Offaly campaigner warns on the health dangers of tractor runs

In the wake of three tractors runs held in Offaly this Christmas a prominent campaigner has warned of the health dangers of burning fossil fuels in combustion engines.

In a letter to the editor of the Tullamore Tribune, published in this week's edition, Tom Roche of Rhode based Just Forests writes:

Dear Sir,

In the past seven days there have been three tractor runs held in County Offaly that I’m aware of - Tullamore (28th December), Shinrone (1st January) and Mountlucas (2nd January). Between the three events upwards of 1,000 or so vehicles took part. What really struck me was the large numbers of children accompanied by parents in attendance without any protection from  particulate matter (PM) from the burning of fossil fuels in combustion engines  such as tractors.

We all know that passive smoking or ‘second-hand’ smoke (inhaling someone else’s cigarette smoke) is a serious health issue. The Public Health (Tobacco) Acts of 2002-2015  bans smoking in enclosed places of work. The purpose of the ban is to protect employees and the public from exposure to the  “harmful and toxic effects of tobacco smoke.” It is now time for our local elected public representatives to ban tractor runs on public health grounds. 

According to the Health Service Executive (HSE) website: “Exposure to air pollution poses significant public health risks”.  A variety of air pollutants have known or suspected harmful effects on human health and the environment. In most areas, these pollutants are mainly the products of combustion from heating and power generation, and motor vehicles. Pollutants may cause problems in the immediate vicinity of these sources, but also can travel long distances and affect more people and places.

The medical and scientific evidence couldn’t be clearer: increased numbers of children with autism linked to air pollution -    increased adult deaths linked to air pollution – increased numbers suffering from acute respiratory distress in children and adults. There is also an increase in ‘eco-anxiety’ amongst children and young adults as they try to make sense of the rapidly accelerating climate crisis.  The World Health Organisation’s  International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that 'ambient (outdoor) air pollution is carcinogenic to humans with the particulate matter component of air pollution most closely associated with increased cancer incidence, especially lung cancer. An association also has been observed between outdoor air pollution and increase in cancer of the urinary tract/bladder.  Scientists tell us that fossil fuel combustion led to  ‘8.7 million deaths globally in 2018.’   

Local charities also must ask themselves if they really want to be associated with an activity that perpetuates the very illness they so desperately try to help people cope with. At a time when our hospitals are overburdened and struggling to deal with increases in Covid and influenza the Irish Times reports that the “HSE secures private beds as hospitals struggle to handle ‘apocalyptic’ surge in respiratory illnesses.” The article goes on to say that,  there are currently some 1,200 people in hospitals with respiratory illness such as flu, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial  virus(RSV).  Its way past time that voluntary bodies looked at other ways of raising funds for good causes - ways that contribute to the cure rather that to the cause. 

Tractor runs were cancelled throughout Ireland in 2020 on public health grounds namely the Covid pandemic. Justification for an actual ban of tractor runs are more pressing today and will be more so going forward. Incidentally, zoonotic diseases such as Covid are directly related to the destruction of critical ecosystems (such as forests) and associated climate change. All the more reason why we must tackle the root causes rather that treat the symptoms only. 

“Half of humanity is in the danger zone, from floods, droughts, extreme storms and wildfires. No nation is immune. Yet we continue to feed our fossil fuel addiction. We have a choice. Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands.” Antonio Guterres UN Secretary-General.

Yours,

Tom Roche,

Just Forests,

Ringfort Workshop,

Rathcobican,

Rhode.