car+pollution+information+websities+tommy


 * Motor vehicle emissions** are composed of the [|by-products] that comes out of the [|exhaust systems] or other emissions such as gasoline evaporation. These emissions contribute to [|air pollution] and are a major ingredient in the creation of [|smog] in some large cities.[|[2]][|[3]][|[4]][|[5]] When oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and [|volatile organic compounds] (VOCs) react in the presence of sunlight, ground level [|ozone] is formed, a primary ingredient in [|smog] . A 2005 U.S. EPA report gives road vehicles as the second largest source of VOCs in the U.S. at 26% and 19% are from non road equipment which is mostly gasoline and diesel stations.[|[10]] 27% of VOC emissions are from solvents which are used in the manufacturer of paints and paint thinners and other uses.[|[11]]

Ozone is beneficial in the upper atmosphere, but at the ground level this gas irritates the [|Respiratory system], causing coughing, choking, and reduced lung capacity.[|[12]] In the United States, ozone is responsible for an estimated $500 million in reduced crop production each year.[|[][|13]] Mono-nitrogen oxides NO and NO�79 ==165� react with [|ammonia], moisture, and other compounds to form [|nitric acid] vapor and related particles. Small particles can penetrate deeply into sensitive lung tissue and damage it, causing premature death in extreme cases. Inhalation of such particles may cause or worsen respiratory diseases such as [|emphysema], [|bronchitis] it may also aggravate existing heart disease.[|[7]][|[8]][|[9]] In a 2005 [|U.S. EPA] study the largest emissions of NOx came from on road motor vehicles, with the second largest contributor being non road equipment which is mostly gasoline and diesel stations.[|[9]] ==

==  Carbon dioxide (CO�89 ==

174�)
[|Carbon dioxide] is a [|greenhouse gas]. Motor vehicle CO�93

179� emissions are part of the anthropogenic contribution to the growth of CO�94
==180� concentrations in the atmosphere which is believed by a majority of scientists to play a significant part in [|climate change]. Motor vehicles are calculated to generate about 20 per-cent of the European Union's man-made CO�96== ==182� emissions, with passenger cars contributing about 12 per-cent.[|[21]] The European Union average new car CO�98== ==184� emissions figure dropped by 5.4 per-cent in the year to the first quarter of 2010, down to 145.6 [|g/km] .[|[][|22]] ==

[ [|edit] ]
==Car pollution reaches from air pollution to globel warming, water pollution to noise pollution, energy use to urban sprawl and so much more. ==

== No other machine in history has had a greater impact on our environment then the car. This is because we create the environment we live in and we have remade our environment for the car. It is this landscape of the automobile which is the real challenge to sustainability. Our quality of life depends largely on the quality of our environment. The real question to ask is this - what has the car done to our environment and what kind of environment do we want to live in ? ==

== LivingSpace covers just eight of the most important environmental and pollution issues. Each section starts with a brief introduction page behind which are the main pages and references. We have also created a 20,000 word database which we hope will provide many of the statistics which you might be looking for. ==

= Car Pollution =

Road transport is one of the biggest sources of pollution in the UK, contributing to poor air quality, climate change, congestion and noise disturbance. Of the 33 million vehicles on our roads, 27 million are cars. Whilst travel by car is often the only practicable option, there are simple steps we can all take to reduce the number of journeys we take and their impact on the environment.

Impacts of car pollution
**Climate Change** Road transport accounts for 22% of total UK emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) – the major contributor to climate change. The EU has agreements with motor manufacturers that aim to reduce average CO2 emissions from new cars. Colour-coded labels, similar to those used on washing machines and fridges, are now displayed in car showrooms showing how much CO2 new models emit per kilometre. However, as traffic levels are predicted to increase, road transport will continue to be a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. **Air Quality** Air pollutants from transport include nitrogen oxides, particles, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. All have a damaging impact on the health of people, animals and vegetation locally. Air quality in the UK is slowly improving, but many areas still fail to meet the health based national air quality objectives and European limit values – particularly for particles and nitrogen dioxide. In town centres and alongside busy roads, vehicles are responsible for most local pollution. Vehicles tend to emit more pollution during the first few miles of journey when their engines are warming up. Although new technology and cleaner fuel formulations will continue to cut emissions of pollutants, the increasing number of vehicles on the road and miles driven is eroding these benefits. **Noise** Noise from road traffic affects 30% of people in the UK. Sources include engine noise, tyre noise, car horns, car stereos, door slamming, and squeaking brakes. Vehicles have been subject to noise standards for many years through EU legislation. The sound of engines is a problem in towns and cities, while in more rural areas tyre noise on busy roads, which increases with speed, is the main source. Low-noise road surfaces, effective noise barriers in sensitive locations, and low noise tyres can all help reduce noise levels. Meanwhile, encouraging people to close car windows when playing loud music, and discouraging the use of 'boom box' car stereos would significantly reduce noise impact. (See our leaflet on Noise Pollution for more) **Resource Use** Vehicles have a major impact on the environment through their construction, use and eventual disposal. It is estimated that of the CO2 emissions produced over a car's lifespan 10% come from its manufacture and 5% from its disposal, with the remaining 85% coming from fuel use and servicing operations. In addition to these emissions of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants, the vehicle and related industries (e.g. fuels) consume large amounts of raw materials, and produce significant quantities of waste. **Local Impacts** Vehicle use affects our whole quality of local life. Traffic can be dangerous and intimidating, dividing communities and making street life unpleasant. Abandoned vehicles cause nuisance, whilst air pollution and traffic noise can make urban living uncomfortable.

