Not surprisingly, cars, car services (like Recovery car London), car transportations, and roads play an important role in air pollution and global warming. Today, cars mobilize 83% of all passenger transport, 9% by train and 5% by bus. Between 1990 and 2012, passenger traffic increased from 744 to 9.83 billion kilometers, an annual increase of 1.3%.
For 45 years, automobiles have used 4% less energy. Although the number of vehicles in circulation is increasing, technological advances and reduced average mileage by manufacturers have a positive impact on fuel consumption and emissions.
The major greenhouse gas accounts for 35% of the world’s emissions, but the transport sector is France’s largest carbon dioxide emission (CO2), with emissions of 110.7 billion between 1990 and 2011.
It increased from tons to 120.4 billion tons. Although not directly harmful to health, CO2 creates a greenhouse effect that enhances the atmosphere’s ability to retain heat from the sun.
In addition to CO2, cars emit other substances, some of which are especially harmful to health. Particulate matter is one of the air pollutants.
In French soil, Ademe (Environmental Energy Management Agency) reports that exposure to PM2.5 particles (less than 2.5 microns in diameter) reduces life expectancy by 8.2 months.
According to the WHO (World Health Organization), PM10 particles (less than 10 microns in diameter) cause 6% of premature deaths in France. Half of these particles are due to road traffic. In addition to respiratory and cardiovascular disease, studies have shown their detrimental effects on reproduction and fetal and neurological development.
Another pollutant emitted from exhaust fumes is nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are composed of nitrogen oxides (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Not only do they affect global warming, but nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is present in the form of irritating gases that can penetrate deep into the lungs. In France, road transport accounts for 56% of NOx emissions.
This is also an aggressive gas that causes severe eye and respiratory irritation. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a cardiopulmonary toxin. At low doses, the oxygen supply capacity of the brain, heart, and muscles is reduced. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have little direct effect, but sulfates (SO2) cause dyspnea, coughing attacks, and asthma attacks.
Air pollutants kill 3 million people each year in France. But thanks to advances in the automotive industry, even if the oldest cars continue to cause damage, the latest cars have better environmental records which is an important factor why we should protect the environment. But it’s still a long way off.
Today, private cars account for 60% of the consumption of petroleum products in the transportation sector, which in itself accounts for 32% of France’s energy consumption. The share of roads in the total CO2 emissions of the transport sector has been stable since 1990, but it accounts for the largest share at 95.2%. Cars account for 56% of CO2 emissions from road transport.
