Dirty Air

SOYMB has blogged before about the topic but it is well worth repeating ourselves.

Carbon dioxide is a bad thing because it is understood to contribute to global warming. Stroll around a car showroom and you'll see every vehicle on display has a multi-coloured sticker in the windscreen. It reveals how environmentally friendly that particular model is, highlighting how many grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted from the exhaust for every kilometre driven (g/km). It allows customers to make an informed choice about the eco-credentials of each, and what road tax they will pay. But CO2 not the only bad thing. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx), hydrocarbons, diesel particulates and carbon monoxide all are linked to breathing ailments, notably asthma.Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are formed when nitrogen and oxygen are combined at high temperatures and pressure during the combustion of fuel. Petrol, diesel, biodiesel, propane and coal all emit NOx to a greater or lesser extent. They contribute to a wide variety of health and environmental problems. Carbon monoxide is highly poisonous and forms when there isn't enough oxygen to produce carbon dioxide. That's usually because combustion occurs in an enclosed space. The classic example is the badly maintained domestic gas fire, but the same issues affect internal combustion engines. Hydrocarbons are, in simple organic chemistry, compounds made up of hydrogen and carbon. In emissions terms, on hot days they help create photo-chemical smogs which impact on our breathing. Diesel Particulate Matter are invisible flecks of unburnt carbon that come through the combustion process. Because of their size they're easily inhaled deep into the lungs and can lead to chronic health problems, including cancer. You'll find no mention of these on the windscreen sticker.

Environmental Protection UK, formerly the National Society for Clean Air policy officer Ed Dearnley explained "...it's looking at one emission in isolation rather than taking account of all of them. CO2 might affect our children's children, but the NOx and particulates are affecting us all now."

The Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee reported earlier this year that there will be 50,000 premature UK deaths this year, and every other year, because of poor air quality. The European Commission has started enforcement action against the UK over the quality of London's air, which could see the Government facing a £300million fine.

Peter Rask, president of Volvo Car UK said "People think they're making an environmental statement simply by buying a green car because it has low CO2. In fact they could be making a big mistake."

Electric car technology has been around for a long time: the first crude electric carriage was invented by Scotsman Robert Anderson in about 1889. What kind of world is it that killed the electric car? Rational and reasonable? For all of us concerned with the degradation of our environments by noise and air pollution, there is the argument that removing the link between money and work will leave us free to address these matters. Local people will once again be able to work together locally. The car culture evaporates and motorways empty of commuters. There will be fewer cars, less air pollution and traffic congestion.