Thoughts on Diesel engined cars being banned very soon.

[ChipChop]

Are you genuinely suggesting that you think it's possible that people will not be able to drive diesel cars after lockdown ceases?

Yes it fits perfectly into the "green" agenda that was in play prior to the coronoavirus. There is plenty of paid "experts" who will advise governments that diesel particulate matter is a problem especially with regards to respiratory issues.

 

[GeeJayW]

Those are the Euro 6 requirements, but the Which tests find that reality is still very different and real word NOx emissions are still much higher from diesel cars.

Any anyway, whilst E6+ diesel cars are better than earlier ones, they are still only a small proportion of the cars on the road.

I tend to agree with GeeJay, that the government is unlikely to bring forward further changes as people will not be able to afford it. It’s my worry (living in inner London) that the charge for pre-Euro 6 diesels could get pushed back. It could easily become an electoral issue for the next mayoral election.

Part of the problem with small numbers is that it's easy for differences to be an order of magnitude different, but still be small numbers. Makes a good headline and 'nominally' supports a view or postion, but the absolute is still unimportant to the overall issue.

 

[ChipChop]

Yes exactly my point of pushing the green agenda but in a direction which will distance us from China and Hydrogen is probably greener than electricity.

I hope you are right. However from what i have seen the technocracy we live in seems to be working for the status quo (China , electric power) not against it.

 

[GeeJayW]

Yes it fits perfectly into the "green" agenda that was in play prior to the coronoavirus. There is plenty of paid "experts" who will advise governments that diesel particulate matter is a problem especially with regards to respiratory issues.

There is as much or more particulate from tyres and brakes as from tailpipes of modern technology ICe vehicles. Direct injection gasoline engines make particulate too.

 

[219]

Does anyone have any thoughts on this banning of diesel cars being accelerated due to the current Coronavirus situation.

We have seen articles in the media stating how clean the air is now since private car use has dropped dramatically.

All seems to fit so nicely into the Extinction Rebellion / Greta Thunberg argument that was being accepted by politicians worldwide prior to CoronaVirus.

Will our cars ever be allowed back on the roads post lockdown?

Not just cars ; other notable polluters - air travel , buses , ships , trucks , factories . Cars are only a small part of the equation .

 

[219]

Is the other 15% Amg's

Plenty of other petrol cars besides AMG .

 

[219]

I hope not. I recon 85% of the cars I fix are diesels. It would be tough for me to remain in business if they did.

Specialist electric conversions / petrol / lpg conversions ?

 

[Rory]

There was a news article a few days ago saying they were surprised how high particulate levels still were - it was blamed on the unusual easterly winds bringing in pollution from the continent.

I'd hope they'd do something about wood buring fires - in the chilly evenings people lighting them is having a noticable effect on the air in our rural village. Apparently even in London they're as much a cause of particulates as diesel vehicles.

 

[ChipChop]

This article is currently on bbc news website

Most people 'want to change their lives' after Covid-19 - poll

Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst

A new poll suggests that most people in the UK will want to alter their lives in some way after the coronavirus pandemic.
In fact, only 9% of people say they want life to return to how it was before. Some 54% agreed with this statement: "I hope to change some things about my life and I hope we will have learned from this as a country."
Some respondents (51%) said they had noticed the air was cleaner and others (27%) said they had seen more wildlife. Four in 10 said there had been a stronger sense of community and the feeling of neighbours looking out for each other.
And 39% are more in touch with friends and family, aided by the boom in video-chats.
More than 4,000 people were questioned across the UK for the YouGov poll commissioned by the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in partnership with a charity, Food Foundation.
On attitudes to food, around four out of 10 people are valuing it more – and cooking more from raw ingredients.
But the survey suggests those feeling fitter (9%) - and exercising more (27%) - are cancelled out by people exercising less (36%).

 

[BTB 500]

Some respondents (51%) said they had noticed the air was cleaner

That's reliable scientific evidence then Will be interesting to see hard data from the various roadside monitoring sites though - I'm sure that will be published when available.

and others (27%) said they had seen more wildlife.

We have noticed the exact opposite. There are so many people out walking everywhere that the wildlife is keeping out of sight.

 

[ChipChop]

There was a news article a few days ago saying they were surprised how high particulate levels still were - it was blamed on the unusual easterly winds bringing in pollution from the continent.

I'd hope they'd do something about wood buring fires - in the chilly evenings people lighting them is having a noticable effect on the air in our rural village. Apparently even in London they're as much a cause of particulates as diesel vehicles.

Keeping warm is a basic human need. My woodburner stays ON.

 

[ChipChop]

That's reliable scientific evidence then Will be interesting to see hard data from the various roadside monitoring sites though - I'm sure that will be published when available.



We have noticed the exact opposite. There are so many people out walking everywhere that the wildlife is keeping out of sight.

I know such gibberish is'nt it. News to fit an agenda once again.

 

[John N]

Keeping warm is a basic human need. My woodburner stays ON.

+1

 

[Rory]

Keeping warm is a basic human need. My woodburner stays ON.

Mind you, there's a desire to get rid of gas (and oil) for heating too.

 

[esscee]

Typical politician's thinking, but not a barb at the OP. Seeing as though the Gov through That Brown chap when he was in No 11 urged drivers to go Diesel, now 180 deg turn. Maybe toughen up a bit on new cars but what will happen to the many diesels that are and will be driven for many years to come. The rubbish about electric cars is that, might be OK for city driving. Where is all the electricity going to come from that is needed to charge them, same place as the Labour party "money tree"? Need much more development on Hydrogen fuel cells, no toxic output, is the sensible way forward, once they can reduce the costs and also provide enough charging for them.

 

[ChipChop]

I would question this desire when elderley people on a fixed income in the UK cannot afford to heat there homes and die of pneumonia as a consequence.

 

[Bellow]

Read somewhere that the lives saved due to cleaner air actually exceeds the C-19 deaths.
Sounds implausible but the public don't have much of a grasp of how lethal poor air quality is.

The question I'd like answered is how many with poor respiratory health due to poor air quality then became C-19 patients due to that underlying issue. With better air quality, might they have avoided becoming a C-19 patient?

 

[BlackC55]

Specialist electric conversions / petrol / lpg conversions ?

Anything is possible.

 

[219]

There was a news article a few days ago saying they were surprised how high particulate levels still were - it was blamed on the unusual easterly winds bringing in pollution from the continent.

I'd hope they'd do something about wood buring fires - in the chilly evenings people lighting them is having a noticable effect on the air in our rural village. Apparently even in London they're as much a cause of particulates as diesel vehicles.

I like the smell of a wood burning fire , and indeed a coal one . Nothing nicer .

 

[Bellow]

Anything is possible.

Indeed. Your workload may actually increase if people decide to properly maintain their diesels rather than bodge them.