Tag: transport

10 Things a City Can Do To Reduce Air Pollution

Improving the Air Levels of Cities with These 10 Things

In our environment today, breathing fresh air seems to be impossible. The air quality that we have now is slowly becoming a threat to public health, especially in big cities. We encounter a lot of cars roaming around and spreading pollution, and most of these have contributed to the death of 6.1 million people worldwide every year.

There is hope because here are 10 things we can do to improve air levels and encourage others to take charge. Changing how you live can save millions of lives.

#1 Traffic organization reduces congestion

The heavy flow of traffic can produce a lot of pollution in cities especially if cars do not undergo emission testing regularly. City planners should understand how traffic flows, and the areas from which most people are coming and where they are going. Dense residential areas are where people come from to go to work and go to after work. The roads leading to and from these areas will be the most affected by traffic congestion.

In some areas it is really difficult to change the traffic movement through bottlenecks, but there are ways that this can be dealt with. Redirecting traffic through other areas, but also organizing streets so that traffic flows in separate lanes before a bottle neck will help reduce the amount of traffic stuck at a congestion zone. Also, using technology to inform drivers of traffic up ahead can limit traffic. Similar to Google Maps function to see traffic in the path ahead, apps like Waze allow the same location tracking of where devices (and therefore people) are slowing down and then suggests alternative routes for drivers that need to get to the area they’re going to.

You can encourage your city to come up with a traffic plan. For example, suggesting to lessen the number of cars traveling in specific areas during certain hours is a good way to reduce bottlenecks in traffic.

#2 Public Transport

Instead of taking your own car to work, you can take public transportation. You can help lessen air pollution in the city in your own little way. Public transport promotes less exhaust fumes and more environmentally friendly especially subways and or double-decker buses. When you think about having to wait for your ride all the time, you usually look for an alternative.

Nobody likes to wait. However, in a big city, owning a vehicle and paying for the costs of running and parking one should sway your mind to leave transportation to the city. A city has to try it’s best to add routes for

every residential area, with enough stops and enough rides per hour so that the waiting time for riders is reduced. Subways and undergrounds work efficiently as well, and because the prices are usually subsidized by the city, they become an affordable option for the majority of city residents.

#3 Parks and Trees

Recreational areas are a must for big cities. Not only do people enjoy watching their kids play, but people can also relax under the shade of a big tree. A cities livability rating is determined by how people rate their lives living in that place. Parks allow people to exercise, relax and get fresh air.

The greener in a city, the more people enjoy being outside and enjoying nature. Actually, nature has proven to increase concentration and has lots of other benefits. Plus, a common fact about trees is that they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, leaving us cleaner air to breathe.

#4 Air Management in Construction Zones

As cities grow, construction is imminent. The laws in place to manage pollution from construction are very important because it keeps residents safe. Specks of dust and debris caused by the construction sites in the city can contribute to air, water, noise and PM2.5 pollution. It is recommended for construction sites to install barriers like nets and barriers in place to contain dust within a construction site. Here are some ways that construction sites can reduce their pollution.

Air

  • Never burn waste materials
  • Use new machinery or keep diggers, excavators and anything with an engine maintained
  • Use low sulfur diesel
  • Use particulate filters and catalyst converters
  • Use water sprays and sprinklers to control the pollution
  • Use ‘on-tool’ extraction that remove exhaust directly where they are produced
  • Source local materials
  • Use renewable and sustainable materials
  • Wear appropriate Personal Protection Equipment

Water

  • Monitor and improve disposal of waste
  • Keep materials secure so that they don’t go into waterways
  • Cover up all drains during construction
  • Keep the road and footpath to the site clean at all times
  • Properly collect and treat wastewater

Noise

  • Use new and quiet tools
  • Limit working hours to be sociable as not to disturb residents. Notify them!
  • Put acoustic barriers in place
  • Ensure equipment is maintained
  • Switch off engines when not in use

Source

#5 Industrial Production Limiting

Several power plants within the city can harm people’s health and therefore, should be limited. If not, they should be asked to transfer to locations that are away from the public. These days it is easy to produce electricity with the power of the sun, water or wind. Coal power plants and other high polluting plants should be limited.

#6 Law on vehicles and fuel standards

Coding schemes should be modified to affect a city’s vehicles. his will lessen the volume of vehicles hourly, but also decrease the amount of pollution. Fuel standards are put in place so that vehicles emit less pollution. The age of engines and how they are maintained is monitored in many cities. Emissions stickers are only given to vehicles in America if the engine passes a yearly test. Many countries are lacking mandatory vehicle testing so this is really important for developing countries. Many developing countries also are not yet adhering to the best fuel standards. This means that there are more pollution emitting particles in the exhaust fumes.

