I’ve mentioned this from time. The AGW cult heavily promoted diesel cars to save us from evil CO2 and in return they actually ruined the air quality of the countries that were dumb enough to fear CO2 more than filthy air.
The great irony is now that the CO2 scam is falling apart, governments are now punishing the owners of diesel cars for being dumb enough to trust the governments recommendations to buy diesel care.
Here is the sad truth about diesel cars in the UK.
“While diesel produces lower emissions of three greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide), the report said, it produces larger emissions of ‘nitrogen oxides’ and ‘most importantly, far larger emissions of particulate matter and black smoke’.
These, it transpires, are the ingredients now causing such concern about diesel cars. Nitrogen oxides have been linked to bronchitis and heart disease, the black smoke can exacerbate asthma, while the ultra-fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
In 2012, the World Health Organisation classified diesel fume particulates as a carcinogen, while other research suggests that they can cause brain damage and autism.
According to Professor Frank Kelly, chairman of the Department of Health’s committee on air pollution, diesel engines could be responsible for more than 7,000 deaths a year.”
And now owners will be punished:
“Islington council in London is introducing £20 on-the-spot fines for any diesel driver caught with his engine running when stationary.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced, in response to the threat of fines from the EU for breaching air pollution limits, that from 2020 diesel owners driving into the capital will have to pay a £10 pollution premium.”
(h/t Climate Realists)
Previous interesting stories:
““Successive governments knew more than 10 years ago that diesel was producing all these harmful pollutants, but they myopically plowed on with their CO2 agenda,” said Simon Birkett, founder of Clean Air in London, a nonprofit group. “It’s been a catastrophe for air pollution, and that’s not too strong a word. It’s a public-health catastrophe.””
“The small particles blighting the air of Delhi and other leading developing cities around the world are often dust from construction sites, pollution from diesel engines or industrial emissions.”
I love my diesel pickup truck
Sure. But it is bad for urban environments.
The original reason for the tax was supposed to be an EU ruling.
But the ruling was for NOX polution not Particulates.
What no one seems to have picked up is that DEFRA’s own data shows that as the Diesel sales increased the NOX pollution went down from 2750 in 1990 down to 1750 in 2010.
See
http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/aqeg/nd-summary.pdf
NOx includes NO and NO2. NO2 is mostly associated with diesel.
“NOX emissions from burning fossil fuels are mainly
as NO, but some sources can release a lot of NOX
as NO2. These primary NO2 emissions are
particularly important from diesel vehicles
(especially when moving slowly), and can make up
as much as 25% of the total NOX emissions from
this source. One reason for this is as a side-effect
of measures that have been developed to reduce
emissions of particulate matter from diesel
vehicles by treating the exhaust using diesel
particulate filters. These primary NO2 emissions
can lead to high concentrations of NO2 at the
roadside, especially where there are many diesel
vehicles.”
“The smaller fall in NO2 concentrations is due to both
increases in emissions of primary NO2 over the
last few years and details of the chemistry by
which secondary NO2 is formed.”
“These results show that annual
average exceedences of
40 µg m-3 are widespread throughout
London near roads with a lot of traffic
(Table 2). In the centre of London,
exceedences also take place in the
areas between main roads and
motorways. Outside London,
exceedences are mainly in
roadside locations. In England
roughly one third of the total length of
built-up major roads had modelled
concentrations of NO2 higher than 40 µg m-3
(in London, this figure is 90%). There are fewer
roadside exceedences in Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland.”
Thanks for the link.
And … strangely …
” some measures to reduce particle emissions from
diesel vehicles can lead to increased primary
emissions of NO2. “
Did it stop when the EPA were caught stuffing Fine Particulates into human guineau pigs ? The b*****ds need to be exposed to the truth