MAKE CARS GREEN

From: T. K. Malhotra, President, AAUI

Eco-sustenance A ‘Must’ to breathe Green. The world has woken up and the race is now in top gear to go Green. The Green concept is surely sustainable. Environment-friendly practices are on with seminars and stage shows being organized on global level. The plans to breathe Green are process-driven and if effort continues, ‘Going Green’ will be a sustainable activity. Meaningful studies are being done world over to experiment variety of sources to improve the climate.

With a view to simulate worldwide awareness, United Nations Environment Day (WED) is organized every year on the 5th of June. The agenda for the WED 2009, hosted in Mexico was to give human face to environmental issues, empower people to become active, promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes and ways towards environmental issues.

Besides polluting the earth, pollution is also linked with birth weight according to a study published in the journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The study looked at 3,36,000 babies born in New Jersey between 1999 and 2003. Exposure to traffic pollution was identified yet another contributory factor to affect the development of babies in the womb, say the US researchers. This information was used by the University of Medicines and Dentistry in New Jersey on the basis of birth certificates and hospital record. The researchers recorded details including mother’s ethnicity, marital status, education, whether or not she was a smoker as well as where she lived at the time of giving birth to her baby. To support the study, daily readings of air pollution from monitoring points around the State of New Jersey were taken from the US environment protection agency. “Residence near a roadway during pregnancy may affect foetus growth”, says Professor David Rich of University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey.

Two thirds of pollutants produced by cars put tiny sooty particles and nitrogen dioxide were found to have an impact. Particulate matter is produced from vehicles exhaust which can lodge in the lung quite easily, reveals the study. The risk of small birth weight baby rose significantly with each increase in particulate matter of four micrograms per meter squared, during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Similarly the risk of a very small birth weight baby rose significantly with each 10 ports per billion increase in nitrogen dioxide, according to the study.

Looking at the efforts made on the UN level, it is noteworthy that the year’s first round of UN Climate talks ended with delegates emerging with a clear split between the versions of developing and developed nations. Developing countries want big emission cut from rich nations by 2020, as well as finance for climate protection with more transfer of ‘Clean technologies’. “Richer nations should show ‘more ambition’ said a top UN climate official. The talks in Bonn were the first round in a series aimed at reaching a new global deal by December to curb the emissions. Earlier in the meeting President Barak Obama’s lead negotiator Jonath Pershing told BBC news that the US would only offer cuts that were “politically and technologically achievable”. The President is looking at measures that would take US emissions back down to 1990 levels by 2020, he said.

Air pollution is a major concern in metro cities in India. The numbers of vehicles are increasing manifold by each passing day in the country. The Economic Survey of Delhi quoted recently in Times News network reveals that Delhi is witnessing a role back of benefits driven from conversion to CNG a few years ago. The number of vehicles has grown from 30-33 lakh in 1977-78 to 56-57 lakh in 2007-2008. Concentration of pollutants has risen in the past ten years with significance increase recorded in the levels of NOx, SPM and RSPM.

While, the growth in vehicular population in the country is a major contributory factor, driver’s behavior also plays an important role in keeping the emission level low or high. With this objective in mind, the Automobile Association of Upper India (AAUI) with the support of the Federation Internationale De l’ Automobile (FIA) and Bridgestone has embarked upon all possible avenues to aggressively promote ‘Make Cars Green’ campaign in the states of its jurisdiction National Capital Region of Delhi. In order to educate its members a pictorial booklet to help reduce impact of cars on the environment and help drivers think Green before they drive, is being distributed to thousands of drivers every week. Delhi Traffic Police also supported this Campaign by handing over the booklet to hundreds of motorists during the Traffic Week launched for pedestrians safety this month.

I earnestly appeal to the AAUI members, their families, relatives and drivers at large to adhere to the following norms to usher in the new era of Greener Motoring:

  • Buy Green
  • Plan your journey
  • Check tyre pressure frequently
  • Reduce loads and avoid the need for roof racks
  • Don’t warm up your engine before starting off
  • Use air conditioning only when necessary
  • Accelerate gently and keep your speed constant
  • Use engine breaking
  • Don’t idle your engine
  • Offset your CO2 emissions

with inputs from BBC News

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This article has been provided by Sh. T.K. Malhotra, President, AAUI, and also Co-Chairman of the Module-IV (Community Participation), Working Group –IV (Development of website), UTTIPEC. The views are not of UTTIPEC, DDA.