#7 Large vehicle inspections

Large vehicles are the biggest contributors to black carbon that can be harmful to the public once inhaled. Minimized travel periods of these vehicles and emission testing certificates issued to these vehicles will definitely reduce pollution. Often large vehicles like excavators, tractors or trucks have larger engines which produce more exhausts. For more information on different vehicles and their pollution, see this article [link].

#8 Subsidize Green Energy

A renewable energy source is essential to reducing air pollution. Not having to depend on our fossil fuel energy sources is the way forward. Many countries are now jumping on the clean energy train, setting up solar panels, windmills and building more dams. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of countries running completely on nuclear and coal powered energy plants.

Let’s take a look at Iceland. 87% of it’s energy comes from hydro-power and the other 13% comes from geothermal power. Now Iceland is a small country with a small population but other countries can quickly catch up if they start investing in green energy

Take a look at the Netherlands, with thousands of windmills in the country and off the coast. The government has set up a subsidy for production of renewable energy in 6 different categories: biomass, geothermal, water, wind and sun. As follows, a wonderful example of how individuals can invest in green energy and even make money back from it in the future. They have made it super easy for any resident of The Netherlands to buy a part of a windmill. Once their investment has paid off, they can either use the energy their share produces in their own homes, or they can sell the energy they make.

#9 Trash Collection

Collecting trash should be done on a daily basis. Large numbers of residents who produce more than 1 kilo of trash each per day create a lot of trash. As someone who cares about the environment, you might recycle your trash. Recycling can lessen the amount of pollution caused by biodegradable garbage mixing with other types. The main thing a city can do to reduce trash fires is to collect trash at set times. If there aren’t enough collection trips per area, the trash is left behind.

n many places the trash is trouble for the residents so they decide to burn it. This is exactly what we don’t want to happen. Collecting trash and bringing it to a sorting center before it goes to a trash dump is necessary for any country to organize. Hiring private companies that can make money and pay salaries well is key to making sure everything is getting picked up. Additionally, keeping all of the collector’s equipment and vehicles should be maintained to be able keep the correct quota of trash pickups efficient and effective.

#10 Ban burning

Waste has chemicals that can pollute the air and suffocates people when burned. Take into account the banning of burning garbage within the city. There are different reasons why people burn things, but the biggest is a lack of education. People don’t have the luck of being brought up in a household that can afford a proper education for their children. When they grow up, they continue their bad habits like disposing of trash on the street and even burning it to get rid of it.

Some places simply have far too much trash, so they get tired of smelling the vile scent of choking. Sometimes it’s the only solution. That is where laws come in, and together with organized trash collection, burning can be stopped.

The burning of stubble to quickly prepare for a new crop season is another reason smoke fills city surroundings. These tactics of burning to increase the quality of soil can easily be changed by using the material that is normally burnt could be tilled. It can effectively be mixed back into the soil to reap the same rewards. Simply understanding the science behind how burning can affect us and educating those that don’t yet know is probably the best and only way forward to start making changes.

Conclusion

Start the change within yourself by encouraging and influencing others to do the same things as well. Help your city become less polluted for the better good of the community and for our future generations to enjoy. With these 10 tips for city standards and adjustments, our lives can improve. It will take hard work, a lot of planning, and policies for us to live in a paradise with no pollution, but we have to start somewhere!

How bad is pollution from different vehicles?

Pollution from different vehicles

Carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons are released when fuel burns in an internal combustion engine. Carbon monoxide is produced when the carbon in fuel doesn’t all burn. An inefficient engine will burn more fuel and cause more emissions. Some fuel vapor leaves a vehicles engine through the exhaust. When pollutants like NOx or hydrocarbon combine in sunlight, they produce ozone. We don’t actually know how much of the total amount of air pollution is caused by vehicles, but even though it might be less than industrial production, it is still important to know which vehicles emit the most pollutants. The EPA estimates that on road vehicles cause 1/3 of air pollution in the USA while transportation causes 27%. We do have to remember that the older the vehicle, the more it pollutes.

