Diesel - Just Say No!
A recent BBC Radio 4 programme has highlighted new evidence from the World Health Organisation that diesel pollution has been strongly linked to lung infections in young babies and lung and bladder cancer for people exposed to it over longer periods. What plans do the council, the government and city hall have to tackle the issue? What are Environmental Health Officers for if not to protect us from deadly influences? Modern pollution can’t be seen – the effects are long term and therefore easy for politicians to ignore.In an effort to improve air quality motorists were once encouraged to use diesel vehicles. The thinking was that there would be fewer environmental pollutants released in our urban areas as a result of the increased use of more efficient fuels. In the 90s, tougher regulation of the motor industry resulted in a reduction in car emissions. However, as more people opt for diesel, emissions have started to rise sharply.With this new evidence and the established fact that diesel vehicles emit 10-20 times more particles than petrol cars, should something not be done to tackle the massive increase in their usage in our towns? If people are being forced to use them to save fuel costs then vehicle manufacturers should be forced to clean them up.I am concerned that the test conditions manufacturers adhere to to ensure their new vehicles meet the necessary emissions targets are not tough enough. They aren’t as demanding as the real stop start urban driving conditions and higher power demands vehicles are put through in towns. Under real conditions vehicles produce huge numbers of complex deadly pollutants including oxides of nitrogen. Leeds University’s research on Nitrogen Oxide emissions from diesel vehicles shows that Nitrogen Dioxide is a marker for a cocktail of dangerous gasses present in fumes. DEFRA need to revise their test requirements to prevent the car industry releasing harmful vehicles on to our streets.For its part the EU has set pollution limits across the Eurozone to combat vehicle emissions. However, according to data from monitoring stations in London these limits have been breached for some years and the UK will face a heavy fine as a result. 40 out of 43 assessment zones fail to meet targets according to the Commons Environmental Audit Committee’s findings last November. We as a nation are on target to miss the vital EU air pollution limit for which we will be assessed in 2015. The target date has already been delayed at the request of our government.Instead of initiating real, practical measures to combat this rise in deadly pollutants, it has been discovered by the campaign group Clean Air for London that dust suppressant trucks have been deployed on our roads. These are converted gritters that spray the road with water to stick the harmful particles to the tarmac. If they had any practical benefit to citizens of London or if the Mayor really cared about the health of those most at risk then their efforts would surely be concentrated around schools and hospitals. However, Clean Air for London have discovered that these vehicles concentrate their work around the monitoring sites most likely to show a breach of legal pollution limits when the figures are sent back to Brussels. Is this not a case of London’s citizens being hoodwinked by the Mayor of London? He may be appear to be an affable character but he obviously doesn’t care that we are all having years taken off our lives to secure his political ambitions.The medical evidence for the damage to us from vehicle emissions is stacking up. Certain gaseous emissions and particulates coming from diesel fumes are extremely inhalable and remain in our lungs indefinitely. What are the unknown effects of this?In Millhouses, East Sheffield, local campaigner Neil Perry has gathered results from a diffusion tool to measure pollution from vehicle fumes in an initiative called East End Quality of Life. He has shown that at Christmas and New Year, when car use is at its heaviest and CO2 concentrations are at their highest level for the year, children’s hospitals experience epidemics of bronchialitis in small babies. The virus that causes this has been shown to be triggered by nitric oxide. Even if you regard any of these facts as insignificant in the face of the possible financial savings involved with using diesel fuel then you need to digest the following fact. Respiratory illness caused by pollution is the biggest public health challenge after smoking. The cost on public health care arising from lung disease deaths is estimated at around £8-20 billion per year.It is my view that the scientific world holds a consensus that climate change is happening and that it is a result of human activity. I feel, however, that it is better to tackle the harmful effects of pollution that are closest to us. Even if you believe the unqualified climate change deniers you must still agree that we need to get dirty vehicles out of our cities. EU pollution limits are being breached in dozens of UK conurbations.The government should encourage people away from diesel. If we are breaching EU pollution levels then that means that we are guilty as drivers, particularly of diesel cars. Businesses owners, most of which require transport, are also guilty. And failing to deal with this folly and perhaps most guilty of all is the government, council leaders, MPs, the Mayor, and the EU for not making us comply!You can hear the programme that inspired me to write this on BBC iPlayer.Channel: BBC Radio 4Programme: File on 4Date: 07/08/2012Reporter: Julian O’Halloran
Alan Anderson ● 5112d12 Comments ● 4013d