EU on Dirty Air | Impact to oil burners?

[Potatoes]

I've just seen this article on the BBC regarding and EU fine on the UK for not meeting the air pollution targets:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-2625...

BBC News said:

The European Commission has launched legal proceedings against the UK for failing to deal with air pollution.

The EU says that levels of nitrogen dioxide, mainly from diesel engines, are "excessive" in many British cities.

Based on this, I worry we'll see an increase in tax on oil burners in the future; especially older, non-DPF'd motors - anyone have any ideas or the inside track on likely changes the UK gubberment will make to meet these target and how us oil burners will be impacted?

Edited by Potatoes on Thursday 20th February 20:29

[Axionknight]

I'd tell 'em to stick their fines up their arses.

/dailymail

[MagnaJeep]

Is there a country left that isn't fed up with the BS the
european commission is constantly churning out?
This club seems like a huge waste of money anyway.

[Benbay001]

Its ok, we've been promised a referendum.

[andy-xr]

For ages, diesel used to be much cheaper than petrol at the forecourt, I still haven't worked out how one overtook the other. Is it demand? Or something else?

Either way, I think there'll be a lot of company car drivers who'll come out of what's next not feeling too great after having a change in tax code. Did I also read somewhere that the problem is the amount of diesel buses so we're taxing cars more?

[Potatoes]

That's my thinking too Andy, the problem must stem from public transport and freight... car traffic has to be small part of the problem but the gubberment can't burden business any more than they have done.

[Athlon]

When China and India etc step into line then tell us what to do, until then fk off, I am sick of this tiny country being singled out all the bloody time.

[carinaman]

There was a bit about Petrol versus Diesel pollution in that programme:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03vf0fc

An expert said that Diesel particulates are getting ever smaller, they compared them to the diameter of the human hair and are getting that small they can go in your lung and through the lining of the lung and into the bloodstream.

I'm not sure how that compares to banning smoking in cars carrying kids. I guess the kids in the cars inhaling secondhand tobacco smoke don't have a choice, but those living next to transport 'corridors' have the choice to move?

I made the point in the Sheffield M1 'managed motorways need lower limits and cameras' thread, wondering how much of that diesel pollution was due to diesel bought more cheaply by hauliers on the continent rather than British diesel bought here?

[untakenname]

I expect in the near future once there's a critical mass of diesel cars around London they will include them in the LEZ like hgv's and make sure they are Euro 6 compliant which will remove the vast majority of diesels from the roads (unless they pay a congestion charge type of tax)

[Axionknight]

Benbay001 said:

Its ok, we've been promised a referendum.

When, prior to the last election? We'll stick that one on the pile of Davey babies broken promises, coalition government with the Lib Dems or not.

[anonymous-user]

As someone who does suffer from Asthma I fully support anything that cleans up diesel exhausts, I rather not breathe in all the crap from these vehicles and really think they should be BANNED.

No doubt I will be shot down because of my view on this but for those who do not suffer from Asthma you probably don't understand what it is like, try walking around with someone giving you a permanent bear hug and see how that feels.

Diesel use has exploded before there used to be a cap on the number of diesel cars that could be sold relative to petrol cars, this basically got removed so more diesel vehicles were available on the market. The increase in fuel economy just added to the attraction.

Since then the labour government increased fuel duty on diesel to narrow the gap between diesel and petrol to try and make the cost of motoring similar between the two fuels.

[carinaman]

untakename, they mentioned Euro 6 compliant petrol engines in that Radio 4 programme so thank you for the reminder.

[aw51 121565]

carinaman said:

There was a bit about Petrol versus Diesel pollution in that programme:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03vf0fc

An expert said that Diesel particulates are getting ever smaller, they compared them to the diameter of the human hair and are getting that small they can go in your lung and through the lining of the lung and into the bloodstream.

I'm not sure how that compares to banning smoking in cars carrying kids. I guess the kids in the cars inhaling secondhand tobacco smoke don't have a choice, but those living next to transport 'corridors' have the choice to move?

I made the point in the Sheffield M1 'managed motorways need lower limits and cameras' thread, wondering how much of that diesel pollution was due to diesel bought more cheaply by hauliers on the continent rather than British diesel bought here?

For real propoganda and an imbalanced view, google "QUARG 1994" and read...

Smaller particles from petrol engine exhausts go a lot further into the lungs than the larger particles from diesels, and they are harder to eject from the lungs and can cause irritation etc - of course, the beeb will have mentioned this historic fact in their programme?

Particles going through the lining of the lung and into the bloodstream?? Small molecules like Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide - but large molecules (the molecules that can be seen grouped together as 'particulate matter' in that there nasty black diesel smoke) based on Benzene Rings (a lot bigger, relatively, than O2, CO2 and CO) passing through the lining of the lungs and into the bloodstream??

at the BBC thingie...

[egor110]

They were talking about this on the radio today.

One chap was saying the culprits were old diesel engines and that steps would have to be taken to keep them out of towns/cities by having expensive congestion charges for these old diesels.

Strange thing is though that my n reg diesel is run on veg oil and when ever it goes for a mot they comment how low the emissions are.

[carinaman]

aw51 121565 said:

at the BBC thingie...

You may be correct. That QUARG helped push us, or Maggie, towards Catalytic Converters rather than Lean Burn?

egor110 said:

Strange thing is though that my n reg diesel is run on veg oil and when ever it goes for a mot they comment how low the emissions are.

So if the Govt. want to lower nasty Diesel pollution they could announce that those burning cooking oil in their Diesel cars don't have to deal with the tax and paperwork overhead?

[JonnyVTEC]

Get ready for urea (AdBlue) to be used in the exhaust aftertreatment of diesel cars. 15-20 litres of the stuff in a tank on the car filled up during service to reduce Nitrous Oxide through selective catalyst reduction.

[anonymous-user]

Good. Maybe we will start looking seriously at getting diesel buses and taxis off the streets of our cities now.

The air is much more pleasant on the continent in cities where the buses run on CNG/LPG etc etc..

[Baryonyx]

Triple diesel fuel tax and times the tax rate by ten. We should have done this years ago!