http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090121/air_study_090121/20090121?hub=Health
"LOS ANGELES -- Cleaner air over the past two decades has added nearly five months to average life expectancy in the United States, according to a federally funded study.
...
Scientists have long known that the grit in polluted air, or particulates, can lodge deep in the lungs and raise the risk of lung disease, heart attacks and strokes. The grit -- made of dust, soot and various chemicals -- comes from factories, power plants and diesel-powered vehicles."
D: there will always be some trace background levels from natural sources.
But we are killing ourselves prematurely.
Perhaps worse, we are causing complications and aggravating conditions prior to that.
Asthma in younger people. Heart attacks in middle age.
http://www.reuters.com/article/basicindustries-SP-A/idUSSP18474220070405
D: a particularly bad source is tanker ships.
"SINGAPORE, April 4 (Reuters) - Oil tanker owners are urging the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to lay out a plan by next year for switching all ship engines to use diesel instead of dirty but cheap fuel oil, an industry group said on Wednesday.
As governments worldwide attempt to curb pollution by putting limits on sulphur, the shipping industry -- which contributes up to 7 percent of airborne sulphur emissions -- faces a potentially confusing array of disparate national regulations."
D: when people go on about how alternative fuels and pollution-scrubbing tech is not cost-effective, they tend to ignore these pollution costs.
And economy powered by misleadingly 'cheap' petroleum fuels is simply subsidizing that drag on the economy of the pollution costs.
Similarly, the obsession with a suburban home and resulting long automobile commute to work ignores the cost of traffic accidents to society.
This is a problem with fuel MPG standards. With more fuel efficient cars.
They're still cars. They'll still be used with an average of 1.x passengers for long commutes on a regular basis.
Having said, boy do I like this one car prototype!
http://www.worldcarfans.com/2050607.004 (pic)
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/06/daimlerchrysler.php
Inspired by the boxfish, DaimlerChrysler's new concept car is a super-aerodynamic (drag coefficient of 0.19, while the Toyota Prius is 0.26
. Even more impressive is how the concept car only used 2.8 liters per 100 kilometers during a test at a constant speed of 90kph (56mph), which translates to 84 mpg (US).
I want one...
