Dirty air is killing our children. Why does the government let this happen? | George Monbiot

What an extraordinary dereliction of duty that our politicians leave headteachers to fix a public health crisisDeregulation, the government and many newspapers assure us, saves money and time and reduces frustration. That's the theory. But, as I see every day, it doesn't quite work like this.My youngest daughter's school has been trying to protect its children from the toxic cloud in which they work and play. The teachers know how much damage traffic pollution does to their lungs, hearts and brains. They know that it reduces their cognitive development, their ability to concentrate and their capacity for exercise. They know it's a minor miracle that no one has yet been crushed by the cars jostling to get as close as possible to the school gates. But thanks to the government's refusal to legislate, there is little they can do. Far from freeing us from effort, the absence of regulation wastes everybody's time. Continue reading...