Experts Urge London to Ditch Diesel to Safeguard Children
Even with COVID-19 restrictions fully implemented, air pollution levels in London remained high in 2020. Various sites in the UK recorded excess levels of toxic air even though everyone was stuck at home for months and the roads were mostly empty.
Several areas in London have failed to follow air pollution guidelines. Nitrogen dioxide levels in these sites are multiple times over the legal limits. The data came from air quality monitors scattered throughout the city. Dangerous toxic air levels were also recorded in areas outside the confines of the ULEZ or Ultra-Low Emission Zone expansion.
Residents, especially children, are exposed to high levels ofNO2 pollution. Their health is at risk as nitrogen dioxide is known to cause effects such as asthma attacks and reduced lung function. The Mayor of London describes air pollution as a national health issue that can hinder lung development in children and result in premature deaths.
Recognising what the illegal levels of NO2 can do to a person and their community, a campaign group composed of parents has urged the UK government to stop using diesel and switch to electric vehicles (EVs). One of the parents, Jemima Hartshorn of South London, said that the need for better, cleaner, more reliable, and cheaper public transportation is essential, particularly in areas with high toxic air levels. For example, buses must be replaced with electric buses.
It is important for the government to fully commit to prioritising public health and putting residents’ safety above everything else, especially those with children. The best way to do this is to reduce air pollution levels by eliminating sources such as diesel-powered vehicles and wood burning.
The Mayor of London’s air pollution solutions
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, created the ULEZ or Ultra-Low Emission Zones to curb toxic air. While the program has helped reduce roadside NO2 pollution by as much as 50%, most of the area the ULEZ covers is in central London. In 2021, the zone was expanded to include highly polluted outer sites. However, there are still areas that are located outside the expansion, and these are places with illegal toxic air levels.
This is why there is a need to switch to cleaner alternatives and ban the use of diesel vehicles.
The Mayor of London has other solutions, including the scrapping of older, high-polluting vehicles. These would be replaced with cleaner and more efficient models. Since 2019, over 10,000 vehicles have been retrofitted or replaced. Several charities, sole traders, and micro businesses have also given up over 5,000 older, high-polluting vans.
High-polluting vehicles, specifically diesel-powered ones, contribute about 50% of London’s total NOx emissions.
Despite the positive directions of Mayor Sadiq’s ULEZ and scrappage program, the majority of Londoners still reside in areas with excessive air pollution levels, with some even exceeding WHO-recommended legal limits. Children continue to be exposed to high amounts of toxic air.
Although the scrappage scheme is not a government-supported endeavour, Mayor Sadiq emphasised the need to continue the program, especially since it focuses primarily on the disabled and low-income vehicle owners.
Diesel emissions scandal and NOx emissions
Diesel used to be the safer alternative for most car owners but this was only good until the Dieselgate diesel emissions scandal broke. It was September 2015 when US authorities alleged that the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer, the Volkswagen Group, integrated defeat devices into their diesel-powered Audi and VW cars and vans. The devices are used to detect when a vehicle is in emissions testing so that they could artificially lower emissions levels to within the WHO-mandated limits.
To regulators, the vehicle appears to adhere to emissions standards. However, when the vehicle is driven on real roads, it releases massive volumes of NOx emissions. As such, it is a pollutant. Volkswagen lied to its customers and mis-sold the vehicles.
US authorities also sent a notice to Mercedes-Benz for alleged defeat device use a few years later. Other manufacturers have also been implicated in the scandal. BMW is the newest addition to the list of carmakers being investigated for using defeat devices to cheat emissions tests. Authorities alleged that BMW used a thermal window in their diesel vehicles, which resulted in inefficient emission control when the cars are driven on real roads.
Carmakers should be held responsible not only because they lied about their vehicles’ emissions compliance, but also because they have endangered the lives of drivers. Nitrogen oxide, the reactive gas that their vehicles emit, has adverse effects on a person’s health.
Exposure to NOx emissions increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and can potentially trigger episodes of anxiety and depression. Serious health impacts are chronic reduction of lung function, cardiovascular disease, and premature death.
Nitrogen oxide emissions also affect vegetation when it reacts with other elements to produce smog, acid rain, and ground-level ozone.
Car owners should file an emissions claim against their manufacturer to hold them responsible for contributing to air pollution and endangering people, especially the most vulnerable population – the children.
Check your eligibility
Before you can make a BMW emissions claim, you have to verify if you are qualified to do so. Check out the ClaimExperts.co.uk website to determine your options for making a diesel claim.
