The person in the street and many well-meaning organisations like Greenpeace put it all down to increasing outdoor air pollution, particularly the nitric oxide emissions from petrol and diesel vehicles. Leipzig, in the former East Germany, with absolutely horrific pollution had, just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a lower asthma rate than Munich which is far less polluted 3 . Leading authorities in the medical world have been asked to report to the government on the influence of pollution in our major cities. As the experience of the island of Skye illustrates, if we all went over to using electric cars, there would still be a huge problem with asthma. What then is causing this problem Clearly, the increased incidence of asthma has been so dramatic in the last forty years that genetic change can be discounted.
Genes spread very slowly.
A mutant gene could not possibly spread so rapidly as to cause this sort of increase within two generations. A vast increase in indoor air pollution compounded by the thermal insulation of houses. Progressive nutrient deficiencies, especially of the mineral magnesium. Increasing gut dysbiosis related to high sugar consumption, high usage of antibiotics and the contraceptive pill. An increase in nitric oxides in outdoor air pollution.