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Human oil spills greatest
The
full cost of motoring
Driving down pregnancy lengths
PM2.5s
The electric sparrow ...
Cycling tax incentives
E for Environment
PM10s costly disaster
Better for the environment
to keep your old car
Car free zones
Benzene from exhaust absorbed by household decor
First traffic asthma study
Diesel and cancer
Trafficking illness
New exhaust system
Human
oil spills greatest
Oil spills from
tankers, pipelines and oil exploration are immensely destructive, and
rightly condemned, but humans are far worse. While tanker and pipeline
spills average 188,000 tonnes a year, human irresponsibility like run-off
from land spills, petrol and oil dumping in parking lots, deliberate emissions
from recreational boats and military and commerical aircraft dump a yearly
average of 480,000 tonnes into our seas. Furthermore, new studies show
that the effects of oil spills, even of small amounts, are more long lasting
and damaging than thought.
(9002) Newswire. New Scientist 1.6.02
p7
BMW
launch hydrogen car
BMW say that their range of
hydrogen cars will be on sale within five years. No slouch, its 7-series
saloon is capable of 135mph and has a range of 180 miles on a tank containing
9.5kg of hydrogen. In UK terms that’s 16 miles per gallon.
The current price of hydrogen in Munich is 60 pence/litre (£2.72/gallon).
The only exhaust emission is steam, condensing in the air into water pure
enough to drink. To extract hydrogen from water one passes a weak current
through it - electrolysis. At present, of course, the necessary electricity
is generated by either extremely polluting conventional power stations
or extremely dangerous nuclear power stations. BP plan to power its commercial
electrolysis plants with clean, renewable electricity from solar and wind
power.
Britain’s first hydrogen filling station (BP) has just been opened
in London. Its first customers will be buses, one of the worst polluting
vehicles.
(8950) Ray Massey. Daily Mail 19.4.02 p29
The full cost of motoring
A World
Health Organisation report states that road vehicles now cause as many
deaths from the air pollution they cause as from road accidents - around
20,000 each year across the whole of Europe. It concludes that motorists
do not pay the true cost to society of their activities. The Lancet, which
featured the report, argues that, if the full cost of motoring to the
NHS were taken into account, higher spending on public transport and laws
to reduce driving would be more publicly acceptable.
(7174) Paul Brown. Guardian 1.9.00 p4
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A World Health Organisation study estimates that annually, in Austria,
France and Switzerland, 6% of all deaths, half a million asthma attacks
and 16 million lost work days are caused by air pollution. It suggests
that traffic is the main culprit.
(7314) Lancet 2000;356:795-801
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Driving
down pregnancy lengths
The incidence of preterm birth, i.e. before the 37th week of pregnancy,
has increased from 7.9% to 10.2% in the US over the last 20 years. A great
deal of research has been done to try to find out the cause but, surprisingly,
little attention has been paid to air pollution. Now a study involving
97,518 newborns in S. California suggests that maternal exposure to PM10s
during the first month of pregnancy increases the chance of having a preterm
baby by 16% for every increase of 50 microgram increase in background
levels, and a 20% increased chance per 50 microgram increase where exposure
occurs during the last six weeks before birth. Exposure to carbon monoxide
showed a very slightly increased chance.
The researchers suggest that air pollution could disturb the pituitary-adrenocorticol-placental
system or blood flow in the uterus, as well as making the mothers more
susceptible to infections. PM10s, as well as other toxic pollution from
vehicle exhausts, could interfere with the foetus’s development and
nutrition, causing foetal distress. A Polish study found increased levels
of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the umbilical cord blood
of mothers living in highly polluted areas and linked this to higher incidences
of low birthweights, reduced head circumference and reduced length at
birth.
(7437-39) Ritz,B et al. Epidemiology 2000;11:5,502-11
Trafficking illness
Numerous studies have linked air pollution and mothers smoking whilst pregnant to low birth weight (LBW). LBWs are strongly linked with increased risk of illness throughout life and premature death. Two researchers in Los Angeles, renowned for its air pollution, have now focused on carbon monoxide (CO). They studied the health records of 125,573 children whose mothers had lived within 2 miles of one of Los Angeles’ 18 carbon monoxide monitoring stations, and took sex of child, level of prenatal care, ethnicity, and age of mother into account. Of the 125,573 children, 2,813 (2.2%) had LBWs. The research showed a significantly higher risk (20% up) of LBW for foetuses exposed to higher ambient CO.
