There was a study published about how much air pollution dropped in NYC during the COVID lockdown. PM2.5 was found to have dropped 36%. However with more robust analysis, this drop was discovered to not be statistically significant. I would caution anyone reading this who is tempted by confirmation bias.
In New York City, congestion pricing leads to marked drop in pollution
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Re: In New York City, congestion pricing leads to marked drop in pollution
#12Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do EVs fare in this regard? Brakes are used significantly less, but the additional weight from the batteries chews through tires faster.
Why does everyone immediately pivot to EVs on this subject, instead of (looks around) gargantuan SUVs and trucks everywhere, due to peculiarities of US policies regulating SUVs more leniently than cars on fuel efficiency?
Because a lot if EV buyers are interested in the environmental impact of their purchase?
Re: In New York City, congestion pricing leads to marked drop in pollution
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why does everyone immediately pivot to EVs on this subject, instead of (looks around) gargantuan SUVs and trucks everywhere, due to peculiarities of US policies regulating SUVs more leniently than cars on fuel efficiency?
Because a lot if EV buyers are interested in the environmental impact of their purchase?
Alternatively: Because fossil fuel companies have a long, long history of astroturfing public opinion to benefit their business.
Same trick with solar farms: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/18/1154867064/solar-power-misinf...
And wind: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-oil-and-gas-ind...
Re: In New York City, congestion pricing leads to marked drop in pollution
#14To head off the almost inevitable recapitulation of yesterday's parade of misinformed complaints by teenage libertarians, please actually read the paper before commenting. The paper shows there was no significant reduction in entries to the congestion charge zone by cars, vans, and light trucks. And you can confirm this conclusion is consistent with their source data using their github repo. The reduction in pollution is coming from the significant decline in heavy truck traffic. Truckers were using lower manhattan as a cut-through route to other places and they are now doing that less, exactly as congestion pricing planners long argued.
Re: In New York City, congestion pricing leads to marked drop in pollution
#15[flagged]
Pigovian taxes WORK, and are in many cases desirable, something lolberts just seem unable to get their heads around.
Re: In New York City, congestion pricing leads to marked drop in pollution
#16> Particulates issued from tailpipes can aggravate asthma and heart disease and increase the risk of lung cancer and heart attack. Globally, they are a leading risk factor for premature death. Minor nitpick, but tailpipes aren't the primary source of emissions. The study is about PM2.5[0]. which will chiefly be tires and brake pads. Modern gasoline engines are relatively clean, outside of CO2, though diesel engines s…
And besides, even if lung cancer and heart attack may be the most common means of premature death, it does not entail that air pollution is the primary cause of them. I thought that smoking and bad dietary/exercise habits were the main factors. Please correct me if I'm wrong, I'd like to know.
Re: In New York City, congestion pricing leads to marked drop in pollution
#17Not surprising. The real question is how do we measure the opportunity cost of these measures? Is it a net gain? You could, at the extreme, ban all motor vehicles but the opportunity cost would outweigh the benefits.
Re: In New York City, congestion pricing leads to marked drop in pollution
#18> Particulates issued from tailpipes can aggravate asthma and heart disease and increase the risk of lung cancer and heart attack. Globally, they are a leading risk factor for premature death. Minor nitpick, but tailpipes aren't the primary source of emissions. The study is about PM2.5[0]. which will chiefly be tires and brake pads. Modern gasoline engines are relatively clean, outside of CO2, though diesel engines s…
How do EVs fare in this regard? Brakes are used significantly less, but the additional weight from the batteries chews through tires faster.
I'm not sure, and I assume it will vary a lot by speed.
EVs do also have higher torque, so that may increase tire-based particles, but you're right that it avoids the brake pads for the most part.
Fewer cars in general is the win from congestion pricing, though.
Re: In New York City, congestion pricing leads to marked drop in pollution
#19[flagged]
The question becomes how critical is X and is there a close alternative. In this case I'd say for 95% of people yes driving is easily substituted by NYC's public transit options.
Re: In New York City, congestion pricing leads to marked drop in pollution
#20> Particulates issued from tailpipes can aggravate asthma and heart disease and increase the risk of lung cancer and heart attack. Globally, they are a leading risk factor for premature death. Minor nitpick, but tailpipes aren't the primary source of emissions. The study is about PM2.5[0]. which will chiefly be tires and brake pads. Modern gasoline engines are relatively clean, outside of CO2, though diesel engines s…
Minor nitpick, but tailpipes aren't the primary source of emissions.