A COMPETITION for primary school children to design a superhero that can tackle air pollution has been launched.

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils are giving school children the chance to win a Micro scooter as a top prize in the air pollution tackling competition. Children are being asked to draw or make a model of superheroes. Judges are looking out for a superhero designed with super powers that enable them to travel without using cars and can make the air cleaner and clearer.

The competition is part of the councils’ air quality campaign called ‘Turn It Off’ which is primarily aimed at drivers who let their vehicles engines idle while they are waiting for passengers – often waiting outside schools.

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Air pollution is created from pollutants getting into the air. Petrol and diesel vehicles emit pollutants from their exhaust pipes into the air. Increased traffic means increased air pollution. These air pollutants are linked to a higher chance of developing lung cancer, heart disease, asthma, coughs and bronchitis, particularly in vulnerable people such as older people and children.

Councillor Catherine Webber, Vale of White Horse District Council cabinet member for the Climate Emergency and the environment said: “Air pollution is a serious risk to everyone’s health, but particularly to vulnerable people such as the elderly and young children. It’s so important we tackle this issue and one of the ways we can do this is to continue with our campaign to make residents – of all ages – aware of how important it is we reduce our use of pollutant-emitting vehicles where we can.”

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