How Toxic is your car's exhaust?

M80

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I was about to post the same article.
What isn't considered, and to my mind should be, is the massive detrimental effect of the production of the new cars the 'initiatives' encourage.
 

Srdl

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Yes, I spotted that as well, good article even though he could have said it all in half the words so you may need to skim through some bits!
 

Craiglxviii

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I was about to post the same article.
What isn't considered, and to my mind should be, is the massive detrimental effect of the production of the new cars the 'initiatives' encourage.

Well. I have some interesting data in front of me. I won’t bore with the details except this:

“Current environmental impact of modern motor vehicles: 17% of total lifetime environmental impact (atmospheric, noise & heat pollution) and 7% of total lifetime energy usage is tied up in the manufacturing & assembly processes”.
 

LostKiwi

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Well. I have some interesting data in front of me. I won’t bore with the details except this:

“Current environmental impact of modern motor vehicles: 17% of total lifetime environmental impact (atmospheric, noise & heat pollution) and 7% of total lifetime energy usage is tied up in the manufacturing & assembly processes”.
I've seen figures around double that.
 

3146bj

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And the viable option to the internal combustion engine is??????

Given today's communications technology, why do so many people need to live in cities, or commute into their offices every day? Do we really need to be crammed into offices?

Let's look at why we need to transport people, regardless of how it's powered.
 
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Yugguy

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Electric cars would move potential pollution to the generator site, and if we pulled our fingers out and cracked on with wind and wave we would lower that total pollution.

And if we could figure out an easy way to get hydrogen that would be even better.

The tinfoil hat part of me thinks the oil companies already have the tech but won't release it til oil gets too expensive.
 

Craiglxviii

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Electric cars would move potential pollution to the generator site, and if we pulled our fingers out and cracked on with wind and wave we would lower that total pollution.

And if we could figure out an easy way to get hydrogen that would be even better.

The tinfoil hat part of me thinks the oil companies already have the tech but won't release it til oil gets too expensive.

Oil companies don’t develop auto technology. They are experts in finding, mining, distributing and refining petroleum...

Carmakers and tier 1s develop auto technology. We already have fuel cells under development or in prototype service; we know where EV tech is going.
 
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Yugguy

Yugguy

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I'm sure they have a long-term plan for what happens when oil is no longer viable.
 

Flyinspanner

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But what about the devastation done to the environment mining for the materials used for batteries in electric/hybrid vehicles?

There is no easy one size answer. And I certainly don't have the answer, but it appears much energy is wasted in production of new cars, when refurbishment should be seen as as effective way?
 

d215yq

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But what about the devastation done to the environment mining for the materials used for batteries in electric/hybrid vehicles?

There is no easy one size answer. And I certainly don't have the answer, but it appears much energy is wasted in production of new cars, when refurbishment should be seen as as effective way?

Funny how every environmental argument comes down to having to "buy" something and not do what is really green which is to reduce buying things and using them. Eating meat is by far more damaging to the environment (51% of all CO2 production) and all vital resources but no-one talks about reducing that because it doesn't fit an agenda.

You just can't talk sense or numbers with people. I'm told by those at work (at a car manufacturer) my old diesel must release lots of CO2 and this and that. Well I'm sure it isn't great particulate wise with no catalyst but as it averages over 50mpg compared to their new 40mpg diesel I'm pretty sure it will emit less CO2 too in the real world.

Of course they just want an excuse to justify throwing a fifth of their income away every month on their shiny new motor, and that's fine, I just want an excuse to spend as little as possible on comfortable old school motoring i suppose...but all this one is greener than the other nonsense is just a result of brainwashing.
 

Brizzle

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I'm sure they have a long-term plan for what happens when oil is no longer viable.

We are seeing big oil company names getting into wind energy already, especially in the USA and Europe.
 

Craiglxviii

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Someone first needs to provide proof that elevated levels of CO2 cause environmental harm first. The scientific data I have seen point to methane and water vapour having significantly more effect. But I don’t see anyone harking on about cow farts.
 

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