Simon Wolff, 1957-1995
Simon Wolff, a noted British toxicologist and foe of traffic and pollution, died suddenly in London in late November. His work on the carcinogenic effects of benzene was responsible for reassessment of U.K. fuel taxation policies. Wolff was also the first British scientist to develop evidence of the deadliness of fine diesel particulates, telling Parliament that "the switch to diesel now taking place may well be a large scale experiment in lung cancer." He was chair of Archway Alert, a citizens group that fought road building and expansion schemes in north London. Wolff was a featured speaker at a 1991 conference on auto-free cities organized in New York City by Transportation Alternatives, and he maintained a correspondence with NYC transportation reformers thereafter. Ominously, his death appears to have come from complications caused by a respiratory tract infection. He will be missed by campaigners for sane transportation policies everywhere.
