Oil burners beware !

[empip]

...The UK Government has been ordered to take "immediate action" over illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide in 16 cities, with Glasgow named among those in breach of EU limits.

In a unanimous ruling, five Supreme Court justices ordered the Government to produce new air quality plans "no later than December 31 2015".

Announcing the decision on Wednesday, Lord Carnwath said: "The new government, whatever its political complexion, should be left in no doubt as to the need for immediate action to address this issue."...

It may not be just non Euro-6 compliant motors getting sanctioned.

A hybrid, could turn out to be a sound investment.

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[Burnerman]

Sadly, I think you are right.....goodness knows how the trucks will comply though.
John

 

[JohnD]

It should be no surprise.

Air pollution from diesels is now a great concern, and busy cities are only the first to struggle with it.

Paris started worrying about this problem before London did.

 

[Dave54]

I'm for the lateral thinking answer. . .

Ban cities!

 

[JohnD]

People are talking about this as if it was an unexpected surprise, but it isn't

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b051rjpz

"The UK has been breaching legal limits for nitrogen dioxide since 2010 in 16 different cities and regions. The judgment forces the next government to draw up new air quality plans - for submission to the EU - by the end of the year. "

Last year, the mayor of Paris called for diesel cars to be banned from the city by 2020

"Several European nations are currently in breach of EU clean air laws.

The EU’s NO2 limit was exceeded at 301 sites in 2012, including seven in London. The concentration on Marylebone Road was more than double the limit.

Districts in Athens, Berlin, Brussels, Madrid, Paris, and Rome are also exceeded the ceiling.


Not just carbon: Key pollutants for human health
◾ Particulate matter (PM): Can cause or aggravate cardiovascular and lung diseases, heart attacks and arrhythmias. Can cause cancer. May lead to atherosclerosis, adverse birth outcomes and childhood respiratory disease. The outcome can be premature death.
◾ Ozone (O3): Can decrease lung function and aggravate asthma and other lung diseases. Can also lead to premature death.
◾ Nitrogen oxides (NO2): Exposure to NO2 is associated with increased deaths from heart and lung disease, and respiratory illness.
◾ Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in particular benzo a-pyrene (BaP): Carcinogenic.


Politicians are now scurrying to persuade the courts that they are obeying an EU demand to clean up the air as soon as possible.

The Paris mayor said at the weekend that she wanted the city to become ‘semi-pedestrianised’, with a ban on diesel cars in the city centre and some neighbourhoods given entirely to residents’ cars, delivery vehicles and emergency vehicles.

"I want diesel cars out of Paris by 2020," she said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32512152

 

[Avocet]

Call me cynical, but what's the betting that any proposed solution involves taking money off motorists?

This air quality thing annoys me. Yes diesels have a problem, but the Euro 6 limits for petrol and diesel NOx are so similar that I doubt there is anything practical to choose between them. It seems they're all out with their torches and pitchforks looking for another witch to burn.

 

[JohnD]

And what about diesel particulates?

 

[empip]

I for one have been aware of the situation brewing for some time, in fact we have put off purchase of a vehicle for a while - having trawled through available literature and lurching twixt Peugeot 3008 diesel hybrid (like the concept and the car) even the nice little non-hybrid BMW series1 3 cyl Efficient dynamics 1.5 (sounds / looks good)... Perhaps a petrol hybrid will take us through the possible taxation hit to come. I have read that Euro-4 petrol engines will be acceptable within the London low emissions zone and therefore probably in other cities reported to be readying their own LEZs.
A plug-in Prius could be an investment - up to 15 miles EV only.
The Vauxhall Ampera is also a decent concept - all a bit expensive in new state, but 2nd handers will become more available I guess.

http://www.findadblue.com/news/2014...e-v-non-road-emissions-limits-where-possible/
Quote.
...Euro 6c legislation will see the dawn of Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedures (WLTP) testing in favour of New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), and Euro 7 is anticipated to follow soon after and involve a reduction of NOx emissions by half to 0.04 g/km while maintaining the same standard for particulate matter (PM) 0.0045 g/km.
The Euro 7 legislation will run parallel with upcoming CO2 legislation which requires a reduction of CO2 levels from 130 g/km to 95 g/km by 2020. Implementation of both CO2 and Euro 7 legislation could see more widespread use of diesel-hybrid technology but continued use of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology...

http://www.dieselcarmagazine.co.uk/features/euro-6-understanding-the-new-regulations/ (further into this mag see a somewhat dated list of Eur-6 compliant motors).
Quote.
...On the horizon though, we also have the prospect of new emissions and fuel consumption test cycles, and the threat of Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS) that may be used to do on-the-spot emissions checks. And, dare we say it, systems that might automatically restrict your engine’s operation, and maybe even performance, to ensure that its emissions are kept within the legal limits; maybe not so much the “limp-home” mode that you can get when your engine’s ECU starts playing up, but possibly “amble-home” when your engine is told that it’s kicking out too many pollutants...
That may pose problems for manufacturers - a real test conducted at the road side, not a rolling road contrived thing, or average across the production lines, but actually at the coal face where there is no room to hide...

