example, wood and coal) and industry.

Indoor air pollution can come from household chemicals, harmful gases like carbon monoxide or radon, building materials like asbestos or lead, pollen, mould or tobacco smoke. 

Air pollution is harmful to our health and our planet. 

How does air pollution impact our health?

Air pollution can cause a number of different health conditions including respiratory infections, heart disease and lung cancer which can lead to people dying at a younger age. There is no safe level of exposure to air pollution – both long-term exposure (over years) and short-term exposure (over hours) to low levels of air pollution can still impact on our health. 

Some people are more likely to be affected by air pollution than others. These include:

While it's important for everyone to reduce their exposure to air pollution, people from these groups should be extra careful when air pollution levels are high. 

Check the 5-day forecast in your area

 

How does air pollution impact our environment?

Air pollution is bad for our health and for the environment around us. It also causes climate change.  The same burning engines which produce carbon that heats our atmosphere also create particulates in the air which causes air pollution and affects our health.

This makes our efforts to tackle air pollution even more important because, if we tackle air pollution, we'll also be tackling some of the causes of climate change. 

Together, we can work towards cleaner air for everyone.

 Wording says "Let's clear the air"

 

Cookies

Like many other websites, we place small information files called 'cookies' on your computer.

Why do we use cookies?

To remember your settings, for example your language and location. This means you don’t have to keep entering these details when you visit a new page.

To find out how you use the site to help us update and improve it.

How do I change my cookie settings?

You can change the settings of your web browser so that it won’t accept cookies. For more information visit AboutCookies.org.

But, doing this may stop you from using some of the online features and services on this website. 

Cookies we use

Cookies do a lot of different jobs, and we use 2 types of cookies:

Required functionality cookies – these cookies are essential for the website to work.

Performance and feature cookies – these cookies help to improve the performance and feel of this website, for example providing you with personalised services.


Take a look at a list of cookies we use on our website:

NameTypeHow we use itHow long we use the information for

ASP.Net_Sessions

 

Required functionality

An automatic cookie set by our software. 

Just for the time you are on our website.

ServerID

 

Required functionality

An automatic cookie set by our software. 

Just for the time you are on our website.

_ga

Required functionality

To track the effectiveness of our website using Google Analytics. 

2 years

saved-pages

Performance and feature

To save the pages that you visit by clicking the heart at the top of the page. 

1 month

geoPostcode

Performance and feature

This stores your postcode (or partial postcode) when we ask you for your location.

Just for the time you are on our website or 30 days (you choose this).

geoCoordinates

Performance and feature

This stores your location as a pair of latitude / longitude coordinates.

Just for the time you are on our website or 30 days (you choose this).

reckonerName-history

Performance and feature

This keeps a history of all answers submitted to the ready reckoner.

This is set in the control for each ready reckoner. If you haven't interacted with the ready reckoner for the set amount of days, the cookies are deleted.

reckonerName-content

Performance and feature

This keeps a history of what content cards are clicked on when using the ready reckoner.

This is set in the control for each ready reckoner. If you haven't interacted with the ready reckoner for the set amount of days, the cookies are deleted.

SQ_SYSTEM_SESSION

Required functionality

This used to track user sessions on forms hosted on eservices.hertfordshire.gov.uk

Just for the time you are on our website.


Third party cookies

There are links and content from other sites and services on our website. These sites and services set their own cookies.

Below are a list of cookies that the other sites and services use:

Service namePurposeMore information

Google analytics (_utma/b/c/z)

These are used to compile reports for us on how people use this site.

Cookies of the same names are also used for the same purpose by other websites such as Building FuturesCountryside Management Service and Hertfordshire LIS.

Visit the Google Analytics website for more information about the cookies they use.

You can prevent data from being collected and used by Google Analytics by installing Google's Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Google Translation - googtrans

This cookie is used to remember which language to translate each page into if you have chosen to do so.

It expires at the end of your browser session.

Bing

We use a Bing cookie to track the success of our marketing campaigns and make them more efficient.

Visit Bing to find out more about their cookies.

Google

We use a Google cookie to track the success of our marketing campaigns and make them more efficient.

Visit Google to find out more about their cookies.

Facebook

We have a number of presences on Facebook, which we may link to. Facebook may set some of its own cookies if you follow these links.

Visit Facebook to find out more about their cookies.

Twitter

We have a number of presences and feeds on Twitter, which you may wish to follow or read from this website. Twitter may set some of its own cookies.

Visit Twitter to find out more about their cookies.

YouTube

We have a YouTube channel, which we may link to. YouTube may set some of its own cookies if you follow those links.

Visit YouTube to find out more about their cookies.

Netloan

This ASP.NET_Sessionid cookie is essential for the Netloan secure online payments website to work, and is set when you arrive to the site. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser.

 

HotJar

This session cookie is set to let Hotjar know whether that visitor is included in the sample which is used to generate funnels.

Visit HotJar to find out more about their cookies.

Siteimprove

These cookies are set to help us report on how people are using the site so we can improve it.

Visit Siteimprove to learn more about their cookies.