Proponents of
controversial
diesel engine
driving bans
in Germany were
disappointed.
Despite the lower
volume of traffic
during the lockdown,
nitrogen dioxide levels
in German city centers
were still high.
Air quality data from the
Federal Environment Agency
( UBA )
over the past ten weeks:
Nitrogen oxide
air pollution levels at
Stuttgart’s Neckartor.
and Landshuter Allee
in Munich. initially
decreased gradually
after the shutdown
on March 23, but
then increased.
Some of the levels
were higher than
the previous year !
A decline
in pollution
due to
less traffic
and industrial
production
was expected
to significantly
improve air quality.
I believe the studies
covered time periods
that may have been
too short for a
reliable conclusion.
Also,
local weather
significantly
affects the level
of urban pollution,
especially the
amount of wind.
But then Paris
and several other
EU cities had
the same result.
On the other hand,
air pollution studies
using satellites,
rather than surface
measurements,
found significantly
lower air pollution
over Chinese cities,
and in northern Italy.
Instead of debating
the accuracy of
the measurements,
consider how the
climate alarmists
reacted to them:
Very disappointed !
Climate alarmists
were hoping that
vastly improved
air quality in cities
around the world
would result in a
strong demand
for permanently
cleaner urban air.
And more people
would join their
anti-fossil fuels
movement !
Perhaps people
in some Chinese
cities did not notice
improved outdoor
air quality,
simply because
they were forced
to spend so much
time indoors, when
sheltering in place ?
The German
Parliamentary
State Secretary
to the
Federal Minister
of Transport,
Steffen Bilger,
FOCUS:
“In my view,
the issue
of diesel
driving bans
is now finally
off the table.
Why the nitrogen
oxide values do not
decrease. despite the
rapid decline in traffic.
raises questions that the
responsible
environmental
authorities
have to clarify."
The environmental
policy spokeswoman
for the FDP,
Judith Skudelny,
also criticized
diesel engine
driving bans:
"What is interesting
about the
measured values
is that less traffic
is not a guarantee
of clean air."
Glen Peters,
director of
the Center for
International
Climate Research,
said on Twitter
that the IMF's
economic
projections
would equate to
a 5.7% drop
in CO2 emissions
in 2020.
"I think the amount
of disruption
people have had
in their lives
from lockdowns
will lead to
a disappointing
drop in emissions,"
Peters wrote
in an e-mail,
noting that
big-ticket
emitters
like electricity
generation,
some industry,
and all agriculture,
are not covered by the
lockdowns imposed
by many governments.
Taryn Fransen,
a senior fellow
at the World
Resources
Institute, said:
"When we're
talking about
cutting emissions,
this is not
how to do it.
No one is arguing
that we should suppress
economic activity
to reduce emissions."
If people resume flying
and driving as they did
before the pandemic,
the crisis will have
a negligible impact
on climate.
But if it results in
more remote work,
and less commuting,
it might lead to a larger,
more sustainable,
reduction in emissions.
My conclusion:
Even with the
millions of people
around the world
stuck at home,
the world economy
is still consuming
vast quantities
of fossil fuels
and emitting
large amounts
of CO2.