Tag: Air Pollution

Electric cars and particulate matter: how do they go together?

Air pollution has been with us since the beginning of industrialisation. It is omnipresent, especially in cities. However, with technological progress and the relocation of factories away from city centres, air quality has improved in most wealthy countries. A major source of air pollution, the internal combustion engine, seems to be slowly being replaced by electric cars. But are electric cars really the environmentally friendly alternative they appear to be?

Water shortages and the emergence of new environmental zones - climate change and its impact on soil moisture

The climate crisis, one of the greatest challenges of our time, is becoming ever more tangible and its effects ever more evident. Paradoxically, one of the main causes of the alarming rise in CO2 emissions is the lack of water. This leads to dry soil, which in turn produces more particulate matter and favours the creation of new environmental zones.

Low emission zone in Krakow stopped for the time being!

On 11 January 2024, the District Administrative Court in Krakow, Poland, stopped the city's planned low emission zone for the time being. The project, known as the Clean Transport Zone (SCT), was intended to designate a part of the city where only cars with certain Euro standards would be allowed to enter. However, despite the good intentions of the city council, the court declared the project invalid.

E-fuels as an alternative to electric - what is the current status?

The discussion about sustainable mobility has recently focussed increasingly on e-fuels. E-fuels, synthetic fuels obtained by reversing the combustion process, have the potential to offer a climate-friendly alternative to electric drives. However, their environmental compatibility and energy balance still need to be investigated further.

New EU air quality regulations: Hundreds of new low emission zones and driving bans possible

In its constant endeavour to protect the health of its citizens and the environment, the European Union has introduced a new set of air quality regulations. Following intensive negotiations between the European Parliament and representatives of the Member States, an agreement has been reached: The limit values for various air pollutants, including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide, are to be significantly reduced by 2030. This reform has far-reaching implications for low emission zones in Europe.

Further ban on combustion engines in Lyon - environmental lane to be extended in both directions

The A6 motorway will lose a lane at the entrance to Lyon, which may then only be used by certain vehicles. This is the result of preparatory work that began on 5 February 2024 to widen the existing lane (M6). The work is taking place at the junction of the A89 and the A6 (Limonest) north of Lyon and should be completed by 2 March 2024.

Diesel driving ban in Munich: Is the tightening coming after all?

In July last year, the people of Munich breathed a sigh of relief when Mayor Dieter Reiter announced that the EU limit value for nitrogen dioxide would only be exceeded in two places. A driving ban for Euro 5 diesel vehicles was therefore suspended for the time being from October 2023. But now the discussion about a diesel driving ban seems to have been reignited.