What can I do to reduce car pollution
What Can I Do to Reduce Car Pollution? Follow the checklist to ensure you minimise your impact:


 * **Avoid using cars for short journeys**– combine trips or, alternatively, walk, cycle, or take a bus.
 * **Care for your vehicle**– check tuning, tyre pressure, brakes and fuel consumption – regular servicing helps keep your car efficient and saves fuel.
 * **Lighten up**– roof racks add drag and other unnecessary weight increases fuel consumption.
 * When your tyres need replacing consider**low rolling resistance**replacements – ask your tyre fitter for advice.
 * **Drive gently**– racing starts and sudden stops increase fuel consumption. Use higher gears when traffic conditions allow.
 * **Steady you speed**– at around 50mph (80 kph) emissions will be lowest, rising dramatically above 70mph (110 kph).
 * **Switch off when stationary**– if stuck in traffic or stopping more than a minute. Idling engines make sitting in jams even more unpleasant. Do not run the engine unnecessarily – drive off soon after starting (in some areas it may be an offence to leave the engine running).
 * **Be considerate of those around you**- reduce the volume of your car stereo or close your car window in residential areas, and avoid sounding your horn or revving your engine.
 * **Air conditioning and on board electrical**devices increase fuel consumption – only use them when really necessary.
 * **Share your journeys**– go shopping with friends or neighbours, take a colleague to work, or join a car share club [|www.carplus.org.uk] or liftshare [|www.liftshare.org]
 * **Investigate alternatives**– If you're looking for a new car there are a number of different technologies and fuels available

Choosing a cleaner car
In the UK 2.2 million new cars and 8 million used cars are sold annually. 1.2 million of the new cars sold are to company fleets. When buying a car for use at home or work consider choosing the option with the lowest environmental impact. **New Cars** Diesel and petrol cars dominate new car sales, but gas (e.g. LPG), biofuel and hybrid vehicles are also available. Diesels emit less CO2 than petrol vehicles, but more local pollutants harmful to health. Hybrids give maximum benefit if your journeys involve lots of urban driving. You can check the carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption of new cars in the [|**VCA guide**]. Advertisements for new cars give the CO2 emissions and this information is available at the showroom. Vehicles that run on alternative fuels include LPG (liquid petroleum gas), electric or hybrid vehicles. Cleaner fuels are becoming more widely available and they may save you money and reduce pollution. **Used Cars** When buying a used car you have similar choices on size, fuel type, etc than you do when buying a new one. Remember that the newer the vehicle is, the cleaner it is likely to be, however regular maintenance is also important and a full service history will help to ensure the vehicle is running clean and well. For vehicles produced after March 2001 you'll be able to find CO2 and fuel economy figures in the [|**VCA guide**]. **Cleaner Car Tips**


 * **Downsize** - a smaller car will save you money and reduce pollution. Many small cars now have 'big car' features and levels of comfort.
 * **Think fuel** – if most of your driving is on motorways and trunk roads a diesel car could offer the lowest CO2 emissions. If most of your driving is urban a petrol, or better still a hybrid, has lower emissions of local pollutants harmful to health.
 * **Check the figures** – if you're after a new car, or a used one produced after March 2001, check the VED database for its CO2 emissions and Euro standard. Aim for a low CO2 figure and a Euro IV rating.
 * **Look at the history** – when shopping for a used car look for one with a good service history to ensure it has been well maintained.
 * **Turn it off** – remember that air conditioning and electrical gadgets can increase fuel use significantly.
 * **Why idle?** – Many vehicles now are available with stop-start technology that automatically stops the engine when the car is stationary, and starts it again very quickly when you're ready to move off. This saves fuel, and reduces both emissions and noise.
 * **Look to the future** – cars that meet the Euro V standard will start appearing in the new market during2009, ask the dealers if the model your interested in complies.

**Car emissions kill 30,000 people each year in the U.S.** (2, 1998) **More than half of the people in the U.S. live in areas that failed to meet federal air quality standards at least several days a year** (7, 1990), and around 80 million Americans live in areas that continually fail to meet these standards (6, 1998). **Most ozone pollution is caused by motor vehicles,** which account for 72% of nitrogen oxides and 52% of reactive hydrocarbons (principal components of smog). (7, 1990)

Projected [|carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from cars] could remain level at three gigatons through 2050 despite many more personal vehicles on the road with only minor and affordable changes to existing engines, chassis and systems, according to a new report.

