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> Diesels are going to be a problem for decades even if we stopped all sales right now. Is it really a problem? From what I understand, car emissions are a sma
by Kluny 9y ago
> Diesels are going to be a problem for decades even if we stopped all sales right now.
Is it really a problem? From what I understand, car emissions are a small percentage of overall greenhouse gas emissions (trucks, container ships and planes are a much larger part), and diesels are a still smaller part of that.
Then, diesel engines tend to last much longer than gasoline engines. Granted that burning fossil fuel is something that we will have to stop doing in the near future - isn't it more environmental to continue using cars that already exist, rather than generating even more greenhouse gases in manufacturing new ones, even new electric ones?
I'd say diesels are just not the most important thing to be worrying about right now. There is other low hanging fruit available to create more environmental gains without even thinking about diesel cars.
- wongarsu 9y agoGerman discussions about banning diesel cars from city cores aren't motivated by greenhouse gas emissions. Instead the focus is on particulate matter. Particulate matter is linked to a host of serious health issues, among them serious increases in lung cancer, leading the EU to pass limits on allowable particulate concentrations in the air. German cities struggle a lot to keep concentrations within the limits and see banning diesel engines (a big contributor even with particulate filters) as the simplest solution to their problem.
- Kluny 9y agoAh, I see. Didn't realize that.
- justin66 9y agoGreenhouse gas emissions aren't really the issue with diesels. It's kind of the everything else of emissions - particulates, nitrogen oxides, etc. - that diesels have some problems with.