The similarities between the effects of maternal smoking and exposure to CO are not surprising. CO is one of the gases generated by burning tobacco. Another study undertaken in the ’70s showed that exposure to air pollution in LA had the same effect (an average reduction in birth weight of 314 grammes) as a mother smoking 20 cigarettes a day throughout her pregnancy.
Ed.- When inhaled CO can penetrate tissues and is absorbed into the blood stream where it combines with the haemoglobin of blood cells 300 times faster than oxygen. This deprives the brain and heart of oxygen, causing death in extreme cases.
(5243-45) The effect of ambient carbon monoxide on low birth weight among children born in S. California 1989-93. Beate, R & Fei, Y. Environmental Health Perspectives 1999;107:17-25
PM10s costly disaster
A World Health Organisation study in Austria, France and Switzerland suggests that the fine particulates (PM10s) emitted in car exhausts kill more people than road accidents. The study states that they are responsible for 21,000 deaths, 300,000 cases of child bronchitis and 395,000 cases of adult asthma every year. The cost of all this is 1.7% of the three countries' combined gross domestic product (GDP).
(6991) Environmental Science & Technology 1.9.00 p355A
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PM2.5s
The US Environmental Protection Agency has been fighting a controversial
campaign against very fine airborne particulates called PM2.5s. It supports
studies showing their links with premature deaths, especially in vulnerable
populations. One of their most powerful opponents has been the American
Trucking Association, which does not want to see tough restrictions on
PM2.5 emissions included in proposed Clean Air legislation. Now an independent
team of 31 scientists led by Professor Daniel Krewski has exhaustively
reviewed the methodology and science of two key studies as well as replicating
their findings. According to the EPA’s John Bachmann, the agency
now has a very powerful case for strict regulation.
(7460-61) Environmental Science & Technology 1.6.00 p252A
Diesel cancer
A 2-year $1 million study shows that particulates from diesel-powered vehicles may account for up to 71% of cancer risk from air pollution in the Los Angeles basin. It is expected to lead to stricter regulations for diesel fleets of 15 or more vehicles, and particularly long-range trucks. A further 20% of the cancer risk from air pollution comes from petrol-powered cars and the remainder (9%) from industry.
(5933) Daily Gist 5.11.99
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The electric sparrow ...
A new electric car - The Electric Sparrow - is now being imported into
the UK from the US. An eight foot long three-wheeler, the Sparrow has
a top speed of 70mph, electric windows and a CD player. It is powered
by a normal 12 volt battery which can be recharged from the mains in a
couple of hours, and has a range of about 60 miles. The Sparrow is a one-seater
(plus shopping) and can be registered and insured as a motorcycle.
For more information contact: Ecovec plc on 01629 814815 or check out
their website: www.corbinmotors.com
(7587) EcoDesign 1.7.00 p5
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Cycling tax incentives
The UK is the third European country after the Netherlands and Belgium to introduce tax breaks to employees who do not use their cars to get to work. Four of these relate to bicycles:
• No tax on bicycles and cycling safety equipment provided by the employer for the journey to work
• No tax on workplace parking for bicycles
• Employees who use their own bikes for business travel can claim capital allowances
• Employees can be paid 12p a mile if they use their own bikes for business travel and can claim 12p a mile tax relief if their employer doesn't pay travel expenses.
(6685-86) Valerie Belsey. Positive
News 1.6.00 p3
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Research by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has shown that shopping on-line can benefit the environment provided that delivery lorries are fully loaded. The real gains are in urban areas where hundreds of car journeys can be averted. In rural areas e-shopping could actually make things worse environmentally-speaking.
The researchers calculated that energy consumption would be cut by 5% - 7% if 10% of all goods were bought on-line. When e-shopping rises to 50% energy savings could reach 35%. Less car journeys, of course, also mean less emissions. If just 10% of goods are purchased on-line (given an average delivery range of 90km) emissions of CO2 would fall by 4%, nitrogen oxide by 9%.
(6808-09) Warmer Bulletin 1.5.00 p9
Many Governments are encouraging their citizens to replace their old cars with new on the environmental grounds of reducing emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2).Bert van Wee of the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment at Utrecht University (Holland) suspected that all factors had not been taken into account. New cars for instance, tend to be heavier than old cars (and thus consume more fuel), and both scrapping old cars and building new ones cause CO2 emissions. When his team readjusted the Dutch emission figures they found that reducing average car age would increase overall CO2 emissions by 4%. Their advice is that, environmentally, it is better for individuals to keep their old cars, possibly fitting them with catalytic converters to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds, until manufacturers increase fuel-burning efficiency.