Particulate matter (PM): Particulate matter is a mixture of small particles and droplets, including acids, such as nitrates and sulphates; organic chemicals; metals; soil; or dust. Combustion can produce a large quantity of very fine particles 10 nanometres in diameter or smaller, but it is regulated by measuring the total quantity of all PM particles sizes. The human body cannot protect against exposure to ultra fine particles, which can enter the heart and lungs through inhalation (Figure 1) and have serious health effects, including respiratory diseases and heart and lung conditions. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can have adverse health effects or contribute to air pollution. Exposure to black smoke exhaust has also been shown to increase the risk of developing lung cancer and therefore mortality risks. Methane, in the form of unburned fuel, is a tailpipe emission primarily for natural gas fuels. Although it is not toxic, methane has a global warming potential that is 25 times higher than that of CO2.

Emission Standards

Many national governments use emissions standards and testing to control the amount and types of harmful emissions that are released into the environment as a direct result of fuel combustion. The drive cycles required for emissions testing in different countries can be based on international standards as well as driving conditions in different locations. Euro emissions standards use two specific drive cycles. Since 2000, these cycles have been the European Stationary Cycle (ESC), a sequence of constant speeds and loads, and the European Transient Cycle (ETC), which simulates typical driving patterns. The EPA test is performed with various test cycles, including a transient test cycle, which includes urban and freeway driving conditions, and a steady state test with a sequence of constant speeds and loads (Dieselnet 2012).

Motorbikes

  • 2-stroke

2 stroke engines have better gas mileage because they require less combustion. The spark plug in a 2 stroke has to burn oil and gasoline together, creating more smoke. The oil (2%-5%) and gas are combined in the fuel tank. A 2-stroke engine is cheaper because it doesn’t have any valves in the mechanisms, and is much smaller than a 4 stroke. It is also cheaper to repair. 2-stroke engines have more power than 4 stroke engines because they work harder. Higher RPM (rounds per minute) are achieved because of a lower mass of moving parts. This also means that 2-stroke bikes can get to higher speeds faster.

  • 4-stroke

4 stroke engines use oil from a separate tank which makes them emit less smoke. 4-strokes have higher torque than 2-strokes, which means fuel consumption and noise is lower. Fuel efficiency is better because of how fuel is used in the combustion chamber.

Scooters

Scooters are not as high on the list as other vehicles that pollute the air. They are very effective for an owner because they’re quick, easy to drive, can often carry quite a heavy load, and are efficient in gas mileage. Especially in dense cities where temperatures don’t get too cold, scooters are the chosen mode of transport for many with enough money. Fuel injection and other new technology like catalytic converters are technological advances that reduce the amount of emissions from vehicles. Any older models or 2-stroke scooters actually can pollute more than a car. In general, scooters do emit less pollutants than larger vehicles, but questions still remain. How often do you take your ride in for a full check-up or emissions test? How much oil are you burning? How old is your scooter? How mileage efficient is your scooter?SH300i TRẮNG ĐEN 2020 - Honda Doanh Thu

Electric Scooters

Electric scooters are not as eco-friendly as they are thought to be. The actual use of a scooter is environmentally friendly, but the production of battery powered e-scooters has a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Before scooters are sold, a lot of power goes into constructing e-scooters. While they are being used, they’re usually sourcing energy from electricity outlets that stem from coal fired power plants. After reaching their life limit, they are often not recycled or disposed of correctly, leaving depleted batteries on trash dumps.Alfawise X7 Europe Standard Folding Electric Scooter – EU ...

Small Cars

Small cars have smaller engines. The bigger an engine, the more it emits pollutants. Small cars are usually very mileage efficient and do have the option to carry quite a bit of weight. We have to ask ourselves if we are treating the environment well if we are the only person in a 5-person car. Modern cars are some of the cleanest modes of transport if shared, but of course the more people in a vehicle, the better it is for our world.

Large Cars, SUVs and 4X4s

Larger cars have larger engines which burn more fuel.

Off-Road 4x4 - Home | Facebook

They are less efficient, but stronger. SUVs tend to carry more people and don’t have much power, while large cars and pickup trucks are often fitted with large engines. They often are more heavy duty, and can carry more. According to tests it is proven that the stronger the engine, the more emissions are created during transport. For well-known reasons, 4X4 vehicles are used in areas that cannot be navigated by 2-wheel drive vehicles. We do however see people unnecessarily showing off with their large vehicles. Take the Hummer for example, being used on highways in America. This is the best example of how something so unnecessary is allowed to roam the streets.

Pick-up trucks

Pick-up trucks make up a large percent of the vehicles people drive, probably because of how multi functional they can be. They are however large engine vehicles which emit a lot of pollutants. In the US about 270 pick up trucks are sold every hour, and their main function is usually to haul and tow. Now with 4 door options, more people can ride in side but the flat bed at the back can carry whatever the owner wants. Recently, more electric powered pick up trucks are being offered as options. Good examples are the Nissan Leaf or the Chevy Volt hybrid. People are not that quick to jump on the electric vehicle train because of the low mileage range that can be traveled, and too few charging stations.

