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The UK's CO2 Emissions Have Fallen 38% Since 1990, Faster Than Any Other Major Developed Country (carbonbrief.org)
The UK's CO2 emissions peaked in the year 1973 and have declined by around 38% since 1990, faster than any other major developed country. From a report: The most significant factors include a cleaner electricity mix based on gas and renewables instead of coal, as well as falling demand for energy across homes, businesses and industry. Declines in the UK's CO2 have persisted despite an economic recovery from the financial crisis a decade ago. Where earlier reductions were largely negated by rising imports, the past decade has seen genuine cuts in the amount of CO2 for which the UK is responsible. The factors driving emission reductions will likely continue into the future as the UK's remaining coal use is phased out by 2025.
CO2 has dropped; great. How have levels on industry and manufacturing changed? Are they at the same levels? Increased/decreased? What about CO2 production in ratio with GDP? CO2 is important, but if there is no commerce, no economy, how do the people otherwise fare?
Chaos maximizes locally around me.
Locl pollution has to be solved locally. CO2 is a global, long-term problem.
In the EU the limits on local pollution are so low, it is completely harmless to healthy adults. The limits are set with elderly people, infants and asthmatics in mind. There is just some fight in Germany about that, because cars are banned from driving in some cities because of these limits.
Vehicle emissions are tested against the specification of the vehicle from the time of manufacture such as the EURO 6 standard. Dieselgate started with the EURO 5 standard. Therefore, older vehicles are tested against the older specifications because older vehicles will most likely fail the newest standards.
For example, if a car was not manufactured with seat belts such as an old Jaguar of the 1960s then that vehicle will not fail the current seat belt test because the car is exempt from that test. Same applies for emissions such as not having a catalytic converter at the time of manufacture, such a vehicle would be exempt from the relevant emissions test.
In other words, some tests are not applied retrospectively. This is why some governments have scrappage schemes to get rid of vehicles of earlier specifications.
You can see a trend in cities such as London mandating EURO 6 to enter the city without paying an emissions charge. My 2009 Diesel Golf would have to pay this daily emissions charge plus the standard congestion charge. One way to avoid both charges is to use a battery EV.
What a PITA that would be, I'm guessing that takes a lot of the fun out of after market exhaust systems.
On the other hand: What a PITA the consequences of not having emissions checks are!
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
In this case it means being economically liberal, as in low regulation, which she definitely was. In fact that legacy of low regulation, high risk/reward financial services was the origin of the 2008 financial crash.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Well, despite housing stock being overall a bit shit, standards of new builds (tiny shoeboxes) are generally quite efficient. Manufacturing is outsourced to other countries and pollution is further reduced. On top of that, despite the temperature hovering near freezing, many are wearing their entire wardrobes rather than turn on their expensive electric. A recent Facebook argument with hundreds of comments argued about the practicalities of heating a flat with some tea-lights and flower pots! In short, making people poorer is a great way to tackle emissions :(