(6115-16) New Scientist 12.2.00 p21
The Dutch have been turning their streets into ‘home zones’ for over 20 years. There are now more than 6,500. When first introduced in the 1970s they saw levels of serious road casualties fall 30% - 70%. A ‘home zone’ is a residential area where:
• cars do not have priority over pedestrians or cyclists ä the speed limit is walking pace ä there are no kerbs - it’s a shared space
• cars often park at right angles to the street, leaving very small gaps for traffic to pass
• there are children’s slides, rocking horses and other play equipment, as well as communal dining tables, tree and flower tubs in the middle of the street.
The results are:
• a substantial rise in community spirit
• much increased safety and opportunities for unsupervised play for children
• much greater security and support for old people and hugely increased demand for houses in the zones.
The most successful ‘home zones’ are those initiated by the community which then works with their town council to create the best design. The least successful were those imposed from above. Not all streets are suitable for ‘home zoning’. By 2001 half of all residential non-zone streets will be traffic-calmed in Holland and given 20mph speed limits. This will cost the equivalent of £1.60 per person per year. In the UK we currently spend just 10 pence per person per year.
Ed.- The UK Government admits to a definite 321,000 road accidents a year but cautions that under-reporting could increase this by another half. Independent research suggests it could be much higher (Times 6.3.00 p4). London’s NHS trusts alone spend £94 million on road traffic accidents and £7 million on illnesses directly related to traffic.
(6210-12) Lynn Solman. Going Green 1.3.00 p6
A community of residents in Freiburg (Germany) has launched the country's largest car-free living scheme to date. The Vauban development of 280 new homes on 94 acres has banned cars within its limits. People travel by cycle or on foot. A few residents keep a car garaged just outside the project's boundaries. Vauban resident Ruthild Haage-Rapp comments, "The children play in the street. You can stand by your kitchen window without all the noise from the street. Then the inconvenience is worth it." Germany has 20 car-free living projects in various stages of development. Holland has a 600-apartment project in Amsterdam, Austria a project in Vienna, and Scotland a project outside Edinburgh.
(6543-44) Grist Magazine 22.03.00
Benzene from vehicle exhausts suppresses bone marrow, suppresses the development of red blood cells, and has been linked to leukaemia. A six-city European study has ascertained that, although hotter climates encourage the build up of air pollution, the highest exposure levels were found in the Northern cities of Antwerp, Copenhagen and Rouen. The explanation seems to be decor. When benzene enters a home, absorbent surfaces on walls, floors and furnishings tend to trap it. Northern décor - carpets, linoleum, wood, wallpaper - trap more than southern décor - tiling, marble and bare walls. The study asked 50 volunteers in each town to wear benzene monitors to compare personal exposure to measured street levels. They found that, on average, personal exposure was double that suggested on the street. The study's leader, Dr. Vincenzo Cocheo of the Salvatore Maugeri Foundation in Padova (Italy) hopes that law-makers will take this new approach to measuring exposure to air pollution into account.
(6200-2) David Derbyshire. Daily Telegraph 9.3.00 p17
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First traffic asthma study
The first controlled study of asthmatic children’s response to traffic fumes has found that their lower respiratory symptoms (e.g. wheezing and shortness of breath) increased, whereas there was no such measurable effect in the control group of non-asthmatic children. Children with atopic asthma and children in the bronchial hyper-responsiveness group reacted similarly. When exposed to particulates (tiny severely health-damaging particles), the asthmatic children’s symptoms increased 32%-139% for each 100 gram increase in density. For every 40 grams of black smog, sulphur dioxide or nitrogen dioxide per cubic litre of air to which the children were exposed their symptoms increased by between 16% and 131%.
(5846-47) Greenfiles 1.9.99 p10
Quieter and cleaner
Ahmed Selamet of Ohio State University has worked with Ford Motor Company engineers to develop a new exhaust system for internal combustion engines which both increases engine power 3%-5%, reduces engine noise thus permitting simpler silencers, and decreases exhaust emissions (nitrogen oxides 9%, carbon monoxides 16%, and hydrocarbons 27%). The redesign also includes bringing the catalytic converter much closer to the engine so that it heats up (and thus begins to operate) more quickly. The key to the increased power and reduced noise was the drilling of hundreds of tiny holes less than 3mm in diameter in the tubes leading the exhaust gas from the engine to the catalytic converter. Only a small amount of the gases escape through the holes but they are just sufficient to dissipate the pressure waves which decrease the engine’s efficiency and create the customary 190 decibels of noise.
(5373-74) Jonathan Beard. New Scientist 20.3.99 p5
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