TrucksHệ dẫn động 4 bánh 4x4 - 4WD trên xe ô tô - Sử dụng và ưu nhược điểm

There were roughly 11.5 million big semi-trucks that move freight in the US. It is estimated that they produce around 23% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. Globally, many older trucks with relatively inefficient (and highly polluting) engines are common. Truck modernization, along with better engine, tire, and vehicle maintenance, can significantly improve fuel economy in many cases. Trucks and buses that operate largely in urban areas with a lot of stop-and-go travel can achieve substantial benefits from using electric hybrid or hydraulic hybrid drive-trains. Typically, a 20–30% reduction in fuel consumption can be achieved via hybridization. Streamlining the trucks also helps to minimize fuel consumption as wind moves slowly around a streamlined truck.

Construction vehicles like bulldozers

Not only the dust being kicked up at construction sites is harmful for our lungs, but the large vehicles at work are often spewing black exhaust fumes. There are large uncertainties in estimates of emissions from construction equipment, partly due to the small number of published measurements. Generally, the newer and more expensive a construction vehicle is, the better its fuel efficiency is. In this vehicle class, the engines are much more powerful than cars. This means they use larger quantities of fuel, and they burn more fuel depending on the task at hand. The terrain they’re operating on also matters. If a bulldozer for example is digging through dense, rocky terrain, it will burn a lot more fuel than if it was just digging soil. Being in the vicinity of a construction site is often hazardous to our health.Gold Mine / Open-Pit Mining / Kyrgyzstan | HD Stock Video 842-756 ...

Busses

Busses are an eco-friendly solution to transport if the buses are maintained well and fleets are renewed. This is the case because a bus holds many riders, compared to a personal vehicle. The longer the route, the more emissions are burnt. The typical bus produces about 1.3kg CO2 per km traveled. If there is 1 passenger on the bus with the driver for the majority of the route, it would be a very environmentally unfriendly solution. Therefore, finding the right number of buses travelling specific routes is very important. Of course, it also comes down to the type of fuel used.BYD to deploy 183 additional all electric busses in Santiago | New ...

Trams

In Melbourne, a study found that trams emit approximately 0.74 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) per passenger kilometer. Buses showed the least impact, generating just 0.04 kg of CO2 per passenger kilometer, with cars and trains fairly equal at 0.25 kg of CO2 per passenger kilometer and 0.23 kg CO2 per passenger kilometer respectively. On average trams usually run under 50% capacity, so again the key here is to get the trams full. Because of trams high use of CO2 per kilometer, they are being replaced by buses in many cities.

Trains

Trains travel long distances and new trains usually run on eco friendly power. In many places though, trains run on diesel. Some products are not transported by train because of the speed of travel. Long trains with many containers often take a long time to get to their destination. Especially fresh products are not transported by train. Railroad transport is cheaper over long distances, while truck transport is cheaper for short distances.

Ships

The shipping industry is responsible for a significant proportion of the global climate change problem. More than three percent of global carbon dioxide emissions can be attributed to ocean-going ships.

Since emissions are directly related to fuel consumption, when an engine is running as efficient as possible, it emits less pollution. Most engines burn a lot less fuel at lower speeds. Using ships to transport goods is about 100 times cheaper than air transport.1000+ Planes Trains Trucks Boats Stock Images, Photos & Vectors ...

Airplanes

Aircraft emit huge amounts of CO2, currently accounting for around 11% of global greenhouse gasses. The U.S. Clean Air Act is designed to force the implementation of technological and operational innovation that prevents or reduces carbon pollution. The search is on for lighter and more efficient airplanes because as it stands, air travel emits tons of air pollution. 1 flight from New York to California, for example, generates around 20% of the pollution that your car emits over an entire year on average.

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Mowers

Each weekend, about 54 million Americans

mow their lawns, using 800 million gallons of gas per year and producing tons of air pollutants. You probably haven’t seen the most heavy-duty lawn mowers there are, but they’re loud, fast, and comfortable to sit on. They actually are estimated to pollute more than 11 hours in the same hour time frame.

Bottom Line

Reducing our carbon footprint when choosing transport is one of the biggest problems we have. Using renewable forms of energy is important for every country to try. Governments are incentivizing renewable energy options, but perhaps too slowly. Cheaper taxes on electric vehicles may reduce exhaust fumes, but we are not quite sure if our efforts will pay off in time. For a full report on transportation and the emissions it causes, do check this out for further reading.