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Air pollution caused by nitrogen dioxide mainly results from road traffic. In a statement the EC said “Portugal has recorded continuous and persistent exceedance of the yearly limit value for nitrogen dioxide in three air quality zones: North Lisbon, Coastal Porto, and between the Douro and Minho”.
Pollution caused the early deaths of 4,900 people in Portugal in 2019. The European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates that in 2019, air pollution caused the premature death of 364,200 people across the European Union, despite indicating that over recent years early deaths due to air pollution have been dropping.
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The problem in Portugal is the extremely high level of diesel vehicles pumping out poison into what should be the cleanest air in Europe.
Sort it out.You can't drive with your windows open pretty much anywhere here.
By James from Algarve on 16 Nov 2021, 21:58
Message from planet Earth: if you can't drive a non-polluting car, don't drive.
By Annie from Algarve on 16 Nov 2021, 22:09
Totally agree with James. The amount of diesel cars in every state of disrepair has me driving with windows up and air on recirculation and cycling with my mask on or off road. Arriving at Lisbon Airport main exits from less diesel crazed locations is a brutal and noxious shock.
By Martin from Lisbon on 17 Nov 2021, 00:01
Everybody in Portugal is surgically attached to their cars. Everybody, not just the Portuguese.
By EnglishmanAdam from Porto on 17 Nov 2021, 07:18
Portugal allows the burning of foliage and the remains of agriculture production. The problem is that people burn everything and the scorching fires are lit with diesel. Such horrid practices should be forbidden.
By Dina Cordeiro from Lisbon on 17 Nov 2021, 07:53
1) Stock photos of water vapor always accompany these stories--if that's real pollution why haven't the authorities done their job? Tell us the location, violation and action being taken.
2) A few definitions and some evidence for startling claims are in order; bureaucracies must justify themselves and just assume they have credibilty.
3) Air pollution is not evident in the Algarve.
By Marco from Algarve on 17 Nov 2021, 09:13
The biggest polluters are the diesel SUVs. In parts of Belgium diesel and gasoline cars will be banned by 2029 and only electric cars will be allowed. Not just Belgium but other cities in Europe are enforcing similar measures. In Portugal people drive 20 year old cars that would not even be allowed in European cities. The diesel buses pollute the cities aswell and should be replaced by electric buses. By the way London is the European city with the highest pollution level, but since Brexit is not in the list.
By 30 minutes exercise from Other on 17 Nov 2021, 11:04
The problem it's not the Portuguese, the problem is the government/governments in Portugal like everywhere else in the world previously telling people that diesels are better.
So don't blame the Portuguese.
By Joe from UK on 17 Nov 2021, 11:19
Hi, there,
In fact, it's a good sign that all this "wonderful" people use this space to place their worries about the air condition, due to the cars we drive in our blessed county... But thinking of it, it's the same country they all use to take a rest, to enjoy the veiws, to use AND ABUSE of our way to be naturally kind for people generally speaking...
No wonder why all you , end up here to enjoy your holiday times, and many of you choosed this country to live for ever...If you feel anoyied by our diesel cars, why don't you guys stay in your "advanced" countries and leave us here with our horrible air condition?
Come off it...
By Victor from Other on 17 Nov 2021, 12:12
There is no such thing as a non-polluting car.
By James Powell from Alentejo on 17 Nov 2021, 14:10
I gave up cars in 1991 when still there. On arrival in Central Portugal wanted a donkey and cart but there weren't any. Been banging on about planet destruction for years. You've seen the wind, now you'll trap the whirlwind. Or something like that ????
By David Maconochie from Other on 17 Nov 2021, 15:09
It is true I have had to close my open roof top in my car roll up my windows all the time with black clouds bellowing out of the car or van in front. The "beautiful Algarve" is being polluted with no evidence of enforcement by the authorities to have vehicles being tested and taken off the road or fined.
By Sultan Riaz Khan from Algarve on 17 Nov 2021, 15:49
There is too much diesel vehicles compared to gas and PHEV's and EV's.. And even worse, lots of diesel owners remove the particle filter in order to save money replacing it, and there is no inspections in place to detect this.
There is also some large cruze vessels that pollute city in a place where we expect clean air by the river...
There has to be some very strong policies to make people stop buying diesel vehicles and switch to electric for a better common and healthy future.
By Miguel Silva from Lisbon on 17 Nov 2021, 17:34
The amount of old diesel cars leaving black clouds of smoke behind is just disgusting.
By J Marcos from Other on 17 Nov 2021, 17:42
The population of the whole of Portugal is approx 10% more than just London. Size-wise, 92,000 vs 1,500 square kilometers. There's pretty much nothing between us and the US East Coas, and there's a problem here? This is all heading towards lockdows for so called climate related issues as I've been saying for over a year. Delhi had it's first one last weekend. Coming to a city near you soon folks.
By Wesley Oliver from Lisbon on 17 Nov 2021, 21:35
Fine, it’s diesel vehicles, but the average Portuguese citizen can’t afford a new electric car , especially with the high tax on a newcar purchase- can’t the gov’t take away the tax on new cars, give money fir old cars and focus on improving infrastructure for the train network, including the Algarve?
