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Cars

Guest post by: Rowland Benjamin

Article Overview: Cars and trucks emit a wide range of toxic chemicals into the environment including hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and a variety of organic compounds. Alternatives include: Electric Cars are powered by lead acid batteries, Hybrid Electric Vehicles, or HEVs, use electric motors combined with something else, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles run on hydrogen. Fuel cells combine it with oxygen and produce water and energy, Natural Gas Vehicles use natural gas as fuel instead of petrol to run an internal combustion engine.

Cars

Cars
Introduction
Cars with petrol driven internal combustion engines produce toxic waste products that pollute the air, damaging our health, animal life and the environment.

Hundreds of thousands of people die each year as the result of accidents on the road involving cars and other types of vehicles. Millions more are injured. The International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group has collected figures from 28 countries which show that in 2004 over 100, 000 people died and about 4.5 million were injured. This is equivalent to one jumbo jet crashing every day and killing all its passengers and over 12,000 people being injured every day.

Road transport is responsible for the emission of hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, metals and a variety of organic compounds into the environment. Sunlight acts on some of these to produce ground level ozone.

Chemicals from direct air pollution plus ozone are toxic and each has a specific effect upon humans and the environment. They cause respiratory diseases, irritation to the eyes, and exacerbate existing breathing problems, such as asthma in children and other medical conditions in the elderly. Carbon monoxide causes drowsiness and poor mental alertness. Asthma sufferers collectively lose millions of working days every year, costing employers and governments hundreds of million of dollars.

Air pollution from transport produces acid rain, which damages crops and trees, and erodes our old buildings and ancient works of art. Cars are a major source of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Cars make a lot of noise and expensive to maintain.

Lead from cars is present in the air people breathe, and while lead in petrol is being phased out in many Western countries, many developing countries in the world still use it. The UN Environment Programme announced that leaded petrol will be phased out worldwide by 2008. Lead lowers intelligence and causes behavioural problems.

In California, a few other States in the United States, and also in some European countries, there is a movement towards Zero Emission Vehicle Legislation (ZEV) or Earth-Smart Cars. Unfortunately Australia, Britain and the world's developing countries show no signs of any significant change in this direction.

We must increase funding for research into better technology and more efficient and alternative means of public and private transport. Emissions from cars must be minimised and, eventually, totally eliminated.

We must increase investment in subsidised public transport such as rail and bus. At the moment, people do not use public transport because it is slow and inconvenient. A more frequent and more efficient service will attract a greater number of passengers, making public transport more economical to run.

Public transport is a far more energy efficient means of transport than cars. Public transport systems can be made even cleaner and quieter, while lowering fuel consumption and reducing pollution.

Spending on public transport creates twice as many long-term jobs as spending on new motorways and freeways.

We can reduce the need for motor transport by setting up facilities locally. The trend has been to set up shopping out of towns, which results in empty city centres and greater usage of private transport.

More cycle paths and safer roads would encourage more people to ride bicycles. Bicycles are the most efficient method of transport for short distances, while buses, trams or trains are optimal for longer distances. Consider disposing of your car and certainly your second car if you have one. It is usually cheaper annually to use the occasional taxi or hire a car when it is absolutely necessary.

Using taxation incentives, governments should encourage people to buy cars with smaller fuel efficient engines. We should find ways to encourage car-pooling, as on average, cars carry less than two people. Sharing car journeys saves money on fuel, parking, car maintenance and roads.

Transport accounts for a large proportion of our energy use, with the car taking up an increasing share. Currently too much freight is being carried by road. This is because it is more flexible, especially for shorter journeys. We can build a more extensive rail network, and grants should be provided to make transport by sea or rail more common than at present.

Cleaner cars
Cars that are cleaner and more efficient have been designed and the technology is available to produce them. The major car manufacturing companies have invested time and money into research and will produce these cars when they are ready and when governments give their support. Through the use of lighter materials, electronic tuning systems, direct fuel injection and more stream-lined bodywork, some major car manufacturers have produced prototypes which can travel more than 100 miles per gallon with little loss of associated engine performance. Bio-plastics that can be recycled, made from annual fibre plants, are now being used in cars. It should be required by law to replace petroleum base plastics for car body parts with these recyclable plastics.

In South America, some countries use ethanol (ethyl alcohol) as a fuel. This can be produced from corn or potatoes, but it is usually produced from sugar. It is cheaper and cleaner than petrol, but the Oil companies have a vested interest in keeping alternatives out.

What you can do
Although hybrid technology is available now, car manufacturers will not make the needed investments in further research, production, and marketing until the price of oil increases significantly or unless the public demands it and governments support it with things such as tax incentives and better infrastructure.

Write a letter or email to the car manufacturing companies and politicians listed under the heading for your country. Help bring 'clean cars' to your country.

Write a letter or email to the editor of your local newspaper; urge him/her to publish your concerns about local transport issues and withholding of new technology.

Plant more trees to help convert excess carbon dioxide back to oxygen.

For now, energy use can be cut significantly by keeping your car in good running order, driving with more care at lower speeds, choosing from the more efficient models currently available, and walking, cycling or taking public transport. Use lead free petrol whenever possible. Below are some of the more environmentally friendly alternatives to petrol driven cars:

Electric Cars
These tend to be powered by lead acid batteries but car manufacturing companies are working to find alternatives to the inefficient and relatively short lived acid type. For example, the Lithium-Ion battery has a much longer travelling range before it needs recharging and this may revive the manufacture of electric vehicles.

Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are now used in the petrol/electric hybrid cars manufactured by Ford, Honda and Toyota. These contain no cadmium and are less environmentally damaging.

Advantages of electric cars

– They are ideal for city commuting
– They produce no toxic emissions
– They produce no engine noise
– They are low maintenance
– They are cheaper to run than petrol cars
– It may be cheaper to licence an electric car
– In some countries there are tax concessions for owners

Disadvantages of electric cars

– The batteries have a limited range (about 50 miles or 80 km)
– The batteries need time for recharging
– The batteries are heavy
– The batteries are expensive (from US$2000 to $15000)
– The batteries have a short life span (between 3 to 4 years)
– A replacement system for batteries is not in place
– The old batteries may need to be disposed of if they are not recyclable
– The lead and sulphuric acid in the batteries are an environmental hazard
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
HEVs use electric motors in concert with other energy sources. In December 1997, Toyota introduced the Prius. This HEV uses a small petrol engine in conjunction with two electric motors. Honda introduced the Insight, Civic and Accord Hybrids, and Ford introduced the four-wheel drive Escape. The past few years have seen enormous advances in hybrid vehicle technology, and car manufacturers are responding to growing consumer demand. Each new model tends to be more efficient than its predecessor.

The well-established earlier models such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight continue to evolve and thrive. Lexus has recently introduced two luxury hybrid models, an indication that the technology has penetrated every level of the market.

HEVs are less costly to run and more efficient than petrol driven cars. Electric power reduces the load on the engine so they can go twice as far on a litre of petrol as conventional vehicles and they produce 50 percent less carbon dioxide pollution.

The electric motor recharges as you drive. Energy produced during braking and in downhill runs is also used to generate electricity and recharge the batteries. The large high-voltage battery of hybrid cars can also be used to heat up anti-pollution devices, such as catalytic converters - which are less efficient when the engine is cold - thus reducing pollution when the car is starting up.

Eventually, car manufacturers may replace the petrol engine with hydrogen fuel cell technology. Until this technology becomes available however, the hybrid petrol-electric cars will be a useful compromise. An added benefit is that these cars can be refuelled at any petrol station.

Advantages of HEVs

• Hybrid vehicles have a smaller more efficient engine and therefore are cheaper to run than petrol cars. They achieve better mileage on a tank of petrol

• Due to their more efficient engines, hybrid vehicles are less reliant on fuel, which means fewer emissions will be released into the environment

Disadvantages of HEVs

• As with all new technology, the hybrids are relatively expensive

• Batteries are heavy, expensive, have a short life span and are an environmental hazard
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles run on electricity generated through combining hydrogen with oxygen. The fuel cells use hydrogen taken from petrol, methanol or natural gas as a fuel, and the oxygen comes from the air. Coated electrodes convert the hydrogen and oxygen to water and this reaction releases energy as electricity to power the motor.

Fuel cell buses and golf carts are now in production. Both Honda and Daimler Benz have produced a noiseless, emission free vehicle powered by fuel cells. General Motors and Toyota are collaborating on the production of fuel cell vehicles. Ford, Daimler, Chrysler, three oil companies and the state of California, are cooperating to test fuel cell buses. Hydrogen fuel cell buses are also being trialled in London and other European cities, Perth, Western Australia, and Beijing, China.

Fuel Cell Vehicles produce no noise, are toxic emission free, the waste product is water (which is safe to drink) and they have a greater efficiency than petrol driven cars. They do not need recharging and have a good range and performance. Unfortunately, Fuel Cell Vehicles are still expensive to produce. One day, however, they could revolutionise road transport with their potential to reduce energy use, harmful emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.

Advantages of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

• They use no petrol, so no harmful emissions are released into the atmosphere

• They are quieter than internal combustion engines, although wind and road noise will still be present at higher speeds

Disadvantages of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

• Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology is currently in the development stage and it may not be commercially available until 2015 or later

• The hydrogen must be obtained from petrol, methanol, natural gas, or some other source
Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles
Natural Gas Vehicles use compressed natural gas (CNG) as fuel instead of petrol to run an internal combustion engine. The operation is cleaner than with petrol. Cars using this technology are readily available, or, a normal car can be converted. Natural gas vehicles are most practical for fleets of vehicles, such as taxis, that are centrally maintained and fuelled, and travel more miles per day than vehicles for personal use. CNG-powered buses are in use in Brazil, Argentina, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. CNG vehicles available today include the Honda Civic CGX above and the Ford Crown Victoria.

Natural gas is mostly made up of methane, with about 5 percent is made up of water vapour, butane, propane, ethane and other trace gases. Methane can be produced from coal.

Advantages of Natural Gas Vehicles

• Natural gas results in fewer toxic emissions than petrol
• Natural gas is relatively plentiful
• Natural gas is cheaper than petrol
• In the event of an accident natural gas is safer than petrol

Disadvantages of Natural Gas Vehicles

• Since there is less energy in a gallon of natural gas compared to petrol, the driving range of natural gas vehicles is much less
• Onboard natural gas tanks are larger than comparable petrol tanks. Therefore there is less boot space which will be more noticeable in smaller vehicles
• The availability of natural gas at fuelling stations is less than petrol

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