When I see a car that seems to be putting out a visible and/or smellable amount of smoke/soot/smog, are these the worst polluters? I guess what I'm asking is if visible inspection is a reliable way of detecting these vehicles?
25% of Cars Cause 90% of Automobile Air Pollution
81–90 of 157 posts
Re: 25% of Cars Cause 90% of Automobile Air Pollution
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
And even in Virginia, it differs at the county level. You don't need to get your car tested in southwest VA.
It does seem odd that the state requires safety inspections but doesn't require emissions tests in every jurisdiction.
And in California, which is often considered the strictest state ever invented by man, we have stringent emissions tests but no safety inspection at all! It really confuses all of the California-bashers when you tell them that.
Re: 25% of Cars Cause 90% of Automobile Air Pollution
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's worth remembering with a car as crappy as mine....
Please also consider not poisoning your neighbors.
I live in a big polluted city, and cycle most places. I use the car for the short season at weekends to go kayaking. It has so far passed the emissions test no problem.
Re: 25% of Cars Cause 90% of Automobile Air Pollution
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
Also even their language is phrased such as it says "16 of the world’s largest ships can produce as much lung-clogging sulphur pollution as all the world’s cars" Note the inclusion of the word 'can' before produce. Making this statistic unreliable without further support.
Additionally, it refers specifically to sulfur compounds, not to air pollution in general.
Ships going from (for example) Europe to Asia switch to the cheaper sulfur bunker when exiting the EU. This could be easily fixed with international regulations so people wouldn't be able to use that misleading argument.
Re: 25% of Cars Cause 90% of Automobile Air Pollution
#85I remember a pollution program in CA where they'd buy 20+ year old cars and junk them. Those cars made most of the pollution then.
This program was a pollution credit program. A factor met its pollution control program by cutting either its own or someone elses pollution by a statutory amount.
Re: 25% of Cars Cause 90% of Automobile Air Pollution
#86Let's legislate the consumer end of things because regulating business which pollute the air by a factor of 1000 is wrong.
Re: 25% of Cars Cause 90% of Automobile Air Pollution
#87What does "badly tuned" mean? I feel like there is a need for a lot more clarity. Anyone have the source study (or know what it is). I'd like to know more.
"Tuned" is a holdover term from the days of carbureted fuel systems that doesn't have a lot relevance anymore.
Modern cars don't need routine "tune-ups." Yes, if a sensor fails or something like that it can cause an emissions problem, but a properly working engine computer tunes itself, and if it detects anything isn't what it should be, it activates the "check engine" light on the dashboard.
Re: 25% of Cars Cause 90% of Automobile Air Pollution
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why would mandatory smog checks never be politically feasible? They are not just a California-only thing.
Because it's Michigan. Smog checks could pass in other states. But probably never in Michigan. This is the state that wants to revoke healthcare from victims of automobile accidents ( http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2015/04/senate_c... ). Automobile manufacturers and related industry still controls most of the state. It's hard to overstate how small the chance of smog checks happening in Michigan is.
I haven't taken the time to analyze the merits of that bill, but it would not revoke healthcare from victims of automobile accidents, it would restructure how it is provided. In states that do not have a mandatory no fault PIP, people buy a medical policy along with their car insurance:
http://www.dmv.org/insurance/medical-payments-coverage.php
So would many people see a drop in coverage? Probably. Would people be able to obtain medical coverage for injuries resulting from a car accident? Almost certainly.
(My ill informed cynical assumption is that insurers are funding the push to change the system, with the expectation that they will be able to profit more under the proposed changes)
Re: 25% of Cars Cause 90% of Automobile Air Pollution
#89Here in Europe (well UK and Spain whee I have lived and owned a car) you need to get a check every year for older cars, and that includes an emissions test. Don't you get that in the States / Canada? (It would appear that the study was done in Canada). Saying that, go to many less developed country and the cars are far worse condition. My friend always used to claim that the environmental cost of producing a new car…
In California we do it every other year but with more stringent dynamometer tests.
Re: 25% of Cars Cause 90% of Automobile Air Pollution
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
It does seem odd that the state requires safety inspections but doesn't require emissions tests in every jurisdiction.
And in California, which is often considered the strictest state ever invented by man, we have stringent emissions tests but no safety inspection at all! It really confuses all of the California-bashers when you tell them that.
I don't know, the idea that Californians care more about environmental pollution than human lives seems to fit the stereotypes.