Another barrier to more development and roads got rid of: https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/safeguards-against-air-pollution-look-set-to-be-ditched/

If you can't fix what's wrong, fix the measure! - Even better, delete the measure!


The residents of Stratford need to rebel against this.

I don't drive, but I thought catalystic converters reduced carbon emissions?

Yes, catalytic converters reduces a lot of the emissions, but cars still churn out a lot of other nasty stuff. Rebbonk will know better than me, though.

Catalytic convertors are demanded by the EU. Technically, there is no need for them as we had "clean" engines but the Germans lobbied the EU parliament (because their engines were "dirty") to pass a law on all new vehicles. The weight and cost penalty is obviously passed on to the customer.

Cats reduce a lot of Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxide and Hydrocarbons. In general they have been a good thing. However, the Government decided to push Diesel powered cars (Diesels are generally "dirtier" than petrol engines) and this had the undesired effect of creating far more Nitrogen oxide and particulate pollution than was foreseen. The particulates in general are known to be cancer causing!

But, take a look at aircraft taking off and Diesel powered trains under acceleration if you want to see real pollution!

The idea is now that electric cars will take over and reduce these pollutants. I'm not so sure. Depending on the type of electric motor used, it may well turn out that we end up with ground level Ozone as a pollutant, and that is really unpleasant.

But the pollution isn't just about vehicle emissions. Tyres cause quite a lot of pollution too: not only in the atmosphere (small particulates) but where particulates wash off the roads into the water courses. Various vehicle manufacturing processes are also very "dirty" (batteries and catalysts!) and also cause issues, as do the many paint repair shops around our cities.