Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

Natural Resources
One of the major sources of air pollution in the
region is emissions from traffic. The number of
vehicles on roads such as the M1 continue to
grow year-on-year. Although improvements to
technology have led to cleaner fuels and more
efficient engines, pollution remains a problem.
© Countryside Agency/David Woodfall
• Waste Disposal to the Wider Atmosphere – The
major human effects on the global atmosphere
are depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer,
and the build-up of greenhouse gases which
include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous
oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons
and sulphur hexafluoride. Together these are
believed to be contributing to climate change.
• Renewable Energy – The air offers renewable
sources of energy in the form of wind power.
26 The Regional Environment Strategy for The East of England
Assessment of the Current State
Air quality is generally good across the whole
region. Levels of most pollutants are low:
• Air Quality - Four local authorities have
declared Air Quality Management Areas across
the region: St Edmundsbury for nitrogen
dioxide from traffic; King’s Lynn and West
Norfolk for particles from around the quayside;
Colchester for nitrogen dioxide from traffic;
and Fenland for sulphur dioxide and particles.
• Ground Level Ozone – This can be an
occasional problem in the summer, which will
continue for some years. Ozone pollution
is created when nitrogen oxides and
hydrocarbons (commonly associated with the
burning of fossil fuels) react with sunlight.
This may lead to lung and respiratory disorders
for people susceptible to such conditions.
• Particles - Levels of particulates can be a
problem when polluted air is blown across
the region, which can affect health through
respiratory diseases such as asthma, and the
fabric of historic buildings through soiling
and acid deposition.
• Nitrogen Dioxide – This is the biggest
contributor to air pollution and is produced
from the burning of fossil fuel such as car
emissions. The highest levels are recorded in
built-up areas along roads.
• Sulphur Dioxide - Emissions are dominated
by a few large sites and although none of
these are located within the region, a number
of smaller sources are present.
• Ammonia – The primary sources of ammonia
are agricultural. The large number of pig and
poultry farms and arable farming in the region
are the main contributors resulting in high
concentrations in some parts of the region.
• Greenhouse Gas – No consistent set of
greenhouse gas emission estimates currently
exists for the English regions due to the
considerable problems with allocating some
sources of emissions (particularly from energy
generation), and the lack of availability of
actual energy consumption data on a regional
basis. Nonetheless, the East of England
is likely to be a significant contributor of
greenhouse gas emissions in common with
most developed countries and regions.
• Renewable Energy – There is great potential
for the production of energy from wind
power along the region’s coastal areas. Five
of the eighteen offshore wind development
consortia that have been given permission to
proceed to the next stages of development
are on the coastal area between the Humber
and the Thames Estuary. The wind turbine at
Swaffham can produce up to 1.5 megawatts
of electricity, which on average is enough to
provide electricity for around 3,000 people
- one third of Swaffham’s population - and
will save the emission of over 3,000 tonnes of
carbon dioxide, 37 tonnes of sulphur dioxide
and 11 tonnes of nitrogen oxides.
Although free range pig farms have many
advantages over intensively reared pigs, particularly
for animal welfare, they are a significant source of
ammonia pollution, and landscape impacts.
© Countryside Agency/John Tyler
4.3 LAND
Introduction
Natural Resources
The land in the East of England has a diverse mix
of geology and soils. Our economy, our homes, our
food, and our essential services are all dependent on
the use of land and the resources it contains. Most
of our recreation is land based. The use of the land
is essential in supporting biodiversity and shaping
our landscapes. The conservation of the richness
and variety of the geology and soils of the region
is affected by how we use the land. Particular
pressures arise from intensive agriculture and
industrial processes, and from development as the
region’s towns and cities grow.
Key Resources
• Development – Land provides the basic
resource upon which housing, infrastructure
and industry is built.
• Soils – The combination of inorganic particles
derived by weathering of rocks, and organic
(largely vegetable) matter provides the essential
ingredients of soil that together help to retain
water, resist erosion and recycle important
nutrients for growing crops and trees.
• Minerals – The land provides resources such
as sand and gravel for use as aggregates in
construction, and other materials such as chalk,
and brick.
The Regional Environment Strategy for The East of England
27