We all know Ian is a cool and chilled out guy but now he's gone all Zen on us! That is the Zero Emissions Network, and we are Archway's latest member.
One of the downsides of living and working in a thriving area like Archway is that the air quality here is some of the worst in London (which, unsurprisingly, has some of the worst in the UK). Some of the causes are obvious, busy roads used by lorries, cars, buses and taxis, but some are surprising too - bet you didn't know that residential boilers are a major contributor to the problem. Before you dismiss this is merely a nuisance, extra dirt to clean away or unpleasant smells, think about this: the Royal College of Physicians calculates that poor air quality causes 10,000 early deaths a year in London. Poor air exacerbates cardio vascular and cardio pulmonary diseases and it is especially bad for children. If all this wasn't depressing enough, the cost of poor air health impacts across the UK are calculated at £15 - £20 billion. (£20 billion is over 15% of the current NHS budget.)
So what can we do? We have signed up to Archway Zen. We only employ local people who can walk to work or use public transport. No one from Map Gift Shop drives to the area bringing in pollution. We have carried out an energy efficiency audit of the shop, and implemented all the energy saving measures. Finally we have installed some pollution eating plants and cycle locking planters. Which not only are fragrant and look great but have a practical and we think aesthetic value too!
Helping to make Archway a healthier place to live and work.
One of the downsides of living and working in a thriving area like Archway is that the air quality here is some of the worst in London (which, unsurprisingly, has some of the worst in the UK). Some of the causes are obvious, busy roads used by lorries, cars, buses and taxis, but some are surprising too - bet you didn't know that residential boilers are a major contributor to the problem. Before you dismiss this is merely a nuisance, extra dirt to clean away or unpleasant smells, think about this: the Royal College of Physicians calculates that poor air quality causes 10,000 early deaths a year in London. Poor air exacerbates cardio vascular and cardio pulmonary diseases and it is especially bad for children. If all this wasn't depressing enough, the cost of poor air health impacts across the UK are calculated at £15 - £20 billion. (£20 billion is over 15% of the current NHS budget.)
So what can we do? We have signed up to Archway Zen. We only employ local people who can walk to work or use public transport. No one from Map Gift Shop drives to the area bringing in pollution. We have carried out an energy efficiency audit of the shop, and implemented all the energy saving measures. Finally we have installed some pollution eating plants and cycle locking planters. Which not only are fragrant and look great but have a practical and we think aesthetic value too!
Helping to make Archway a healthier place to live and work.
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