Europe sets fuel-efficiency target

EUROPE has set fuel-efficiency targets for vans to curb greenhouse gases emissions. Environment ministers who met at Brussels in December endorsed a deal to achieve emission of 175 grammes of CO2 per kilometre by 2017 and 147 g/km by 2020 from vans. The 2017 target represents a 14 per cent reduction on the 2007 level of 203 g/km. The 2020 target is about 33 per cent lower compared to the 2007 level.

Suppressed CNG facts

THE Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has fumbled in answering a critical question on carbonyl and methane emissions from vehicle exhausts: which pollutes less—petrol, diesel, CNG or LPG? The pollution watchdog’s study on emissions provides a database that could be used to give a policy message. It declared CNG to be the worst fuel for four-wheeled light and heavy commercial vehicles. But the finding is flawed as it compared factory-fitted petrol and diesel engines with retro-fitted CNG and LPG engines to test the fuel. In retro-fitted vehicles, engine is installed at local workshops.

Beyond CO2

PLANTS soak more atmospheric pollutants than thought. A study by US scientists shows that apart from carbon dioxide, plants rid the air of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, the most abundant class of carbon-based chemicals in the atmosphere.

Green game over

The opening and closing ceremonies for Commonwealth Games at the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium will flaunt two things— glitter and smoke.

Three steps for India

Indian cities need to put the brakes. But how? "Think of what London and Singapore did before graduating to sophisticated restraints," said Paul Barter of Singapore National University. Singapore slapped high taxes on new cars and annual taxes on cars in use. It could be 160 per cent of the market value of the car.

What has Singapore done

Certificate of Entitlement (COE): The Singapore Land Transport Authority fixes the quota of vehicles each year for bidding. The bidder has to pay for a 10-year COE, which is expensive Taxes: Imported motor vehicles pay customs duty of 41 per cent. Registration fee is US $1,000 for private vehicles and US $5,000 for company vehicles. Road taxes are renewed periodically to encourage low-emissions vehicles. Taxes on cars increase 10th year onwards, 110 per cent in the 11th year to a maximum of 150 per cent of the market value of cars

Gains of Stockholm

Twenty eight per cent of all passages are by vehicles exempted from the congestion tax. Trips by alternative fuel vehicles up from 3 per cent to 13 per cent between 2005 and 2008. With their increased use traffic has increased. Exemption will cease in July 2012  Compared to 2005, car trips fell by half in 2008. Public transport trips increased by about 45,000. And more people cycle  Shortening of average journey times has saved US $85 million 

Letters

Change approach to Naxalism This is in response to the editorial ‘Bullets are not the answer to development’ (April 16-30, 2010). On my first job in Dumka (now in Jharkhand) in 1974, I was shocked to see the condition of the tribals. All the wealth in the area was in the hands of a few business families who were migrants.

New auto emission norms delayed

Pressure from the automobile industry is delaying implementation of tighter vehicular emission norms in cities across India. Though four-wheelers in 11 cities, including the four metros, switched from Bharat Stage (BS) III emission norms to BS IV on April 1, other cities supposed to make the switch from BS II to BS III norms have to wait. A draft notification of the government has proposed October 1 as the new date for implementing BS III norms.

Clean citys air, breathe easy

in china, taxi drivers are perhaps the most exposed to air pollution. Cleaning the air of a city might make their hearts healthy, a study reported. Eleven healthy non-smoking taxi drivers of Beijing who worked 12-hours a day were monitored before, during and after the 2008 Olympics.