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Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic

washingtonpost.com

21–30 of 595 posts

Re: Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic

#21

It makes sense now why they burn cars every protest (besides being fun). Pollution for a day, clean air for a lifetime

Ah yes, the joy of destroying your neighbor’s property just for fun. Is he a working-class guy, struggling to pay his bills? Too bad. Because nothing says “let’s build a better future” than a riot.

Re: Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic

#22
post #12

Worth noting that 50-60% of passenger cars in France are diesel, but Paris have been gradually banning older higher emission diesels (Crit’air 3, 4, 5) from Paris. Banning cars outright also works, of course, but I suspect a lot of the reduction can be attributed to getting particularly bad diesel cars out vs. the limited areas where cars are entirely restricted.

Also worth noting that with modern emissions standards (and transition to EVs), over 50% of handful particulates come from tires, brakes, road surface wear, and resuspended dust: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/non-exhaust-particulate... I don't think there's any healthy level of private cars coexisting with humans in a city, without even considering the more immediate harms from crashes, etc.

Wonder if anyone is working on ways for breaks and tires to be less harmful, or polluting?

Re: Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic

#23
post #12

Worth noting that 50-60% of passenger cars in France are diesel, but Paris have been gradually banning older higher emission diesels (Crit’air 3, 4, 5) from Paris. Banning cars outright also works, of course, but I suspect a lot of the reduction can be attributed to getting particularly bad diesel cars out vs. the limited areas where cars are entirely restricted.

Also worth noting that with modern emissions standards (and transition to EVs), over 50% of handful particulates come from tires, brakes, road surface wear, and resuspended dust: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/non-exhaust-particulate... I don't think there's any healthy level of private cars coexisting with humans in a city, without even considering the more immediate harms from crashes, etc.

[dead]

Re: Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic

#24
post #7

"Ban all the cars" does have noticeable effects. I wonder if something less all / none might have nearly the same effects with far less drawbacks otherwise. E.G. What if only emissions testing certified low emission vehicles were allowed? What if only electric? How about requiring quiet utility trucks for garbage / freight / etc? For cities that large / dense, adding in Caves of Steel like people-mover belts might be…

P&R outside of a city with good connection to city core would be great.

You would also save sitting in traffic.

And it would push the quality of public transport

Re: Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic

#25

Those are some really awesome changes. If only we could get more of that for cities in the US.

Right when covid started I drove around Austin to pick something up. There were hardly any cars on the road and the air looked pristine after several days of people mostly staying at home.

Re: Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic

#26

It makes sense now why they burn cars every protest (besides being fun). Pollution for a day, clean air for a lifetime

Ah yes, the joy of destroying your neighbor’s property just for fun. Is he a working-class guy, struggling to pay his bills? Too bad. Because nothing says “let’s build a better future” than a riot.

[dead]

Re: Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also worth noting that with modern emissions standards (and transition to EVs), over 50% of handful particulates come from tires, brakes, road surface wear, and resuspended dust: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/non-exhaust-particulate... I don't think there's any healthy level of private cars coexisting with humans in a city, without even considering the more immediate harms from crashes, etc.

Wonder if anyone is working on ways for breaks and tires to be less harmful, or polluting?

Regenerative braking would tend to reduce particulates from friction braking.

Re: Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also worth noting that with modern emissions standards (and transition to EVs), over 50% of handful particulates come from tires, brakes, road surface wear, and resuspended dust: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/non-exhaust-particulate... I don't think there's any healthy level of private cars coexisting with humans in a city, without even considering the more immediate harms from crashes, etc.

Wonder if anyone is working on ways for breaks and tires to be less harmful, or polluting?

I don’t know about tires, but for brakes we already know how to make lower dust brakes - use drum brakes instead of disc brakes. The friction material is enclosed on drum brakes so much less of it just flies away.

Re: Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic

#30
post #20

it’s always shocked me how diesel reliant Europe is, smells absolutely terrible coming from the states

Way cheaper than gasoline, that is why.

That’s all a matter of taxation. Modern refining does not produce diesel/kerosene as a leftover unless you want it.
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