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When it comes to emissions, rather than demonise diesel, let’s all do our bit

Image of Alisdair Suttie
Author: | Updated: 03 Jul 2017 12:02

Few subjects have become so emotive in such a short space of time as vehicle emissions. When you see headlines about cars being unclean in a way that a Medieval leper would find distasteful, this is perfectly understandable. This sort of hype stokes fear and concern, yet the truth is always more complex and tougher to grasp.

So, in a simplistic way, cars have become one of the greatest evils of our times and should be banned. And that goes double if it should have the audacity to be fuelled by diesel, which we all know is pure poison.

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What’s the truth behind the facts and figures?

Well, that’s if you go with the lazy pseudo-science being pedalled by some pundits. What is the reality, then? It is true that diesel engines produce more harmful tailpipe emissions when it comes to nitrous oxide (NOx) and sulphur oxide (SOx) than petrol engines. The difference is down to the type of fuels they are and how they burn. Yet there are other factors involved in how they harm humans.

Public Health England (PHE) estimates that diesels have ‘an effect equivalent to’ around 25,000 deaths per year in England. Many will find that a shocking figure, yet PHE is hedging its bets and has no solid evidence to say this number is true. Is diesel pollution a contributory factor in all of those deaths or the sole reason? Until we have definite, hard facts to make decisions with we will only ever be guessing at the best way forward.

Diesel emission

Yet there is a way we can all make a significant change to air quality and lowering emission-based pollution. This is the path advised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

New guidance from NICE says that something as simple as banning all vehicle engine idling in areas where vulnerable people collect can make a major difference to health and the environment.

Those vulnerable groups are identified as children under the age of 14-years old and those older people over 65. It also says anyone with respiratory conditions such as asthma or heart conditions fall into this category.

Dirty van in traffic - PC - Daniel Carter

Professor Paul Lincoln, who chaired the NICE guideline committee, said: “Air pollution is a major risk to our health and measures suggested so far have not managed to tackle the problem sufficiently. This guidance is based upon the latest evidence available. It outlines a rage of practical steps that Local Authorities can takes, such as the implementation of no-idling zones to reduce emissions and protect the public.”

This is a turn in the right direction and rather than demonise cars and drivers, NICE is looking at logical steps we can all take to help. It’s also basing this on evidence rather than a knee-jerk reaction to a few headlines that we’ve seen touted by some politicians seeking diesel scrappage schemes.

This guidance from NICE identifies that pollution is not a blanket smog across the country but is clustered in specific areas. It’s no surprise to learn the worst areas are in the most densely populated parts of the UK, with large cities the most affected.

F-Type Engine start stop button

That’s to be expected when congestion means lots of vehicles sitting stationary for prolonged periods. Yet, if their drivers switched off their engines, it could reduce emissions drastically while also saving them fuel.

How can we play a part in reducing emissions?

Many modern cars come with auto stop-start technology as standard, but many drivers won’t use it, either deliberately or through lack of understanding, as they keep the car in gear and the clutch depressed as they’ve been taught during the driving test. By simply putting the car into neutral and lifting the clutch, they could be doing their part when sat still in a queue or at the lights.

Every little helps and car drivers have to do their share, though we should also be looking to other factors while encouraging drivers to be moderate their behaviour. For instance, the biggest emitter of NOx pollution in London comes from gas central heating followed by diesel machinery, HGV trucks and behind that cars. Buses are next in line for contributing to the capital’s pollution problems and that rises to 16% in central London. After that, comes ground-based aviation, with petrol cars next and then diesel vans.

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That list isn’t to excuse cars or any other contributor from taking responsibility for the emissions they produce, but it shows cars are not the be all and end all of the problem. They just happen to be the most visible and easiest target to point the finger of blame at.

There’s good scientific thought that shows changing driver behaviour makes much more of a change than technological advances. In 2011, the Environmental Research Letters published by a group from the University of California showed that ‘technological advances will be insufficient to meet climate goals.’ This group recommended incorporating other options for transport such as walking, cycling and public transport.

Such schemes are already in place in many cities and have helped, with cycling in British towns and cities increasingly massively over the past two decades and Sadiq Khan hoping to increase the proportion of people walking, cycling and taking public transport to 80% of journeys by 2041 via his transport strategy. Even so, it’s still important to look at driving habits and how to change them.

Bosch stop-start

As part of the NICE’s guidance, it also recommends smooth driving to help lower emissions. After all, when an engine is working hard, it’s producing more exhaust gases as it burns more fuel. So, a smooth technique means accelerating and braking more gently, which involves the basics of advanced driving and that could also lead to fewer collisions.

This is the basis for a much more reasoned and common sense discussion about air pollution and how to deal with it in a responsible, practical manner. Professor Mark Baker, director for the Centre of Guidelines at NICE, said: “The battle against air pollution has to be one we are all fully committed to. We need a collaborative long-term plan to improve air quality and our guidance can help us achieve that.”

This call from NICE is a much needed voice of reason in a debate that has become too heatedly emotional and based on poor information. It also shows that minimal changes to the way we all drive can bring about a huge improvement in air quality for all. And just as the world has seemingly turned against diesel so rapidly, we can implement these driver behaviour changes even more swiftly if all drivers are made aware of them and what to do.

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