Following up on the last post "5 basic things for urban air quality management" in the developing countries, here is a proposal for the readers and anybody who is interested in pursuing pollution mapping in their respective cities.
In general, in the urban centers, where the monitoring is conducted, it is mostly restricted to a limited number of hot spots and the number of operational monitors are less than the required to support the mapping (or indicate) of the pollution of the city...
For policy discussions, a point measurement of 100 pollutants is not enough, but one pollutant measurement (say PM, which is critical for exposure and health analysis) at 100 points will provide larger support to argue and explain the science and physics of urban air pollution.
In today's day and age, the accuracy is not an issue, we have access to state of the art monitors, and all sizes and all kinds. It is a matter of purpose - mapping or many pollutants !!
The proposal goes like this..
***
Pollution Mapping: 1 Monitor, 10 Cities, 100 Points, and 1000 words
1 Monitor: I have in mind the "Dust Trak"
This is not the only monitor in the market, but this seem to be economical and works well. The new features on the instrument allow to log the data with GPS synchronization (latitudes and longitudes) and blue tooth for online mapping (and more possible offline with a GIS interface). It is important to note that this is for PM only. With calibration, this instrument is known to measure up to PM1.0.
10 Cities.. lets say, a mix of big and the medium ones.
Personally, doing it in just one city as a pilot is not worth it. The monitors have been tested before and in use.. a good number of industries use them and the methodology is established. This is the scale up time and putting a larger framework down with at least 10 cities simultaneously will help mobilize others to follow.
100 points.. the measurement points around the city.
For each city, this would be ideal. More the merrier. We know how important the process of monitoring is and how often we quote and read that a proper baseline is missing or lack of enough data on the ground to show the hot spots of the city.
On one side, we have the continuous monitoring systems $300,000 (which measure most of the pollutants) and a tier lower anything between $50,000 to $100,000. This is still a finance intense program and limits the number of monitors (these are not mobile) that one can actually put to map the city.
What will really complement is at least a 100 point scan of the city and consolidate the numbers from both sides. And it is possible to do cheaply. Once done and overlaid on physical map with residential, road, and industrial backgrounds, with some interpolations and calculations, you will be sitting on an immense data set for hot spots. It will be lot more easier to argue with the locals using the measurements from this methodology than from the modeling (which is also as important).
So,
1. Get a dust trak or similar monitor
2. Setup the points around the city, get a student or two to do the rounds every other day and measure the PM concentrations.
One could argue that, this is only one data point per day per site.. then again, the end results is a 100 point scan of the city on every other day (depending on the time period chosen)
1000 words..
Bring the points to Computer, load them to GIS, do some analysis, finalize results, and disseminate the idea in thousand words (according to New York times (some time back), that's the reading limit).
An exercise like this, provides a movie of the city air pollution in 3D, which is usually done by modeling - with perfect emissions inventory and full meteorology at the ground level.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Monday, September 07, 2009
5 things for “Urban Air Quality Management”
For any pollution control board, where air pollution is increasingly becoming part of the urban talking points, there are many examples to learn from and lessons to follow. However, there is a vast information gap, especially to know the priority areas to support and implement an effective air quality management plan for a city. While it is obvious that there are no cookie cutter solutions that fit all the cities, there are some simple steps that a city should follow in order to improve their respective capacities.
5 things that a city should plan to do are
Monitoring
Monitoring is the key for better air quality management. This is probably the easiest of the steps that a pollution control board can undertake at various stages. The term “easiest” is relative and refers more to the easiness of the possible logistics involved in setting a monitoring station compared to the logistics involved in the following steps. A number of monitors are available for monitoring a variety of pollutants together or separately, and yet there is a serious lack of scaling this step in many of the cities in the developing countries, including the megacities.
