Fine dust particles, traffic pollution, and health

This will give you background information on the question of fine particle pollution. This is relevent because cars will soon need to display placards that will be used to restrict your auto in certain areas and at certains times.

Basically, since March 1, 2007 cities and localities can establish "environmental zones" where only "clean" cars are allowed as demonstrated by a fine particle placard on your car. This is to protect the local yocals from traffic pollution that builds up in high populated areas, but even smaller places are allowed the same ability to restrict cars.

Older cars and diesels will be most affected and most of them will not be allowed to even buy a placard. No one has to buy one either, but without one, you can't drive your car in the "environmental zones".

See the press releases from the German research center for environment and health (GSF), and Bayrische Rundfunk's article on environmental safety zones.

Happy motoring.

How on earth are they going to control this? They can hardly put up barriers and check all cars entering. I suppose the parking wardens will write you a fine if you're in the zone with an inadequete plaque.

Bayern doesn't have any yet, but B-W does (at least that is what I heard on the radio last week) so we will see how all this goes.

Edit: I did not put the snobby commas in the title.

A mixture of observations by humans and camera I guess.
Of moving traffic, of cars at traffic lights, parked cars and cars they pull off the road.

Tomorrow, my car will have the latest particular filter fitted which means it can go anywhere (it is a Range Rover Sport) as it is adjuged to be pure and clean, it is a 4wd and does 28mpg so I can drive with a clean conscience.
I also have a garden with large trees, use the latest light bulbs and do not use planes. I use my bicycle for local journeys (including shoppinjg) My carbon foot print is negative and I feel quite smug about this. I hope you all feel the same. ( I nearly forgot, yes, I sew my the holes in my jeans and my shirts last me about 5 years, my shoes about 7 years. I do not thow things away unless they are totally useless) I grow my own herbs (the legal type), use local bio farms for my meat, and I use my bicycle to travel to and from the said. My conscience on an enviromental level is clear and I hope you can all say the same.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/a...in_page_id=1770

Prius Toyota/Lexus drivers can pontificate but are wrong (see above link)

I also eat barley and lentils within my diet but am not self-sanctimoniuos and realise that I could do more whilst not lecturing others about their own minimal and pathetic efforts

Dude, what is up with you? You talk conservative shit and then turn around and astound me! Congratulations and my respect. My 14yo Mazda 626 gets 32mpg. I just tested it and drove to Heidelberg and back on one tank.

With your barley and lentil diet, may I recommend Bean-O. That will help take care of the methane immenating from your butt. It should also help protect your underwear from the fine particle matter. You do know about the global warming and cow fart conspiracy don't you?

Why do these chaps rate it much much lower than you claim. Infact it shows that an RRS is one of the worst in terms of environment on the road.

How does Munich air quality rate nationally / internationally (American cities, in particular)? Anyone know?

Seems bad to me for a city of this size. I hate the black soot on everything here.

The black soot is a Germany wide problem. We get all the shit blown up from France and Spain.

@Timmeh, I may have to eat my words. I trusted the birdman and I should have known better. Thanks for calling him out on his claims.

For those of us in Munich the zone is set as inside the Middle Ring and due to come into effect on 1 Oct.

I must say that 28mpg sounds a bit high too me too, but remember your chaps are using funny gallons

I dunno what a gallon is either, but that's because I'm under 80. I have a feeling it has something to do with chains, furlongs and links. Whatever it does mean, it's far too old as is miles, pounds (unless in dealing in drugs) & farenheit.

from the above mentioned article

If this is a German thing (I haven't seen anything saying it's a Europe wide deal), what will happen to all the Swiss, or Austrian cars? Is this going to be one of those things which effectively only applies to "the locals", but those driving a car registered outside Germany can get away with?

No, it applies to all cars, so the next tourist season should cause some controversy.

