During the last month, air pollution in Tehran has surpassed all records due to increased levels of carbon monoxide and suspended particles in the air. The air pollution has been so extreme that people are forced to wear masks in the streets. In some parts of the city, the smog has been so thick that the sun could not been seen in the cloudless morning sky. Many people have required hospitalization to receive oxygen in order to breathe. Although the air pollution in Tehran and other large cities in Iran has a scientific solution, the Iranian government is hopeful that rain and wind can solve this problem.

The primary cause of air pollution in Tehran is the abundance of inefficient old cars that lack catalytic converters and that use low quality leaded fuel. Other factors include a shortage of public transportation, a rapidly increasing population, and the exorbitant price of new, cleaner cars. In order to decrease the air pollution in Tehran, the government must support several initiatives. They must subsidize the purchase of new unleaded cars, trucks and buses; enforce emission controls from old cars; create metro links and provide more public transportation facilities in accordance to population growth in Tehran; and increase green spaces throughout the city.

The Green Party of Iran believes that considerable blame should be placed on the current government for their lack of concern and for their inability to solve the air pollution problems or to prevent any other environmental destruction in Iran during the past twenty years of their regime. Therefore, we do not trust the government to be able or willing to implement any project proposed by experts to prevent environmental destruction, including air pollution in big cities like Tehran.

The Green Party of Iran
Dec. 25, 1999