Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by on Sunday January 29 2017, @11:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the cheaper-to-keep-driving-the-whole-time dept.

If you drive a diesel vehicle, life is about to get a lot more expensive.

Why? Because you're set to be charged an extra 50% to park in a central London area as of April 3. Ouch. And its all in the aim to reduce air pollution, which has been blighting the capital.

Westminster City Council is set to trial the price hike in parking bays in Hyde Park, Marylebone and Fitzrovia. Visitors in diesel cars will have to pay £7.35 per hour compared with the standard £4.90.

Source: Metro


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 5, Informative) by pTamok on Monday January 30 2017, @10:09AM

    by pTamok (3042) on Monday January 30 2017, @10:09AM (#460582)

    'Pollution' isn't a single scale, as different engines and fuels having differing outputs of oxides of sulfur (SOx), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and particulates in various profiles of size. It is difficult to obtain a correct generalisation regarding whether 'diesel' engined vehicles are more or less 'polluting' than petrol engined vehicles.

    Historically, diesel engined road vehicles have generated more particulates than petrol engined vehicles, but several things have modified this:

    1) The use of particulate filters and particulate oxidisers to reduce diesel particulate output.
    2) The possible increased use of direct injection of gasoline in petrol-engined road vehicles to improve efficiency.

    The use of low-sulfur fuels and catalytic converters have decreased the problems associated with SOx and NOx - especially for diesels, which have historically generated more NOx as a result of their higher combustion temperatures, however, the use of catalysed reduction by urea can reduce NOx emissions dramatically.

    However, particulates are a problem. While the correct use of particulate filters can reduce the mass of particulates emitted, they often increase the number of smaller particles emitted, and it is the smaller particles e.g. PM2.5 and smaller which have the most physiological effect as they are drawn deeper into the lungs, and expose a larger surface area per mass than larger particles.

    This article gives more background:

    http://www.transportenvironment.org/sites/te/files/publications/GDI%20Briefing_final_T%26E_revised.pdf [transportenvironment.org]

    There is a battle being fought over improving fuel economy and reducing particulate emissions to meet air quality standards. Electric vehicles may well help a great deal in this regard.

    However, even if we go all electric, in cold climates, vast amounts of particulates are generated by the use of studded tyres on the road surface. This is a significant contributor to poor air quality in cities like Oslo and Stockholm.

      - Studded tyres and air-quality in Norway: http://stro.se/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Vegdirektoratet-presentation-of-VTI-test-EDEN-Group-meeting-25.09.25.pdf [stro.se]

      - Studded tyres blamed for poor Stockholm air: http://www.thelocal.se/20110929/36430 [thelocal.se]

    Particulate emissions are a huge and insidious public health problem.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +4  
       Interesting=1, Informative=3, Total=4
    Extra 'Informative' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   5