By Cynthia Flanigan from Algarve on 17 Nov 2021, 22:59
Lots of complainers! Your countries likely have a much rougher climate (lots of rain, snow, or ice), higher cost of living, tasteless food, and overall be more polluted than Portugal! Just look at England or Germany's winter climate, London or Berlin in particular with their freezing rain or icy cold fog or smog, now that the smart Germany has decided to exchange the nuclear energy by coal! Smart, ah!
Lisbon winter with a balmy 15 to 20 degrees C, and not windy, is enviable!
How to solve the expensive energy problem that seems to affect us all?
Very simply by using our heads instead of burying them!
By producing plenty of clean, cheap, environmentally friendly and reliable nuclear power and then heating our homes properly and not just the room or kitchen where you stay most of the time. And, yes, eventually drive electric vehicles, now still quite expensive and unreliable! No more pollution, no more huge dams, no more tar sands, no more wastless huge areas planted with solar panels or intermittent wind turbines that also pollute the horizon, kill birds and produce all those irritable vibrations and infrasounds that don't let you sleep!
Ah! I almost forgot the new wave of heavy metal pollution: lead, silver, cadmium, mercury, lithium, organics and other hazardous wastes! Not much yet, but it will exponentially grow!...
By Tony Fernandes from Other on 18 Nov 2021, 03:21
Lets not take the self-destructive attitude to the guy who will get pulmonary diseases from breathing the air who also said we should leave Portugal. You were a relatively poor country until tourism gentrified some of your major cities and a lot of good people moved over to join you. I don't live in Porto YET but until I get there any one of you should be getting signatures for Vehicle Testing Stations that will create jobs and eliminate vehicle "smog" on a ballot to vote on; I bet it would pass. The Republican Legislature (our own government) eliminated all the "Stations" in Florida and between the sawed off mufflers to see who can have the loudest car and the air pollution Miami has become noisy, stressful and dirtier. The party in power can take care of the people if they are aware of the urgency.
By Wes from USA on 18 Nov 2021, 04:23
We've been 'blessed' with masses of airplanes spraying our air with chemicals. This world wide action is out in the open and confirmed. When you go to the coast you will see them coming out of the sea; they cross the departing planes from Faro airport. They drop a lot of very bad chemicals in our skies. We breathe this in, our so called organic crops are layered with these. The Algarve is industrial free; we used to have clear blue skies. Now we have patterned skies and many stripes. It's called 'geoengineering'! Don't play the game to blame people while the agenda to destroy our atmosphere is rolled out very fast!
By Ana from Algarve on 18 Nov 2021, 14:14
That's exactly the point: there are no non-polluting cars! But there are always more environmentally friendly options to travelling, people are just too obsessed with having a car. It isn't even a cheap option, is it!
Governments should continue to work on improving train/bus/tram networks and special lanes for cyclists and pedestrians, and people should be encouraged to switch to other means of transport.
These are issues for the whole world to solve, not only Portugal.
By Annie from Algarve on 18 Nov 2021, 14:27
Annie, you are absolutely right but in Portugal public transport is perceived as something only for the poor and so it is not important, green spaces are only for the very wealthy ; instead of improving greenery in urban spaces, improving sidewalks (rather than only parking spaces for old vehicles), creating safe cycling lanes, and implementing an overall healthier, happier life for everyone, those in charge prefer to line their pockets from taxes (e.g. cars and fuel). The cult of poverty is deeply ingrained and there doesn't seem to be much will to change that.
By K from Algarve on 19 Nov 2021, 10:22
Electricity is polluting as the distribution networks use Sulphur hexafluoride the most powerful greenhouse gas known to humanity , to stop fires .
Ifpeople do not want pollution , then I would suggest that people all don't go and live together in cities . The real problem is lack of pubic transport outside towns and cities and not really cars it is commercial vehicles , trains , planes and even tractors , and the unnecessary transport of goods around Portugal and the Eu.
The is a real problem of airborne particles in Portugal which originate elsewhere
By Paul Rice from Other on 21 Nov 2021, 01:32
In their rush to install the new cruise ship terminal in Lisbon, the government allowed it to proceed without installed shore electric power to ships. This means that to run all the lights, lifts, kitchens etc. the ships run their engines the whole time in port. They are supposed to use low-sulfur fuel for this, but -judging by the choking smell- they don’t.
By Dirk Scott from Lisbon on 21 Nov 2021, 11:10
Quoting "In their rush to install the new cruise ship terminal in Lisbon, the government allowed it to proceed without installed shore electric power to ships. This means that to run all the lights, lifts, kitchens etc. the ships run their engines the whole time in port. They are supposed to use low-sulfur fuel for this, but -judging by the choking smell- they don’t.
By Dirk Scott from Lisbon on 21 Nov 2021, 11:10"
In the past year or so i have noticed a very bad smell (not quite diesel vehicles but similar) near that zone that must come from those cruise ships. That terminal have been rushed but after all they had 2 years of COVID with very few cruisers even though it is very noticeable and if you live near by the air quality at weekend usually is very good but when there is a cruiser there it's like loving in a garage with diesel vehicles aways running. It's very sad those decisions made without thinking about the health of local residents.
The even cut and diverse main roads near the river to biuld expensive real estate for foreigners...
By Miguel Silva from Lisbon on 25 Nov 2021, 23:31