The monitoring of air pollution is crucial not only for the regulatory bodies, who are responsible for the clean air, but also for the academic and other supporting agencies who can help in the later stages, by calibrating the models and providing necessary inputs for better air quality management. The pollution control boards should work with academia and other officials to the lower monitoring costs and expand the ability to track pollutants. Recent mitigation and clean air activities in Beijing for the Olympic Games and similar upcoming events in Shanghai for Expo 2010 and Delhi for the Commonwealth Games 2010, there is a renewed interest in knowing more about the air quality in the cities and possible impacts during the event.
Knowing the sources and the geography
Being able to identify different air pollution sources accurately is a key element in an effective air quality management system. This brings together the scientific activities of determining air pollution emissions, ambient concentrations by pollution type, and resulting health impacts with political and regulatory aspects to formulate a society’s reaction to air pollution. There is an acute need for source apportionment analysis in developing countries, and with proper training and capacity development (both technical and financial) source apportionment can make a valuable contribution towards air quality management.
Also, it is important to understand the geography of the cities, which is an integral part of understanding how the emissions from various sources will interact and impact the observed air pollution patterns.
Emissions database – baselines
Ideally, any institution concerned about the particulate pollution (responsible for most of health impacts) is expected to have an emissions inventory, but due to inherent challenges in collecting the necessary data, disclosure issues with the industries or handling agencies, or lack of institutional and technical capability to handle the knowledge base, leads to an incomplete or inconsistent emissions inventory.
While a detailed emissions inventory covering all possible sources is desired, it is important that an effort is put in place to start the process of establishing the same, even if it means starting with averages, gross consumption levels, and borrowed factors.
Most often, the non-existence of an emissions inventory is primarily due to the lack of this first step and waiting to develop 100 percent capacity and delays the institutional capacity building aspect.
As much as it is important to establish a baseline, it is also important to acknowledge the uncertainty of the factors in use. If average numbers from similar experiments in a different city or nation are being used, that should be noted and when the local capacity is developed to study more, the factors should be corrected for the local numbers. This is a “learning while building” exercise and only by establishing a baseline with what is available that what is lacking and how to improve is better understood.
Modeling analysis - sources and alternatives
The importance of the emissions and dispersion modeling, the effect of the long range transport of various pollutants along with their possible chemical transformation was briefly discussed in the past studies and this takes the next step. Similar to the emissions inventory development, the modeling is also an intense exercise, which requires both computational power (nowadays, which is not a problem) and the data assimilation.
The modeling systems are plenty, with varying capacity and complexity. However, selection of the modeling system should be based on the objective of the program and institutional strength to absorb the analytical challenges.
Dissemination of information
While the availability of the relevant data on air pollution is a challenge, there is a growing challenge with the dissemination of the information. I had my share of experience on reporting last week, but the problem with possible unreliable data is high in the developing countries and can be better managed with more dissemination of information and proper public awareness (see Photo Dairy of Pollution from Beijing).
5 things that a city should plan to do are
Monitoring
Monitoring is the key for better air quality management. This is probably the easiest of the steps that a pollution control board can undertake at various stages. The term “easiest” is relative and refers more to the easiness of the possible logistics involved in setting a monitoring station compared to the logistics involved in the following steps. A number of monitors are available for monitoring a variety of pollutants together or separately, and yet there is a serious lack of scaling this step in many of the cities in the developing countries, including the megacities.
The monitoring of air pollution is crucial not only for the regulatory bodies, who are responsible for the clean air, but also for the academic and other supporting agencies who can help in the later stages, by calibrating the models and providing necessary inputs for better air quality management. The pollution control boards should work with academia and other officials to the lower monitoring costs and expand the ability to track pollutants. Recent mitigation and clean air activities in Beijing for the Olympic Games and similar upcoming events in Shanghai for Expo 2010 and Delhi for the Commonwealth Games 2010, there is a renewed interest in knowing more about the air quality in the cities and possible impacts during the event.
