Ahead of Clean Air Day, two environmentally-focussed graduates have been offering a breath of fresh air to passengers on London Underground’s Victoria line, the most polluted line in the network.
Jay and Vini have lived in London since starting at the University of the Arts four years ago and quickly came to realise that the standard of air on the underground was a concern: ‘Every time we blow our noses after taking the tube, we see black dust. We worry about how much of it has already settled in our lungs after all these years of commuting.’
Aware that Clean Air Day was approaching, Jay traveled to the Lake District to ‘collect’ some clean air. The bags of Cumbrian air were then connected to aeroplane oxygen masks and the whole set-up was installed in a carriage on a Victoria Line tube.
Accompanying posters bore the message: ‘The level of harmful pollutants on this train is 10 timed higher than the safe limit. Protect yourself with the Lake District fresh air masks, and join the fight for clean air through the QR code’
Scanning the code took people to Global Action Plan’s Clean Air Day call-to-action page.
Jay and Vini explained: ‘We want to highlight the toxic air pollutants in the London Underground and spark conversations with commuters. The travellers have interacted with the stunt in amusement and shared stories of deeper concerns.’
They reported that passengers were amused by the installation, with plenty taking photos. One woman, on sampling the Lake District air said: ‘The air actually smells different.’
Others shared their own concerns. ‘I know the air is harmful, but there just isn’t a practical alternative,” a commuter who has spent two hours every day on the Tube for fifteen years told the pair.’
Jay and Vini added, ‘Building this installation has made us realise a lot of people are concerned about this health issue. Some people even resort to wearing masks when travelling. Unfortunately, unless you’re wearing a PM2.5 mask, it doesn’t really filter out the small, harmful particles.’
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