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Diesel Cars Contribute To 5,000 Premature Deaths a Year In Europe, Says Study (phys.org)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Phys.Org: Emissions from diesel cars rigged to appear eco-friendly may be responsible for 5,000 air pollution deaths per year in Europe alone, according to a study published on Monday. The numbers are in line with previous assessments of deaths due to the so-called "Dieselgate" scandal, which erupted when carmaker Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating on vehicle emissions tests. Many other carmakers have since fallen under suspicion. The researchers from Norway, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands calculated that about 10,000 deaths in Europe per year can be attributed to small particle pollution from light duty diesel vehicles (LDDVs). Almost half of these would have been avoided if emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from diesel cars on the road had matched levels measured in the lab. If diesel cars emitted as little NOx as petrol ones, almost 4,000 of the 5,000 premature deaths would have been avoided, said the authors. The countries with the heaviest burden are Italy, Germany, and France, the team added, "resulting from their large populations and high share of diesel cars in their national fleets." Touted as less polluting, the share of diesel cars in Europe rose fast compared to petrol since the 1990s, and now comprise about half the fleet. There are more than 100 million diesel cars in Europe today, twice as many as in the rest of the world together, said the study authors. Diesel engines emit less planet-warming carbon dioxide than petrol ones, but significantly more NOx. The study has been published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
Then we're even, right?
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
Does their deceit about the emissions levels on VW diesel engines, that contributes to deaths, lead to any criminal charges? Nope. Just fines and a round of golf. Corporations have no true accountability when the leaders get to go home and a lonely engineer is set up to take the fall.
As usual, you can't just assume it's that simple. PM2.5 particles can also be formed by chemical processes from precursor NOx emissions, adding to the levels from direct emissions.
In fact, according to this study, secondary formation of PM2.5 from NOx emissions can be surprisingly high:
Based on an analysis of the composition of the PM2.5 measured in the United States, the percentages of the PM2.5 formed by precursor NOx and VOC compounds is quite variable. The portion of PM2.5 comprised of all secondary components (sulfates, nitrates, ammonium, organic carbon) varies anywhere from 30% to 90% of all PM2.5.
Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
I hate to say it but so what? I tend to be on the left environmentally but that statistic is not compelling at all. Five thousand people out of the hundreds of millions in Europe die early deaths because of diesel emissions? Far more deaths can be attributed to all kinds of every day things then that.
I think significantly altering our atmosphere is a bad idea and I like clean air and all but that statistic isn't compelling in the least.
I ignore Anonymous Coward posts. If you want to discuss something, that's awesome. Log in.
In November the EEA reported that air pollution is causing 467,000 premature deaths in the EU, which would put it in the same league as smoking. The 5,000 figure quoted is additional deaths just caused by the misreported dieselgate vehicles; diesel as a whole expected to contribute twice that many to the total.
yeah, because the free market regulates itself soooo great in the US.
Is there anything more useless than a Meta-analysis?
How many times have eggs been bad for you, then good again?
Butter?
Fats?
Etc?
Brought to you by Meta-analysis.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.