Tråd: Boriss 2020 vision for ren luft

Londons borgmester ønsker at omdanne centrum af kapital til en ultra low emission zone. Svaret ligger med visse fossilt brændstof. Denne morgen Boris Johnson, London borgmester, meddelte, at han ønsker at skabe verdens første ultra lav emission zone. Min vision er en central zone, hvor næsten alle de køretøjer, der kører i arbejdstiden er enten nul eller lav emission. Dette ville levere utrolige fordele luftkvaliteten og stimulering af levering og masse brugen af lav emission teknologi.
Boris ønsker Transport for London at arbejde på en gennemførlighedsundersøgelse for bare hvordan denne idé kunne blive rullet i 2020. Lyde gal, ikke sandt? Og Boris vil ikke være Londons borgmester i 2020 (hes mere tilbøjelige til at være leder af oppositionen) så helt sikkert det er bare et PR stunt at fylde en kold dag i februar?
I virkeligheden er det en smart politisk, der åbner mulighed for - endelig - en ordentlig samtale om Co2 og den virkelige betydning af emissioner og forurening. Så heres min forelæggelse for TfL...
Kære Transport for London
Ultra low emission zones. Lyden temmelig banebrydende gør det ikke? Men vi skal sikre, at alle forstår forskellen mellem forurening og emissioner. Ive hamrer på om luftforurening siden det latterlige trængselsafgift blev indført i 2003. CO2-emissioner er ikke lokalt skadelige for menneskers sundhed. Forurening som partikler og nitrogenoxider, hvortil der er EU 's juridiske grænser, er skadelige og er ansvarlig for tusinder af tidlige dødsfald hvert år.
Og venligst ikke gå galopperende på vilde grønne gås jagter. UKs brint brændstofsystem netværk er mere end et årti væk og batteri-drevne køretøjer bliver dyrt, kortrækkende, ramt af koldt vejr og besværligt at genoplade. Desuden, de fleste af de køretøjer, der vil være emnet zonen ultra lave emissioner vil være ejet af selvstændige og privat virksomhed som hver en krone tæller. Disse mennesker vil overkommelige, robuste og billige at service Ultra-Low emission køretøjer, som konventionel dieselbiler de kører nu.
De svar, som du måske har gættet, er gas el. Gas er den laveste Co2, fossile brændstoffer, men producerer stort set ingen forurening, når det brændes af. Nogensinde undret dig over, hvorfor du kan have åbne gas flammer i dit køkken uden at blive forgiftet?
VW anslår at der er 231 år af gas supply i verden og British Geological Survey mener theres nok skifergas under Det Forenede Kongerige til at opvarme vores boliger i 1500 år, og at vi bør kunne uden sammenligning uddrag 300 år værd. Theres 13. 7 kWh energi i et kilo af komprimeret naturgas: bare 8. 9 kWh på en liter benzin.
Erhvervskøretøjer kan nemt tilpasses til masseproduktion, med sammenknebne benzinmotorer (så mindre urban støj forurening) og tagmonteret gastanke. De nye ejere af virksomheden sort Cab kan omlægge den gamle bus for at rumme gastanke. Enetages-busser kan bruge tagmonteret gastanke (hele californiske bus flåde er drevet af CNG, som er Hong Kongs taxier). Tankes brændstof kan rummes på eksisterende benzinstationer.
Selv vindmøller er en del af denne løsning. Kunstige methan kan gøres ved hjælp af vindkraft til knæk havvand i brint og ilt. Kombinationen af brint og Co2 skaber metangas. Borgmesteren siger også, at opbygge site maskiner skaber 12 procent af alle hovedstæder nitrogendioxid forurening. Den eneste løsning er gas-drevne maskiner, ligesom de gasdrevne gaffeltrucks og allerede anvendes i pakhuse.
Som du kan se, er der kun én fornuftig, omkostningseffektiv og virkelige måde at skabe en ultra lav forurening område. Belønningen er ren by luft og roligere gader. Og hvis London får det rigtige, resten af landet vil helt sikkert følge.

The Mayor of London wants to turn the centre of capital into an ultra-low emissions zone. The answer lies with a certain fossil fuel. This morning Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, announced that he wants to create the worlds first ultra low emission zone. My vision is a central zone where almost all the vehicles running during working hours are either zero or low emission. This would deliver incredible benefits in air quality and stimulate the delivery and mass use of low emission technology.
Boris wants Transport for London to work on a feasibility study for just how this idea could be rolled out in 2020. Sounds mad, doesnt it? And Boris wont be the Mayor of London in 2020 (hes more likely to be the leader of the opposition) so surely this is just a PR stunt to fill a cold day in February?
In fact, its a smart political that opens up the opportunity to - finally - have a proper conversation about Co2 and the real meaning of emissions and pollution. So heres my submission to TfL…
Dear Transport for London
Ultra-low emissions zones. Sound pretty cutting edge doesnt it? But we need to make sure everyone understands the difference between pollution and emissions. Ive been banging on about air pollution since the ridiculous Congestion Charge was introduced in 2003. Co2 emissions are not locally harmful to human health. Pollution such as particulates and nitrogen oxides, for which there are EU legal limits, are harmful and are responsible for thousands of early deaths each year.
And please dont go galloping off on wild green goose chases. The UKs hydrogen fuelling network is over a decade away and battery-powered vehicles will remain expensive, short-range, affected by cold weather and inconvenient to recharge. Moreover, most of the vehicles that will be subject the ultra low emissions zone will be owned by the self-employed and private business for whom every penny counts. These people will want affordable, robust and cheap-to-service ultra-low emissions vehicles, like the conventional diesel vehicles they drive now.
The answer, as you might have guessed, is gas power. Gas is the lowest Co2 fossil fuel but produces virtually no pollution when it is burnt. Ever wondered why you can have open gas flames in your kitchen without being poisoned?
VW estimates that there is 231 years of gas supply in the world and the British Geological Survey thinks theres enough shale gas under the UK to heat all our homes for 1500 years and that we should be able to easily extract 300 years worth. Theres 13. 7 kWh of energy in a kilo of Compressed Natural Gas: just 8. 9 kWh in a litre of petrol.
Commercial vehicles can be easily adapted for mass production, with tweaked petrol engines (so less urban noise pollution) and roof-mounted gas tanks. The new owners of the Black Cab company can re-engineer the old bus to accommodate gas tanks. Single-deck buses can use roof-mounted gas tanks (the whole Californian bus fleet is powered by CNG, as are Hong Kongs taxis). Refuelling points can be accommodated at existing petrol stations.
Even wind turbines are part of this solution. Artificial Methane can be made by using wind power to crack seawater into hydrogen and oxygen. Combining the hydrogen and Co2 creates the methane gas. The Mayor also says that building site machinery creates 12 percent of all the capitals Nitrogen Dioxide pollution. The only solution is gas-powered machinery, like the gas-powered forklifts already used in warehouses.
As you can see, there is only one sensible, cost-effective, real-world way to create an ultra low POLLUTION zone. The reward is clean city air and quieter streets. And if London gets it right, the rest of the country will surely follow.