Knowing the sources and the geography
Being able to identify different air pollution sources accurately is a key element in an effective air quality management system. This brings together the scientific activities of determining air pollution emissions, ambient concentrations by pollution type, and resulting health impacts with political and regulatory aspects to formulate a society’s reaction to air pollution. There is an acute need for source apportionment analysis in developing countries, and with proper training and capacity development (both technical and financial) source apportionment can make a valuable contribution towards air quality management.
Also, it is important to understand the geography of the cities, which is an integral part of understanding how the emissions from various sources will interact and impact the observed air pollution patterns.
Emissions database – baselines
Ideally, any institution concerned about the particulate pollution (responsible for most of health impacts) is expected to have an emissions inventory, but due to inherent challenges in collecting the necessary data, disclosure issues with the industries or handling agencies, or lack of institutional and technical capability to handle the knowledge base, leads to an incomplete or inconsistent emissions inventory.
While a detailed emissions inventory covering all possible sources is desired, it is important that an effort is put in place to start the process of establishing the same, even if it means starting with averages, gross consumption levels, and borrowed factors.
Most often, the non-existence of an emissions inventory is primarily due to the lack of this first step and waiting to develop 100 percent capacity and delays the institutional capacity building aspect.
As much as it is important to establish a baseline, it is also important to acknowledge the uncertainty of the factors in use. If average numbers from similar experiments in a different city or nation are being used, that should be noted and when the local capacity is developed to study more, the factors should be corrected for the local numbers. This is a “learning while building” exercise and only by establishing a baseline with what is available that what is lacking and how to improve is better understood.
Modeling analysis - sources and alternatives
The importance of the emissions and dispersion modeling, the effect of the long range transport of various pollutants along with their possible chemical transformation was briefly discussed in the past studies and this takes the next step. Similar to the emissions inventory development, the modeling is also an intense exercise, which requires both computational power (nowadays, which is not a problem) and the data assimilation.
The modeling systems are plenty, with varying capacity and complexity. However, selection of the modeling system should be based on the objective of the program and institutional strength to absorb the analytical challenges.
Dissemination of information
While the availability of the relevant data on air pollution is a challenge, there is a growing challenge with the dissemination of the information. I had my share of experience on reporting last week, but the problem with possible unreliable data is high in the developing countries and can be better managed with more dissemination of information and proper public awareness (see Photo Dairy of Pollution from Beijing).
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Air Pollution Alerts - September 6th, 2009
News & Information; Every Sunday (Last on September 01, 2009)
AFP, September 5th, 2009
Tackling wider air pollution would speed climate action.
The New Nation, September 5th, 2009
Traffic jam in Dhaka city: Some remedies.
Reuters, September 4th, 2009
Widen global warming fight beyond CO2.
The Guardian, September 4th, 2009
Walking the climate talk.
The Guardian, September 4th, 2009
Local governments keep Chinese public in the dark about pollution.
TIME, September 4th, 2009
Worst climate change offenders to escape effects.
Inhabitant, September 3rd, 2009
Does Pollution Actually Fight Global Warming?
NPR, September 3rd, 2009
Can Dirt Really Save Us From Global Warming?
Cleveland Metro, September 3rd, 2009
U.S. EPA launches detailed study of Cleveland-area air quality.
BBC, September 2nd, 2009
India emissions 'triple by 2030'.
World Changing, September 2nd, 2009
China Gradually Improves Environmental Transparency.
Daily Star, Lebanon, September 2nd, 2009
Climate change: challenge of tomorrow, solution for today.
Guardian, September 2nd, 2009
Further anti-pollution riots break out in China.
Business Standard, September 2nd, 2009
Reinventing Delhi: Cutting the Gordian Knot.
China Peoples Daily Online, September 2nd, 2009
Beijing extends ban on motor vehicles below emissions standards.
Science Daily, September 2nd, 2009
Time To Lift The Geoengineering Taboo.
Wall Street Journal, September 1st, 2009
Hot Job: Calculating Products' Pollution.
Science Daily, September 1st, 2009
Increasing Residential And Employment Density Could Mean Reductions In Vehicle Travel, Fuel Use And Carbon Dioxide Emissions.
