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And 99% of those 25% are probably in the developing world, and the ex-USSR. I've been all over the planet, and I have yet to see trucks which emit thick black

And 99% of those 25% are probably in the developing world, and the ex-USSR. I've been all over the planet, and I have yet to see trucks which emit thick black smoke straight from the engine (no exhaust system) like the ones Russia and other ex soviet states are absolutely chock full of. Edit: Also, only place on earth I've ever seen a petrol pump with the choices of 60, 80, or 85 octane fuel. Pinkpinkpinkpinkpink.

kaeluka 12y ago
They took measurements in Toronto
- smeyer 12y ago
  The specific quote if madaxe_again missed it: >Researchers at the University of Toronto looked at 100,000 cars as they drove past air sampling probes on one of Toronto’s major roads.
  - madaxe_again 12y ago
    No, fully aware that this study was in Toronto, but if it's remotely indicative of the variation of the environmental damage car emissions cause, then the problem is vastly exacerbated by old and poorly maintained vehicles driven in less wealthy and/or impoverished parts of the world.
ac29 12y ago
>Also, only place on earth I've ever seen a petrol pump with the choices of 60, 80, or 85 octane fuel. If youv'e ever seen a pump with diesel, you've seen a pump with 15-25 octane [1]. Also, I wouldnt confuse octane with energy content -- pure ethanol has an octane rating of 100+, despite having lower energy density than pure gasoline [2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density
- selimthegrim 12y ago
  This actually raises a very good question - how come they don't put cetane number on diesel pumps? It would make me feel less nervous about buying diesel from sketchy off-brand fuel stations...
- madaxe_again 12y ago
  I'm fully aware that octane isn't energy density - octane is a long chain which prevents pre-ignition - hence pinkpinkpink - pre-ignition - pinking. I had to fill up a mercedes 190E 2.6 on 60 on one occasion, and fuck did it hate it - particularly as I'd lost my exhaust somewhere in the desert. Set off car alarms when I got into town, just by driving by. My point was rather that they require fuels with such incredibly low octane ratings due to the astonishingly crap compression ratios on ladas, volgas, and yaz trucks, and most soviet technology. The point was that they could run on near-as-damnit bunker oil, watered down with expensive petrol. Because these vehicles are still in use, they produce an extraordinary amount of pollution, as the low temperature burning that occurs in them results in a crap-tonne of soot. Same kinda deal with diesels, but again, their diesels will literally run on bunker oil, and you wouldn't believe the incredible clouds of crap that spew forth from them - particularly when they have no exhaust system.
ryan-c 12y ago
...60 octane? Looking through the Wikipedia page on octane ratings[1] that seems absurdly low. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating

kaeluka 12y ago

They took measurements in Toronto

smeyer 12y ago
The specific quote if madaxe_again missed it: >Researchers at the University of Toronto looked at 100,000 cars as they drove past air sampling probes on one of Toronto’s major roads.
- madaxe_again 12y ago
  No, fully aware that this study was in Toronto, but if it's remotely indicative of the variation of the environmental damage car emissions cause, then the problem is vastly exacerbated by old and poorly maintained vehicles driven in less wealthy and/or impoverished parts of the world.

ac29 12y ago

>Also, only place on earth I've ever seen a petrol pump with the choices of 60, 80, or 85 octane fuel. If youv'e ever seen a pump with diesel, you've seen a pump with 15-25 octane [1]. Also, I wouldnt confuse octane with energy content -- pure ethanol has an octane rating of 100+, despite having lower energy density than pure gasoline [2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density

selimthegrim 12y ago
This actually raises a very good question - how come they don't put cetane number on diesel pumps? It would make me feel less nervous about buying diesel from sketchy off-brand fuel stations...
madaxe_again 12y ago
I'm fully aware that octane isn't energy density - octane is a long chain which prevents pre-ignition - hence pinkpinkpink - pre-ignition - pinking. I had to fill up a mercedes 190E 2.6 on 60 on one occasion, and fuck did it hate it - particularly as I'd lost my exhaust somewhere in the desert. Set off car alarms when I got into town, just by driving by. My point was rather that they require fuels with such incredibly low octane ratings due to the astonishingly crap compression ratios on ladas, volgas, and yaz trucks, and most soviet technology. The point was that they could run on near-as-damnit bunker oil, watered down with expensive petrol. Because these vehicles are still in use, they produce an extraordinary amount of pollution, as the low temperature burning that occurs in them results in a crap-tonne of soot. Same kinda deal with diesels, but again, their diesels will literally run on bunker oil, and you wouldn't believe the incredible clouds of crap that spew forth from them - particularly when they have no exhaust system.

ryan-c 12y ago

...60 octane? Looking through the Wikipedia page on octane ratings[1] that seems absurdly low. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating