Polish Committee for Electrical Energy organized in Poznań for the third time the debate "ENERGETYKA loves clean air". On 27 June in the Concordia Design Conference Room PKEE experts, local authorities, invited guests and inhabitants took part in a debate on air pollution in their city.
After Grudziądz and Jaworzno, the time has come for the capital of Wielkopolska. Of the 50 most polluted cities in the European Union, as many as 36 are located in Poland. The problem of smog is particularly noticeable in winter - the levels of harmful PM 10 and PM 2.5 particles exceed many times the permissible levels set by the standards, making it difficult to breathe and simply posing a threat to health. Increasingly, Polish cities look like those in China - people walk the streets wearing masks so as not to inhale harmful substances.
Dr Janusz Zyśk Eng, co-author of the PKEE report "ENERGETYKA Loves Clean Air", assured during the Poznań debate that the smog problem, contrary to popular belief, is not the fault of the industry and the power sector. Since 1990, power companies have reduced emissions by about 80%. The filters currently in use ensure minimal pollution of power plant stacks. The presence of PM 10 and PM 2.5 as well as benzopyrene in the air is mainly due to low emissions. Most harmful substances are emitted by households . Mr. Zyśk added that low-level emissions also pose the greatest health risk.
The discussion was attended by: Tomasz Kosiński - Deputy Director of the PKEE Office in Warsaw, Sławomir Krenczyk - Director of the PR and Communication Department of ENEA SA, Danuta Krysiak - Environmental Monitoring Department of the Provincial Environmental Protection Inspectorate, Hanna Grunt - Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Department of the Poznań Municipal Office, Filip Rdesiński - President of Polskie Radio Poznań, Maciej Lum - Manager of the Energy Advisory Team to the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, local media, non-governmental organisations and Poznań inhabitants.
Discussants repeatedly pointed out that low chimney emissions are not only the result of economic factors alone. Often wealthy people, who can easily afford to heat their homes with high quality fuels, burn waste in their stoves. Therefore, as underlined by Hanna Grunt from the Department of Environmental Protection of the Poznań City Hall, it is very important to continuously raise the social awareness. Our most important task is above all education, education and education. Not using good quality fuels is not only a result of poverty, but often of ignorance - she said.
Debates organised by PKEE are also always an opportunity to present anti-smog solutions offered by energy companies. Sławomir Krenczyk of Enea SA Group discussed, among other things, a tailor-made heating offer using the latest solutions and intelligent technologies. We are a socially responsible company, therefore environmental aspects and improvement of air quality are important to us. We wish to shape our customers' awareness concerning environmental protection and the fight against smog. Our offer includes such products as Enea Eco, which is an interesting alternative for those who want to start heating their homes with electricity or charge electric vehicles at night - emphasised the representative of ENEA SA
The debate was of great interest to the local community - We organize our debates for the people, for the residents. We are always happy, when the audience asks us questions and shares with us their concerns, as it was in Poznań. As the Polish Electricity Association we disseminate reliable knowledge, information and research results, but an effective fight for cleaner air requires the involvement and cooperation of society, hence our debates were held at the regional level - the meeting was summarized by Tomasz Kosiński, Deputy Director of the PKEE Warsaw Office.
The next regional debate of the "ENERGETYKA loves clean air" campaign will take place in a few weeks in another Polish city.
