Diesel is still a lot cleaner than it was, but we all know now, not as clean as it has been made out to be. However, Petrol and petrol engines are now really clean and hugely efficient having overtaken the big improvements in diesel.In the stampede to meet Euro 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 compliancy, it has become a red tape nightmare and most of the R&D finance is ending up in the coffers of bureaucracy and administration rather than in the laboratories and research facilities. Meeting the compliance demands has led to short cuts and increases in consumption and other noxious ingredients having to be used.A case of running before walking.Hybrids use huge amounts of energy and toxic chemicals to manufacture items like the batteries. Far more pollution is created in these processes than the car will ever emit over a 20 year lifetime. But the batteries will not last that long so in fact that 'green car' is far more polluting than a diesel car. It's just the pollution is shifted elsewhere.The same goes for hydrogen. A great automotive solution but the energy and chemical footprint to manufacture hydrogen far exceeds the end result.London had coal gasworks, huge steam traction facilities, a filthy dead river,highly polluting aircraft, thousands of crude diesel service vehicles, buses taxis and so on and a raft of other nasty polluting outlets, all of which were here in living memory of anyone over 55.All of that has gone. But now politicians and advisers with vested interests are using the spectre of pollution and health risks as a chip in a form of commodity trading.What this really means is it's OK to shift the problem elsewhere, or pass the costs on to allow others to carry on polluting.Nothing mentioned about the sheer waste of raw materials from scrapping vehicles prematurely, the huge waste of energy in that process and the resultant pollution in the recycling and remanufacturing, not to mention the cost and the collapse in material costs from a surplus which renders the whole process unviable.Nothing is said of the huge amount of pollutants and inefficiencies emitted by buildings, especially tower blocks and large complexes, the increase in air traffic movements which is when aircraft exhausts are at their least efficient and most polluting, or the increasing density and concentration of people whom can emit more C02 per head/hour than some small cars.There's plenty of idealism knocking about but very little pragmatism.Too many 'advisers and consultants' making a bob or two out of political gullibility and idealism bereft of true comprehension and ideas.Those idealistic ideas, even the more whimsical ones channeled into research and development, often lead to the pragmatic solutions.Yet again, politicians and those close to them who want to make money get in the way using unsubstantiated and distorted soundbites to justify, but not actually achieve proper solutions.So it's same old, same old let's screw the car users, the small businesses.If they were really serious, why are they not insisting that Tesco, Ocado, Sainsburys and the plethora of delivery companies who use fleets and are generally locally based use all electric delivery vehicles?Why not change planning regulations to ensure there are recharging points for delivery vehicles as well as charging points in strategic positions?Dairies managed it for 60 years, with old technology Electric Milk floats. The current Milkman of the Year takes his electric milk float from Wimbledon to Epsom to start his round and back again. If he can do it. Then so can the thousands of delivery vehicles now in daily use.That would be a pragmatic start. But the infrastructure has to come first. Which in this country, never seems to happen.
Mark Kehoe ● 3556d