Major Cities To Ban Diesel Vehicles by 2025
The mayors of Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens are implementing to ban diesel-powered cars and trucks in order to improve air quality by the middle of the next decade.
According to BBC, the mayors of Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens say they are implementing the ban of diesel-powered vehicles to improve air quality and instead they will give incentives for alternative vehicles use and promote walking and cycling. The commitments were made in Mexico. The use of diesel in transport is under increased surveillance. The World Health Organization (WHO) says 3 million deaths every year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Diesel engines are a problem because through the production of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Nitrogen oxides can help form ground-level ozone and breathing difficulties even for people without respiratory problems. In the United Kingdom, campaigners are calling for London’s mayor to commit in phasing out diesel vehicles from London by 2025. The diesel ban will be hugely significant.
According to Maryland, health studies show that exposure to diesel exhaust primarily affects the respiratory system and worsens asthma, allergies, bronchitis, and lung function. There is some evidence that diesel exhaust exposure can increase the risk of heart problems, premature death, and lung cancer. Diesel engines include Particulate matter (PM), Carbon monoxide (CO), Nitrogen oxides (NOx), Hydrocarbons (HC), Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals that are classified as ‘hazardous air pollutants’ under ‘The Clean Air Act’.
According to The Guardian, over half of new cars are now diesel, compared to just 14% in 2000. European standards for diesel exhaust have not been as strict as those from petrol cars. The technologies that control some types of pollution from diesel are not effective during real-world driving. Japan has taken a different course through innovation in petrol engine technologies it has been able to reduce average car CO2 emission faster and more effectively than Europe without the urban air pollution problem from diesel cars.
