Delhi government

It has remained confused all along about the cng issue, giving contradictory statements. Delhi government officials have been easy conduits of misleading information from those pro-industry factions that are looking for excuses to not implement the sc order.

Tata Energy Research Institute In service of polluters

It isn't just the ministries that are misinforming the public about cng and ensuring the non-implementation of the Supreme Court order on cng. The Tata Energy Research Institute (teri), a New Delhi-based energy consultancy, has also contributed to such efforts. The teri -industry nexus is strangulating adoption of cng .

Missing the bus

Farce of a crisis

My colleague and I write a regular column for a business daily in New Delhi. It was some time back that we wrote an article on the health impacts of diesel in the same daily only to receive a legal notice to the tune of Rs 100 crore from telco , a company which specialises in diesel vehicles. Even though this was followed by what was almost an apology we have found that a section of the auto industry has continued to indulge in disinformation about diesel and its environmental impacts.

SENEGAL

The use of old cars imported from industrialised countries is increasing the air pollution levels in Dakar, the capital city of Senegal. These cars -- imported from Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy -- constitute 84 per cent of vehicles in Dakar. "This is a terrible situation, since it poses a health risk to millions of people. But we do not have laws to stop the import of used cars or ban their use," said Abdourahmane Ndiaye, an official of the country's environment ministry.

INDONESIA

The use of compressed natural gas (cng) has been made compulsory for new buses and taxis in some parts of Indonesia. This has been done to bring down pollution levels, said an official of the country's energy ministry.

Pay if you pollute

The Union government will probably let another budget go by without applying the polluter pays principle to reduce damage to environment. Pay for the damage if you pollute. Pay more if you pollute more. This, in simple terms, is the polluter pays principle. The Indian government chooses to ignore the message emerging from countries across the world, that makers and users of vehicles must pay the full cost of damage to environment from transportation.

THAILAND

A farmer in Thailand has made a fuel from coconut oil. Yuthachai, claims that the fuel is a good alternative to diesel. At present the fuel is being used by 60 per cent vehicles in the Thap Sakaetrict region. Earlier, there was a little difference between the prices of the coconut oil fuel and diesel. But with a recent hike in the prices of diesel, the coconut oil fuel is being favoured by many. At present, the coconut oil fuel is cheaper than diesel by us $0.09 per litre. "It gives the engines a smooth movement and does not cause pollution," claims Yuthachai.

Down with diesel

the diesel lobby in the us received two major blows recently when the Science Advisory Board of the us E nvironment Protection Agency ( epa) classified diesel exhaust as a 'likely human carcinogen' and the California Air Resources Board finalised its plan to reduce risks from diesel exhaust.

The road ahead

If vehicular emissions are to come down, governments will have to provide incentives to develop and promote the use of cleaner alternatives. In 1999, global passenger car production reached a record 39 million. The global car fleet now stands at 520 million. More vehicles will result in higher emissions. This is an alarming trend because particulates, especially from diesel engines, have been linked to many diseases, including cancer.