... as she stands next to her Range Rover...
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Woman complains about air polution...
(23 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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I'm sure she keeps the windows closed and the air con on.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Beautiful, no more to say really, just beautiful!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yeah, "more should be done in this country to clean the air up". I couldn't agree more. Presumably that's the government's job, nothing to do with folk driving around in Range Rovers with the air con on full blast. Little wonder she's "not surprised" that the UK has failed air quality standards!
Posted 11 years ago # -
It's not the cars, according to the article. It's only the lorries, buses & taxis that cause the pollution!
Cars are close to Godliness, couldn't possibly be the problem...
Posted 11 years ago # -
I managed to watch the whole 1'13" of the video clip, but I was ready to throw things at the screen after about 60 seconds.
You never know, perhaps her Rangie has had a LPG conversion done. Kinda doubt it, though.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Sorry to have to keep being the boring pedant but the fine particulates in diesel exhaust fumes are a significant problem for respiratory conditions so maybe that's why buses, taxis and lorries are specifically mentioned.
I don't know if newer diesel cars are more likely than commercial vehicles to have particulate filters attached but these seem to be very effective in removing fine particles. Maybe all new diesel vehicles have filters and its just that there are more old lorries, buses and taxis on the road than old diesel cars.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Nineteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (meta-OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00–1.11), nitrous oxide (meta-OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00–1.04), and carbon monoxide (meta-OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01–1.12) were positively associated with a higher prevalence of childhood asthma. Exposure to sulfur dioxide (meta-OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07) was positively associated with a higher prevalence of wheeze in children. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide was positively associated with a higher incidence of childhood asthma (meta-OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.06–1.24), and exposures to particulate matter was positively associated with a higher incidence of wheeze in children (meta-OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.04–1.07).
Conclusions
Living or attending schools near high traffic density roads exposes children to higher levels of motor vehicle air pollutants, and increases the incidence and prevalence of childhood asthma and wheeze.
From: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935112001442
Posted 11 years ago # -
The article is about failing hearts, and of course there are other factors in there, such as not exercising enough.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Hey, you know those things can get as much as 25mpg these days. It's really not fair to single out people with respiratory conditions who drive something which is 3x dirtier than it needs to be. Oh, wait...
Posted 11 years ago # -
@amir, aye but the woman in the RR was banging on about respiratory problems. Also, from the article: The strongest link was found with gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, as well as fine particulate air pollution - fumes from buses, taxis and lorries that can get deep into the lungs and, from there, into the bloodstream.
So, cars don't produce CO nor NO2, nor particulates? Pull the other one. Much of the black exhaust smoke I see on a daily basis is emitted by private cars: either malfunctioning exhaust or some kind of engine issue. Commercial vehicles tend to at least be maintained more regularly (with notable exceptions).
Posted 11 years ago # -
Petrol engines with a cat should be emitting very little little CO and NOx. If they are adjusted properly there shouldn't be particulates either.
Posted 11 years ago # -
What's more polluting. 1,000 cars emitting very little CO and NOx and SOx, or 1 car emitting lots of CO and NOx and SOx?
It's the collective effort of needless thousands of vehicles, sitting idling in traffic with a single occupant, that are to blame for the unacceptable atmospheric pollution on Edinburgh's (and other cities') streets, not any 1 vehicle in particular.
So if the self-righteous whingebag in the video wants "someone" to do something about it, "someone" should be doing all it can to get her and as many other people out of their Range Rovers and onto alternative modes of transport. Preferably active.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Especially with a respiratory or heart condition. Mild exercise, say walking or a gentle cycle, should be beneficial.
Alas the interviewee's attitude is very common. It's always someone else's fault, someone else's problem.
Maybe if she wants the government to take action, they could do worse than banning HGVs and 4x4s/SUVs from urban areas.
Posted 11 years ago # -
And it doesn't matter "how efficient and clean" the engine of her 4x4 is, she weighs perhaps 70kg, her vehicle perhaps 50 times that. So to get from A to B she is having to move around many tonnes of needless extra metallic deadweight
Posted 11 years ago # -
I wasn't defending her choice just doing the science teacher catalyst thing. I've got one in a cupboard in my class so I can show it to kids. Mostly they just think I've picked up a dirty big bit of metal.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Is it still the case that cats take a while to get working (need to warm up?) and that until that happens they are worse than not having one? (Can't be bothered looking it up myself).
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yes, you can't change the laws of physics you know. They use a small percentage of the engine's energy to force gas through the matrix so this increases the CO2 production at all times.
There have also been reports of them setting fire to grass. My dad has an S80 which is smooth underneath. I should really have a keek at the exhaust.
My dad had a cat in 1990 and when it broke it was £1000 to replace it. They are a bit cheaper now, I think mine was £300. I suspect KwikFit were unhappy about me asking for it back but they had screwed up badly on that job so I took it anyway. I don't usually use them but the management told me to. She hasn't told me to do that again. I'm back to a wee garage.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Crowriver and others, whilst I agree with 99% of the comments above, please don't fall into the journalistic cliché of "HGV's and 4x4's" there are quite a few "executive" saloons round here which are just as large unnecessary and polluting as any 4 wheel drive!
(and yes, declaration of interest, I own a Landrover Series 3, which is shorter, narrower than most modern "small" cars, and if it was on the road rather than being a drive ornament for the last few years would be a heavy user of petrol :-s)
Posted 11 years ago # -
I think 'original' Landrovers (i.e. Defender types) fitted with proper off-road tyres can be excused from being lumped in with Trinity tractors/4x4s/SUVs :)
Posted 11 years ago # -
"
Matt Seaton (@mattseaton)
11/07/2013 15:26
Diesel particulates do damage RT @jessicacoomes Air pollution linked to higher risk of lung cancer and heart failure"
Posted 11 years ago # -
Personally I'd love to be able to drive a nice luxury car big enough for several bikes and/or several large dogs.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I remember hearing that dogs did more damage to the environment than a jeep.
Posted 11 years ago #
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