This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/pollution-problem-is-just-being-pushed-around
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Pollution problem is just being pushed around | Pollution problem is just being pushed around |
| (1 day later) | |
| Letters | |
| Thu 9 Nov 2017 19.17 GMT | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 14.01 GMT | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| View more sharing options | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Close | |
| The mayor of London’s proposed ultra-low emission zone, to come into effect from 8 April 2019 (Report, 24 October), risks perpetuating the problem. The discourse currently focuses on NOx emissions, specifically those from diesel engines, but this is hardly the only pollutant. By insisting on Euro 4 (2005) standards for petrol cars and the significantly cleaner Euro 6 (2014) standards for diesel, petrol cars in London will be able to emit double the carbon monoxide of diesels and particulate emissions from petrol vehicles will still be unregulated (whereas diesel will have strict limits). Given that PM2.5 levels are more than double the WHO limit in London (Report, 5 October), allowing petrol cars to continue to emit unlimited levels of particulates in London is mad. | The mayor of London’s proposed ultra-low emission zone, to come into effect from 8 April 2019 (Report, 24 October), risks perpetuating the problem. The discourse currently focuses on NOx emissions, specifically those from diesel engines, but this is hardly the only pollutant. By insisting on Euro 4 (2005) standards for petrol cars and the significantly cleaner Euro 6 (2014) standards for diesel, petrol cars in London will be able to emit double the carbon monoxide of diesels and particulate emissions from petrol vehicles will still be unregulated (whereas diesel will have strict limits). Given that PM2.5 levels are more than double the WHO limit in London (Report, 5 October), allowing petrol cars to continue to emit unlimited levels of particulates in London is mad. |
| Perverse government incentives, such as when there was a focus on CO2 at the expense of other emissions from vehicles in the 2000s, are exactly what caused today’s situation. All vehicles, even electric ones, emit something – until we have legislation that applies to them all equally, we will just push the problem around. A start would be to insist on Euro 6 for all vehicles in London from 2019.Dr Felix LeachResearch fellow and tutor in engineering science, Keble College, University of Oxford | Perverse government incentives, such as when there was a focus on CO2 at the expense of other emissions from vehicles in the 2000s, are exactly what caused today’s situation. All vehicles, even electric ones, emit something – until we have legislation that applies to them all equally, we will just push the problem around. A start would be to insist on Euro 6 for all vehicles in London from 2019.Dr Felix LeachResearch fellow and tutor in engineering science, Keble College, University of Oxford |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |
| • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters | • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters |
| Air pollution | |
| Pollution | |
| Road transport | |
| London | |
| Sadiq Khan | |
| letters | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Reuse this content |