Doctors demand ban on diesel engines in London – but are they missing a bigger killer?
Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens have committed to a ban on diesel vehicles by 2025 [Image: BBC].
This Writer agrees with a Twitter user who wrote: “Why all the fuss about pollution from Diesel engines killing people while ignoring the DWP which is far more toxic and kills many more people?”
A new campaign led by medical professionals is calling for all diesel cars to be banned from London.
Doctors Against Diesel claim 9,400 Londoners a year die prematurely from breathing in toxic fumes from diesel engines.
Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens have committed to a ban on diesel vehicles by 2025.
Opponents to the campaign have called the proposals “impractical” and warned a blanket ban could “backfire”.
Source: Doctors call for ban on diesel engines in London – BBC News
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while the doctors loss their jobs with gov closing off hospitals they cry out diesel cars are killing hmmm why dont they say gov are killing the stock through benefits denials mores to the point
It was notes long ago the medical profession were saying diesel cars were cleaner.
And petrol powered cars produce more co2, and benzine which is carcinogenic… so lets use electric cars… powered from fossil fuels at power station….cannot escape pollution
The hydrogen fuel cell is the best way forward for cars.
Mike, if I knew I was following a car carrying compressed hydrogen I’d leave an appropriate distance – say 10 miles. How is hydrogen produced on an industrial quantity? By electrolysis. And from where do we obtain the electricity? Currently hydrogen is produced here in Runcorn by electrolysis of brine with caustic soda the main product – the plant concerned uses more electricity than nearby south Liverpool. Hydrogen is a by-product. It is extremely hazardous to handle, not only can it leak through joints it can also diffuse through the cylinders containing it. It’s also highly explosive should it become mixed with oxygen in stoichiometric ratio. The combustion of hydrogen might only result in water (with some oxides of nitrogen) still leaves the fact that heat engines are only about 30% efficient. We need to completely bury heat engines. Electric motors are the answer, anything up 90% efficient and no narrow torque range like an internal combustion engine – no gears. Battery technology is advancing rapidly but the ultimate aim might be fuel cells. Fuel cells can “cold combust” methane, liquid fossil fuels or biofuels like ethanol at much greater efficiency than any form of heat engine as no heat is necessary. Only waste products are CO2 and water.