Pollution: questions and Band 8 answers

Unfortunately, yes. I live quite close to a main dual carriageway in London, so vehicle emissions are a constant issue. On top of that, there’s a fair bit of noise pollution from heavy lorries rumbling past early in the morning, which can be pretty frustrating.

I’d definitely say air pollution caused by traffic congestion. During the morning rush hour, cars and buses are just stuck bumper-to-bumper, pumping out exhaust fumes. You can actually smell the smog if you open the living room window.

To be honest, it really gets on my nerves. It looks completely unsightly, and there’s no excuse for it when there are public bins nearby. Whenever I spot discarded plastic bottles or takeaway wrappers outside my block of flats, it just ruins the neighbourhood vibe.

I try to do my bit, mostly by sorting my household waste for recycling and carrying a reusable water bottle everywhere. I’ve also cut down on driving recently, choosing to walk to the local market instead of taking the car for short trips.

I suppose it was, yes. Back then, there were far fewer cars on the road and a lot more green spaces around my primary school. Nowadays, several new housing estates have been built over those fields, which has noticeably increased the amount of litter and traffic.

I’m cautiously optimistic, actually. While cities are growing rapidly, more people are switching to electric vehicles and local councils are introducing stricter clean-air zones. If those policies continue, I reckon our air quality might gradually improve over the next decade.