(Live here – research) – Is there a connection between pollutant emissions into the air and the socio-economic ranking of local authorities? The first study of its kind conducted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection examines the location of emissions into the air according to the socio-economic ranking of the local authority (the relationship between emissions into the air and the socio-economic ranking).
Prosperity areas and distressed areas
In a first-of-its-kind study conducted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, with the assistance of Ecotraders, the relationship between air emissions and the socio-economic ranking of local authorities was examined. This rating is an index that helps identify areas of prosperity and areas of distress and may also help improve the policy of the central government towards the local authorities. Although most of the cities in the Haifa metropolis are ranked high in the socio-economic index, a high level of pollutant emissions was found in the metropolis. (Haifa, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Bialik and Nesher rank 7 in the socio-economic index, Kiryat Ata 6, Kiryat Yam and Carmel Castle 5)
In the pollutant emissions ranking, Carmel Castle is in 17th place, Kiryat Yam 18th, Kiryat Ata 26th, Haifa 28th, Kiryat Bialik 35th, Nesher 37th and Kiryat Motzkin 38th.
Examining all types of authorities together (municipalities, local councils and regional councils), it appears that the amount of emissions is the highest in municipalities with a socio-economic rating of 6-7, where the middle class lives.
In municipalities, the majority of emissions are in ratings 4 to 7, with an emphasis on emissions from industry and electricity production in rating 4. In regional councils, the majority of emissions are in ratings 6 and 7, with an emphasis on emissions from industry and electricity production, animal husbandry and burning plant waste; A low emission level was recorded in local councils because they do not have industrial and employment areas, although a significant part of the emissions that do occur in these places are from illegal burning of urban and agricultural waste and burning wood for home heating. In local councils, the lower the socioeconomic ranking, the higher the emission level.
In general, looking at all the authorities together, it can be seen that the authorities with socio-economic ranking 6 and 7 have the highest emission level. In these ratings resides the middle class. However, since there is great variation in the characteristics of the types of authorities (territory, population), the findings must be examined according to the type of authority as detailed below.
About 6.6 million residents live in municipalities in Israel. 50% of them are in municipalities with socio-economic ranking 4 to 7 where the level of emissions is high.
In cities, the relatively high level of emissions occurs in ratings 4 to 7, for example (Haifa metropolis). A significant part of the emissions in these authorities are from industry and electricity production. A possible explanation for the relatively high level of emissions in the intermediate ranking is similar to the phenomenon in the regional councils – this class determines its place of residence according to the places of employment, but cannot financially afford to move its residence away from polluting areas.
To review the full study:
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