Although improper residential heating is the main reason of poor air quality, a major part of society is not aware of that and blame other sectors for air pollution, State Secretary for Environmental Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture (MA) András Rácz said at the conference organised as part of the awareness-raising campaign “Heat wisely!” (Fűts okosan!) on Wednesday in Budapest.
The State Secretary noted that the population do not feel their responsibility in the 85 percent emission rate, and referred to a representative national survey covering 1000 people conducted in February showing that 80 percent of respondents hold other sectors, industry and transportation, liable for that problem. In his presentation “Air quality: public cause and individual responsibility”, the Secretary of State underlined that it is also a question of awareness-raising for the population to heat wisely.
András Rácz reported that according to the respondents, residential heating contributes only 15 percent to air pollution. They should therefore be made aware that, due to improper heating and the emission of small particles, the population is very much responsible for air pollution; it is not industry and transportation, operating under regulated conditions, that are to be blamed.
The Secretary of State drew attention to the fact that, according to the survey, 14 percent of respondents heat also with waste, although that is prohibited under the law. He added that the population mistakenly considers burning treated wood environment-friendly, whereas burning the chemicals those include is hazardous in reality.
András Rácz underlined that, according to the survey, 20-30 percent of respondents has come across the “Heat wisely” campaign, and deemed the awareness-raising activity successful and worthy of being continued. The Secretary of State gave the practical advice that dry firewood should be used in residential heating, and lignite should be avoided in case of burning coal; moreover, garden waste should not be burned, but rather composted.
András Béres, CEO of Herman Ottó Institute Nonprofit Ltd. underlined in his lecture on green garden waste that burning litter is prohibited, because it pollutes the air, although he remarked that the municipalities usually ease that ban. He emphasised that much could be done in the interest of improving the soil nutrient content of gardens by composting green waste that is conducive to making soil more resilient and reducing the emission of air pollutants.