Who is really to blame for environmental zones and driving bans?
We are responsible for poor particulate matter and nitrogen oxide levels. Every single car driver, preferably of course we diesel drivers, every transporter, every supplier, every truck driver, every coach driver, every taxi driver and even every public transport user, because city buses also pollute the air.
This is how it has been sold to us for years. We are to blame: the small citizen who depends on his vehicle to either drive to his job or to be able to do it. It is well known that there are much larger sources of emissions besides road transport. In addition to agriculture and wood-burning stoves, there are huge cruise ships and container ships!
Did you know that the Symphony of the Seas burns 150 tonnes of heavy fuel oil every day? This results in an incredible 450 kilos of particulate matter. Which in turn corresponds to the emissions of a total of 21.5 million VW Passat diesel vehicles. And that does not mean every day at sea. Even in the port, the engines run around the clock. The shore power offered to keep the engines idle is often not used or only used for a very short time. The reason: the electricity is too expensive... So it is better to ignore the Paris climate agreement and pollute the air. Day after day, night after night: fine dust from 21.5 million diesel vehicles, caused by just one ship. When you consider that there are "only" 58.2 million vehicles in Germany, the whole thing becomes even more absurd!
By the way: in addition to the gigantic amounts of particulate matter, 5 tonnes of NOx are also caused every day. This corresponds to the emissions of 1.42 million VW Passat.
Many critics call this, not entirely wrongly, madness and demand consequences. But there will be no consequences, because cruise shipping in particular promises millions in revenues: for shipowners and for the cities, which are dependent on large numbers of tourists, especially during pandemic times.
So we are increasingly being forced to pass through environmental zones for cars and are being personally restricted, while in ports, horrendous amounts of pollutants are blown into the atmosphere - without consequences.
So once again, the motto is: irresponsible money-making before health.