4 ms·

Human scale cities are nice to visit, but if you think you are breathing cleaner air in Europe, with their focus on diesel cars for decades, you are mistaken. T

Human scale cities are nice to visit, but if you think you are breathing cleaner air in Europe, with their focus on diesel cars for decades, you are mistaken. The air is much dirtier than in US cities. The Volkswagen scandal might change that around in a decade or two.

marouo 7y ago
Do you have a source for this? Diesel pollution is and was never a clear known spike at least I have never heard from your statement.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
Symbiote 7y ago
Diesel pollution is worse than petrol pollution, but the average European car is smaller, and there are fewer of them. Many of the diesel vehicles are public buses, and these can be replaced pretty quickly with electric or natural gas (or hybrid) buses. Others are large delivery vehicles, and with some "encouragement" (restrictions) the owners either replace them, or rearrange their fleet to use their newest vehicles in cities. For example, London has done both, and is already seeing improvements [1]. I noticed when I visited over New Year that the air seemed fresher, so I'm glad I've found some statistics to show that -- it wasn't just a one-off. [1] https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ulez_six_month_evaluation_report_oct19.pdf https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ulez_six_month...
- r00fus 7y ago
  Have you been in a French city of late? I almost couldn't visit Tours-centre because of all the diesel smell a few years ago. It has improved slightly in the last 2 years but it will take a full adoption of EVs (and increased public transit) to resolve. It's not like France is lacking for fuel taxes or road taxes and insurance costs. Demand is still too high.
  - newnewpdro 7y ago
    When I visited Paris, around 7 years ago, it was by far 2-stroke exhaust that was the problem. My Parisian coworkers, who also rode motorbikes, explained it was because the licensing and vehicle taxes are tiered by displacement. So everyone gets a small displacement 2-stroke, since a 2-stroke makes power equal to a 4-stroke double the displacement. I haven't checked to see if this has changed since then.
taurath 7y ago
I’ll take “air next to a tree” vs “air next to a car” any day, regardless of average ambient. And I like cars a lot.

marouo 7y ago

Do you have a source for this? Diesel pollution is and was never a clear known spike at least I have never heard from your statement.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

Symbiote 7y ago

Diesel pollution is worse than petrol pollution, but the average European car is smaller, and there are fewer of them. Many of the diesel vehicles are public buses, and these can be replaced pretty quickly with electric or natural gas (or hybrid) buses. Others are large delivery vehicles, and with some "encouragement" (restrictions) the owners either replace them, or rearrange their fleet to use their newest vehicles in cities. For example, London has done both, and is already seeing improvements [1]. I noticed when I visited over New Year that the air seemed fresher, so I'm glad I've found some statistics to show that -- it wasn't just a one-off. [1] https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ulez_six_month_evaluation_report_oct19.pdf https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ulez_six_month...

r00fus 7y ago
Have you been in a French city of late? I almost couldn't visit Tours-centre because of all the diesel smell a few years ago. It has improved slightly in the last 2 years but it will take a full adoption of EVs (and increased public transit) to resolve. It's not like France is lacking for fuel taxes or road taxes and insurance costs. Demand is still too high.
- newnewpdro 7y ago
  When I visited Paris, around 7 years ago, it was by far 2-stroke exhaust that was the problem. My Parisian coworkers, who also rode motorbikes, explained it was because the licensing and vehicle taxes are tiered by displacement. So everyone gets a small displacement 2-stroke, since a 2-stroke makes power equal to a 4-stroke double the displacement. I haven't checked to see if this has changed since then.

taurath 7y ago

I’ll take “air next to a tree” vs “air next to a car” any day, regardless of average ambient. And I like cars a lot.