Cleaning up the air

By tomorrow, leaded gasoline will be history in Metro Manila. This is one of the results of the Clean Air Act, which aims to reduce the amount of toxic substances blanketing many parts of the country. The oil companies have developed unleaded gasoline that can be used even by old-model vehicles that have always used regular gasoline.

There will be some improvement in the quality of the air we breathe, but don't expect the smog to lift. Vehicles that run on diesel will still be using the same fuel, and they are among the biggest polluters -- jeepneys, buses, trucks. Motorcycles, including the ones used by tricycles, are also heavy polluters. Dirty tailpipe emission is also the result of poor vehicle maintenance. Vehicle owners aren't going to change overnight, even if you tell them that better maintenance will improve an engine's performance and prolong its life. The only way to compel these people to clean up their vehicles is to implement anti-pollution laws. But how often do you see environment personnel stopping smoke belchers?

Then there are the factories that are investing only slowly and with great reluctance in anti-pollution devices. These factories foul up not only the air but land and water with toxic and solid waste. Some major establishments have been shamed into investing in anti-pollution devices after their inclusion in a list of heavy polluters. Many others couldn't care less.

The phaseout of leaded gasoline is a welcome development. A report said 90 percent of lead in the air is emitted by vehicles using leaded gasoline. But it will take a lot more to clean up the air. Metro Manila is now high on the list of areas around the world with the worst air quality. The Department of Health estimates that two million Filipinos are suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to air pollution and cigarette smoke.

Improving air quality will require better enforcement of anti-pollution laws and the development of more green areas. More important, it requires the public's cooperation -- a strong national effort to clean up the air we breathe.