- One of the most pressing topics of concern for the global community is environmental degradation, which leads to erratic weather patterns and causes widespread destruction to lives and property. The unchecked greenhouse gas emissions over the decades, on the back of revolutionary inventions, innovations, developments, and growth witnessed, have also brought in a set of challenges for the present and future generation, compelled to deal with weather tribulations. The rising temperature around the world, consequently, has had a direct effect on the weather patterns, leading to unseasonal rains, droughts, famine, snowfall, thunderstorms, and some such unpleasant occurrences of late. None of the countries is spared from these agonies.
PC: Auto | HowStuffWorks
- To ensure the weather patterns are not deteriorating any further, the global leadership has introduced several weather-related measures as part of their responsibilities to cushion the fallout of environmental degradation. Air pollution caused by vehicles is also one of the contributory factors forcing the government authorities to scrap old vehicles. However, fixing air quality is not as easy as scrapping old vehicles. Nonetheless, governments around the world have gone for the shortcut. Is it an effective policy at all? Let’s dwelve further on this aspect. A 1966 Volvo P1800S was driven by a New York schoolteacher for 51L km before he died in 2018. A German drove his 1988 Mercedes G-Class around the world for 9L km over 26 years.
PC: Zee Business
- Neither the US nor Germany has a mandatory vehicle scrappage rule. The average age of cars in the US has risen from 9 years to 14 years since 2000. But India has made compulsory vehicle scrapping a pillar of its clear air policy, and starting last week, diesel vehicles older than 10 years, and petrol vehicles older than 15 years, aren’t being sold fuel in Delhi. Agreed, vehicles that shouldn’t be on the road shouldn’t be fuelled. But govt diktats have costs, fuel station staff will spend time monitoring 62L registration plates, arguing with vehicle owners, and possibly getting manhandled. So, what’s the point? If the goal is to clean up Delhi’s air, removing old vehicles won’t make a significant dent. Yes, studies show that vehicles are responsible for 50% of the pollutants in Delhi’s air.
PC: The Statesman
- And it is largely due to the nature of stop-and-go traffic. The less said, the better about the traffic jams in metro cities of India. All vehicles, new or old, pollute more in these conditions. The solution is to have fewer vehicles on the road, but that can’t happen without comfortable and dependable pubic transport, and safe pedestrian and bicycle paths. Where is that? Air quality can be improved only when govts look beyond the low-hanging fruit of vehicle scrappage. Prioritizing vehicle maintenance over age, for instance. How can Delhi’s air be clean if 35% of its pollutants enter from neighbouring districts? Industry, mining, agriculture, deforestation, and inadequate public transportation all affect air quality, but they can’t be fixed with the stroke of a pen. Simple.