Munich plans ban of highly pollutive vehicles

Firstly, you are displaying the stats for the 4.2l supercharged petrol engine. I have, as you know, a 2.7 diesel engine that is getting the latest particle filtered (that complies with the EUs most stringent standards to date).

Nice try but when it comes to cars, as I said to you, watching top-gear and quoting Jeremy Clarkson is no substitute for having worked within the automobile industry for years.

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/motoring/diesel/d...over-sport.html

Timmeh, read it and weep!!

I think that Timmeh will have to eat his words. He was trying to compare my 2.7 diesel with a 4.2 supercharged petrol. If you notice, the picture and stats he put up are taken from the USA and they do not have the diesel Range Rover Sport available over there.

So, I will enjoy watching him eat humble pie. I am suprised, given your background in research, that you believed the first set of contrary stats posted up without looking into it a little further.

Nice try at a cutting remark, but I was under the impression you had this model. And those stats are for 4.4l non supercharged V8. As per usual, your "experience" in the industry shows you still don't know your arse from your elbow about cars as you have clearly demonstrated in the other threads.

Then I'm confused, if the soot comes from outside Germany, why are we worried about what cars can drive downtown?

Wouldn't it be more sensible to bomb French and Spanish factories (again)?

Knowing my arse from my elbow means that I would NOT compare a petrol engine with a diesel engine when talking about fuel efficiency. You were "under the impression"...just shows how first impressions are often wrong.

Anyway, now you know that I was not telling porking pies about my 28mpg and shame on you for thinking so!

I wasn't comparing them. I thought you had that model...you never stated you had the diesel version. When one thinks of RRS, they don't think diesel.

As a side note, how do you cope knowing you drive a lower status version?

ADAC

Here is a link with the info, you can also put in your car info & find out what kind of sticker you can get.

Denial?

Easily. I like it and as long as I like it that is all that matters.


(28mpg helps too)

Are you talking US or imperial gallons?

Imperial, as the diesel is not available in the U.S. I just took the figure from my fuel average display on the dash (though, as my previous link displays, the official mph is 27.6 but the official figure is only a "government indicative figure" which means there will be variations depending upon how the car is driven.

Ok, and are you trying to claim that 28mpg is good economy?

All this is going to be difficult to prove and administer, we have a partical filter fitted to our car when we bought it...not cheap I think it was an extra €600, but short of us showing some authority the bill for the car the only other way to prove things would be for cars to go to TUV centres and be tested...cant see this working very well

Edit: from the ADAC link it seems its on your Zulassungsbescheinigung

For a 4wd, yes. It is not if you compare it with a Toyota Yaris 1.4D.

This is why I pointed out that posting up the mpg of a 4.4l petrol engine when talking about a diesel mpg was pointless. (Keep in mind the poster assumed I had a petrol engine of that type).

Twenty Eight miles-per-gallon is not bad for the type of vehicle though it is no "prius"

You can get money back from the tax office if you have an later particle filter fitted, according to our tax consultant. Ours will cost 800euro but we get 300euro back and we go into a lower tax bracket (I have not got all the facts but can check it out)

Gasmasks in the Disco Recommended:

Several nice quotes:

More than 1000 micrograms per square meter measured in discotheques.
In Bars: 220 microgram, Restaurants: 200 microgram, Outside ~50 microgram

For the safety of their health, waiters should wear gasmasks and safety clothing.
,,Zum Schutz ihrer Gesundheit müssten Bedienungen eigentlich mit Gasmaske und Schutzanzug arbeiten‘‘, sagte Martina Pötschke-Langer vom Deutschen Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ) in Heidelberg

Concerning the air quality, discotheques are hotbeds of poison.
,,Was die Luftqualität angeht, sind Diskotheken wahre Giftküchen‘‘, sagte auch der bayerische Gesundheitsminister Werner Schnappauf (CSU).

His version is diesel. The engine lasts twice as long and has better fuel efficiency than a petrol.

Thanks! My wife says she knows these from TV... well, 'thanks for not telling me!'