The operator of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has probably been depositing poisoned soil in the surrounding area for years. Traffic, whether on the road, in the air or in the water, is increasingly poisoning our environment. While ordinary consumers are punished by measures like environmental zones, big corporations usually get away with it.
There are more and more classic cars on the roads in Germany. Although they do not get an environmental badge, they are still allowed to enter the German environmental zones. In this way, they contribute massively to air pollution.
In the south of France, people are suffering from enormous heat these days. This contributes massively to the formation of ozone. Therefore, strict driving bans have already been declared in Marseille. Avignon, Toulon and Nice are also threatened with driving bans.
Almost 300 cameras monitoring the low emission zone in London have already been damaged or stolen. The police are searching for the perpetrators and have now published the picture of a suspected perpetrator. His face is the symbol of an indignant city.
Locals and holidaymakers in France are seeing a blue sign with a white rhombus more and more often these days. Those who disregard it promptly pay 135 euros. The signs indicate so-called environmental lanes. These are only approved for certain low-emission vehicles and those with carpools and are intended to reduce air pollution.
Despite high diesel prices, the vehicles remain enormously popular. Although the new car market is changing dramatically and offering fewer and fewer diesel vehicles, they are still booming on the used car market. Even driving bans that have already been announced do not seem to be a deterrent. Perhaps only bans and heavy fines will bring about a real change in consumer attitudes.
Only 2 months after the introduction of the Low Emission Zone in Glasgow, the city council has earned almost £600,000 through fines. After heavy criticism because of problems with the city-owned vehicles, there is now renewed anger among the population. Is the city making money?
Devastating forest fires are raging in southern France. Thousands of holidaymakers had to be evacuated from campsites. The flames are not only endangering the people in the region and causing enormous property damage, but are also contributing greatly to particulate pollution in the air. Is this why driving bans are now threatening?
The new local governments are massively opposing the introduction of the new environmental zones. In many places they want to abolish the low emission zones or reduce them to an absolute minimum. Only 14 out of 149 cities meet the legal requirements. Cars seem to be on the rise again in the popular holiday destination.
The planned ban on older diesel and petrol vehicles in Flanders is postponed. Originally, diesel Euro5 and petrol Euro2 vehicles were to be banned from entering Antwerp and Ghent in less than 4 months. Now the government has postponed these tightening measures by one year and completely suspended all further bans.
