site.btaAfis Survey: 56% of Bulgarians Believe Lower Electricity Prices Will Reduce Air Pollution

107 ENVIRONMENT - AFIS - AIR POLLUTION - SURVEY

Afis Survey: 56% of Bulgarians Believe
Lower Electricity Prices
Will Reduce Air Pollution


Sofia, December 5 (BTA) - Data from an Afis nationally representative survey released on Wednesday suggests that 56 percent of Bulgarians believe lower electricity prices will stop air pollution. Restricting car traffic is another possible solution, according to 39 per cent of respondents.

The survey was conducted between November 30 and December 4 among 1,010 adult Bulgarian citizens.

More than one third (36 per cent) of Bulgarians feel a deterioration in the air quality where they live. Three times less - 12 per cent, find that air quality has improved. Half of respondents have not noticed any particular change.

Pollution strongly depends on the degree of urbanization. Air quality deteriorates far less in rural areas than in larger cities.

Respondents were asked to indicate two measures that would contribute most to air quality. The most popular answer was to reduce electricity prices (56 per cent), followed by a reduction in car traffic (39 per cent), smoke-free industrial production (23 percent), domestic gas heating (20 percent). Central heating, gas heating and electric heating reduce the need for heating with wood and coal.

Compared to the relatively high air quality of continental Europe, urban Bulgaria has reached record-high air pollution levels and related illness and death in the EU due to the complete disregard for active urban policy, Afis' sociologists summarize. RY/DT




/МЙ/