Advanced Driving Hub

What I find interesting is that, despite the health concerns, we're told that folks are living longer than ever.
Some caveats there, of course but the general trend would appear to be so, with many ramifications for the costs of this.

WhoseGeneration wrote:What I find interesting is that, despite the health concerns, we're told that folks are living longer than ever.
Some caveats there, of course but the general trend would appear to be so, with many ramifications for the costs of this.

Suspect that may change again in the future as people are "forced" to work for longer (particularly those who haven't been able to buy their own house/rely on whatever joke of a state pension there is by then).

One needs to remember that standards are much tighter now. When I grew in 70s and 80s it was legal to run cars that spewed out enough lead and other toxics that it could kill you in minutes, and I used to have to walk to school beside a busy road exposed to all that stuff.

Don't try this at home folks - but it's not possible to commit suicide by vehicle exhaust using a well maintained modern petrol car - what comes out the tailpipe will make you very sick indeed but it's no longer toxic enough to kill a healthy person. (A badly maintained car is very much a different proposition of course).

The improvements in air quality may well be one of many contributors to better health and longeveity but it does not mean we need to be complacent. We can and should do better - but in a manner that is proportionate to the issue (and the benefits that arise from any improvements).

The earlier comment about buses spewing soot is quite valid. According to Edinburgh city council the amount of toxic pollution produced by buses is on par with that produced by cars, even allowing of the size of buses and their usage pattern, it seems wrong to me that such a small proportion of vehicles can produce so much pollution. I'm increasingly of the view that bus operators need to be called to account on the issue and their maintenance standards - and I suspect that councils, central government and the environmental lobby will not be label to maintain their current denial and the apparent free pass that bus operators seem to be often given.

In the longer term improving battery technology means that electric vehicles are becoming more credible (we will see models from several mainstream makes with 200+ mile ranges this year), and the forthcoming switch to electric traction will allow us to displace the production of toxic emissions out of our cities were most people are to the less populated areas associated with power generation.

I think it was a short comment on top gear during the last London bus strikes, the air quality on Oxford Street improved significantly on the days of the strike.
I also remember reading somewhere that the hybrid electric buses did not work

Southampton City Council has a van fitted with polution monitoring equipment to check on the polutants being emitted by diesel busses, lorries and commercial vans. Private vehicles are not currently targeted. If a vehicles emmisions are above a certain level the opperator is fined. Environmental campaigners want this scheme rolled out in other towns and cities also including private cars.

Nigel.

michael769 wrote: the forthcoming switch to electric traction will allow us to displace the production of toxic emissions out of our cities were most people are to the less populated areas associated with power generation.

Let's move all our power stations to Cornwall. A few inbreeds and their sheep can cough themselves to death while the metropolitan elite get to breath clean air. Wonderful!

Given the prevailing south-westerly wind that would not be a good idea; cf sulphur dioxide emissions from power stations creating acid rain which killed pine trees downwind in Norway.

Jonquirk wrote:Given the prevailing south-westerly wind that would not be a good idea; cf sulphur dioxide emissions from power stations creating acid rain which killed pine trees downwind in Norway.

In that case, Yorkshire may be better. No one of any importance lives there.

Silk wrote:

Jonquirk wrote:Given the prevailing south-westerly wind that would not be a good idea; cf sulphur dioxide emissions from power stations creating acid rain which killed pine trees downwind in Norway.

In that case, Yorkshire may be better. No one of any importance lives there.

Oi, that's enough of that.

Best wishes all (well, all except silk, for the moment)
Dave.

IRRC Drax power station was responsible the pine tree problem in Norway .....