The study, unveiled today at the [|Geneva Motor Show] in Switzerland, challenges auto- and policy-makers to push for technology and design changes to existing autos that could double today's average gas mileage of 26 miles per gallon (11 kilometers per liter) in the U.S. to 52 mpg (22 kpl).

Those modifications include stop–start (idle-off) systems in which the engine shuts down when the car is stopped during driving; low rolling-resistance tires (which are harder and thus less flat, reducing friction); variable valve timing for engines, which increases gas consumption efficiency; and fuel economy computers or displays to encourage eco-driving, such as such as those in the [|Toyota Prius], which show miles per gallon averages for that moment, hour, week or month, or when riding downhill, so that drivers are more aware of how their driving impacts fuel efficiency.

Among other adjustments that could help double fuel economy are turbocharging with smaller, more efficient engines that produce the same level of power; advanced heat management and cooling systems, which reuse the heat produced in the engine for energy; weight reduction, including broader use of high-strength steel that is already in some cars today; better aerodynamics; more efficient air conditioners, transmissions and lighting devices (including headlights); and [|increased electrification] leading to full hybridization with electric motor and regenerative breaking—all of which currently exist.

"We need to move towards new technology vehicles like EVs," or electric vehicles, says Lew Fulton, a transport energy specialist at the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), which issued [|the report] along with the U.N. Environmental Programme, International Transport Forum (ITF) and the FIA Foundation, an organization based in England that promotes environmental protection, road safety and sustainable mobility as well as funds specialist motor sport safety research. "But we can also can make today's vehicles more efficient, by speeding the uptake of existing technologies. This is relatively low-cost stuff."

The consortium’s call to action is based on IEA's analysis of studies by engineers at Aston University in Birmingham, England, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other organizations, and suggests that by 2050 two gigatons of CO2, six billion barrels of oil and $600 billion in fuel costs could be [|saved without radical reengineering], or half of what is consumed and emitted by cars in the European Union today.

The initiative strives to trigger action among automakers that are rolling back plans for greener cars amid the economic crisis, particularly in fast-growing emerging markets like the [|Association of South East Asian Nations] (ASEAN), a regional bloc that includes Indonesia and the Philippines and purchases as many cars as India today. The plan also proposes incentives like rebates, taxes, testing, labeling, import controls, emissions standards and conditional financing for struggling auto companies to make cars with many elements of niche hybrids like the Prius more mainstream and affordable. Data dissemination and workshops to develop national fuel economy policies with key stakeholders are on the consortium’s agenda, too.

"We already have the technology and the means to get us on the road to making our cars 50 percent more fuel efficient," ITF Secretary General Jack Short said at the press conference releasing the report. "All that is needed are coordinated efforts and actions from both industry and governments."

The world's car fleet is set to triple by 2050 to two billion autos with 80 percent of that growth coming from rapidly industrializing nations like India that currently do not have fuel economy rules (although the [|fastest growing car market]—China—has tougher regulations than the U.S.). Over that time, CO2 output from autos is projected to double to six gigatons if it follows its current path. Cars account for nearly half of all CO2 emissions from transport.

Nowadays, we have a wider selection of vehicles that go much further and faster. But when it comes to fuel-efficiency, we're pretty much back with the Model Ts. Astoundingly, the 28.5 miles per gallon (mpg) of Ford's Model Ts beats the mileage of many of today's vehicles. In response to the 1970s oil crisis, the country mobilized to double mileage from 13.4 mpg to 27.5 mpg by 1985. But since then, thanks mostly to increased horsepower and weight in all types of vehicles, fuel efficiency has become static. Collectively, our cars in 2005 go fewer miles on a gallon of gas than our 1980 vehicles. Burning more fuel creates more pollution.

=Beware of small stuff= When you breathe, very small particles can slip past the lung’s natural defense system. These include soot, dust and acid droplets. This particulate air pollution may get trapped in your [|lungs] and cause problems such as bronchitis, <span class="IL_AD">asthma attacks and other lung diseases. Here are some ways to prevent air pollution from entering your system and to protect yourself: =Speak Up For Clean Air= Everyone should try all available ways to prevent air pollution. Anything will make a difference. Use any [|civic influence] you have to improve regional as well as national air pollution standards. Support action for unhealthy air by writing to your local newspaper. It would also be worth your while to let your elected representatives know that you support the clean air act. If your concern is industrial air pollution and you need dispersion modelling done, try the experts at Calvin Consulting Group Ltd. Give Barry a call at at **403-547-7557** or email - info @ calvinconsulting.ca (remove spaces). xxxxxxx
 * On days that there is unhealthy air, do not use your fireplace or <span class="IL_AD">wood stove
 * Drive slowly on unpaved roads
 * Avoid vigorous activity on days that have unhealthy [|air]
 * Avoid using a <span class="IL_AD">leaf blower and any other kind of equipment that blows a lot of dust around. Try a broom or a rake instead.
 * Drive less, especially on days that have unhealthy air

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