I was surprised to find this document http://tinyurl.com/pcbh728
A discussion paper from :-
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
DIESEL ENGINE EXHAUSTS: MYTHS AND REALITIES - UNECE
Quote from Conclusions.
...121. From the data and facts mentioned above, we conclude with a high degree of reliability that it is
misleading to claim that people’s exposure to diesel engines of road motor vehicles is the cause of increased
risk of lung cancer. Eighty three per cent of particulate matters emissions in European Union countries (EEA,
2012a) and 97 per cent in the United States of America (EPA 2013) and Canada, is generated by other
economic sectors, mainly the commercial, institutional and household sector. Therefore, the claim that
emissions from diesel engine exhausts from road transport are the main cause of lung cancer in humans
needs to be seriously challenged. It does not mean however, that measures to improve the environmental
performance of the transport sector can stop. On the contrary, they must continue and in an aggressively
well targeted way...
125. In summary, the following conclusions are drawn:
(a) Diesel engines emissions in the air are carcinogenic to humans based on scientific research evidence;
the emission of particulate matters is the most dangerous for humans health; the danger is the
highest in closed areas, such as in‐door and in areas with inadequate ventilation;
(b) Diesel engines are currently at the heart of economic growth and of all economic activity and,
therefore, it is not feasible to replace and eliminate them at this stage;
(c) Transport is only one of the sectors using diesel engines. Industrial, agricultural, timber, commercial,
institutional and household sector are some of the other economic sectors that use diesel engines;
(d) The commercial, institutional and household sectors are the most important source of PM2.5 and
PM10 ;
(e) The transport sector is by far not the most significant source of PM emissions, nonetheless up till
now it has been the most rigorous in introducing measures to address this issue;
(f) The transport sector is the most regulated sector where the most intensive initiatives and actions
have been taken. Decisions and performance oriented emission regulations have been adopted that
set limits and targets resulting in the dramatic decrease in PM and other emissions;
(g) Other economic sectors are lagging behind in their initiatives, strategies and actions to address their
share of PM and pollutants emissions...

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[JohnD]

I am very willing to believe that a dirty tractor in the middle of a field does not cause poor air quality to many people.

(e) The transport sector is by far not the most significant source of PM emissions

Except, perhaps, in busy city-centre environments, where the levels are exceptionally high, which is no doubt why there is already talk of banning or charging dirty vehicles from some city centres.

 

[Dave54]

Trains, lorries, tractors and nearly all other agricultural machines, ships, power plants.

Yet again the motorist will be the target of any plans to cut emissions. More bureaucratic rules in two layers. Great.

A couple of years ago I watched a Chinese ship in Falmouth bay start it's engines, and send a huge plume of black smoke into the air. No pollution there then.

 

[JohnD]

And how do you think that compares with the air Euston Road, which is full of diesel fumes, all day, every day, at people level, and is densely populated?

 

[Dave54]

Stop Chinese ships starting up in the Euston Road?

But seriously, if the cities have that much of a problem, stop ALL diesel vehicles going into them. It's that easy.
As usual it's the light vehicle user who is targeted by these regulations brought in to fulfil some ideal dreamed up by the most impractical people in the world. EU politicos.
They will always find a "problem" to "solve" in some totally inefficient way to justify their own existence. And a of course find a solution that costs us money.
Once this one is solved, they'll move onto another, and then another.

 

[empip]

The chart below shows the projected breakdown of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by vehicle type in central London in 2020. Before or after legislation ?

Summary of the proposed London ULEZ standards (below)

* Euro standards for heavy-duty diesel engines use Roman numerals and for light-duty vehicle standards use Arabic numerals.

**Vehicles this age or younger in 2020 will comply with the ULEZ standard and not incur a charge.

*** This is payable in addition to any applicable LEZ or CCZ charges.


...Future ULEZ standards
While the standards set out in Table 1 constitute the current proposal for these vehicles in 2020, it is possible that, as low emission vehicle technology and markets develop, a further strengthening of the ULEZ standards could be proposed at a later date.
The Mayor is considering the introduction of a tighter ‘zero emission capable’ standard from 2025. This could achieve further emissions reductions, position London as a leader in this field and support the UK in this rapidly developing economic sector...

Euro-7 post 2020 ? Portable goal posts !!

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[CylonRaider]

And far away a (single) Volcano says hello and kicks out more ****e than anything man has done for the past 20 years.

 

[Dave54]

Notice that (as always) the caring green answer is to levy a charge. More of our money taken, to be filtered through an incredibly wasteful bureaucracy to pay for large limousines for EU politicians to ride around in.

Cynical me also wonders if there isn't a selling new cars agenda. I'm sure the French and Germans wouldn't mind selling a few more cars that comply with this year's rules. And then there's the VAT. . .

Moving goal posts. They won't be happy until they have us all walking.