Telegraph (UK), September 1st, 2009
Air pollution killing 24,000 every year.
Examiner, September 1st, 2009
Will support for Cap-and-Trade energy tax melt away? It's costly, but won't help the environment.
Spiked, September 1st, 2009
Dongtan: the eco-city that never was.
Guardian, September 1st, 2009
10:10: What's it all about?
Green Flow, September 1st, 2009
Asian City Growth: "Elephants in the Room" for Climate Change, Environmental Devastation.
Scientific American, September 1st, 2009
EPA Draft Greenhouse Gas Rule Focuses on Large Emitters.
Press Information Bureau of India, September 1st, 2009
Mysore gets first Intelligent Transport System and Innovative Environment Project under JNNURM.
Science Daily, August 31st, 2009
Restoring The Ecology Can Boost The Economy.
Scientific American, August 31st, 2009
How Sunlight Controls Climate.
Economist, August 27th, 2009
Virtues of Biochar.
Scientific American, August 27th, 2009
Laughing Gas No Laughing Matter in Atmosphere.
China Dialogue, August 21st, 2009
Biofuels: learning from Obama.
China Dialogue, August 18th, 2009
Africa looks to the sun and wind.
Business Standard, July 14th, 2009
Daunting urban challenge in India.
EEA, June, 2009
EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook, 2009.
EEA, May 2009
Annual European Community greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2007 and inventory report 2009.
Friday, September 04, 2009
Compact Development Could Reduce Vehicle Travel, Energy Use, CO2 Emissions (NAS)
Publication by National Academies, "Compact Development Could Reduce Vehicle Travel, Energy Use, CO2 Emissions" (2009)
By increasing population and employment density in metropolitan areas, vehicle travel, energy use, and CO2 emissions could decrease anywhere from less than 1 percent up to 11 percent by 2050, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council. The reductions depend on the extent to which current development patterns could be reversed, and some members of the study committee disagreed on the plausibility of achieving the higher estimate.
By increasing population and employment density in metropolitan areas, vehicle travel, energy use, and CO2 emissions could decrease anywhere from less than 1 percent up to 11 percent by 2050, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council. The reductions depend on the extent to which current development patterns could be reversed, and some members of the study committee disagreed on the plausibility of achieving the higher estimate.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
1000 Cities and 1000 Lives - WHO Campaign
The theme for World Health Day 2010 was selected in recognition of the effect urbanization has on our collective health globally and for us individually. Embracing the positive side of urban health goes beyond the roles and responsibilities of government. It includes the contributions that civil society, community groups, architects, engineers, and responsible businesses can make.
The "1000 cities - 1000 lives" campaign is dedicated to bring communities together towards a common goal united around health – municipal authorities, community groups, and individuals. But it also represents an opportunity for people to enjoy exercise, music and being outdoors with friends and neighbours. Local businesses can enjoy increased sales, and all can enjoy the sense of community the day will bring.
Urbanization is associated with many health challenges related to water, environment, violence and injury, noncommunicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases) unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol as well as the risks associated with disease outbreaks.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Clear Skies and Hazy Data - China & India !!
"Clear Skies and Hazy Data" says the Economist, published on August 14th, 2009, referring the pollution levels in Beijing, China and the pollution data in print. And the Guardian writes, "China's environment ministry says polluters are protected by a 'black box' of secrecy as local governments withhold information".
The Economist article continues that "A recent joint study by scientists from Peking University and Oregon State University found that pollution during the Olympics was 30% worse than had been reported, and that the air held two to three-and-a-half times more particulate matter than in the previous three summer Olympics." Recently, the air quality in Beijing made several headlines for what was observed during the summer Olympics, what was reported, and what is being observed now.
The challenge for the regulatory bodies in the monitoring. Most often, the cities are growing so fast that there aren't enough monitoring stations to observe and report the exact air quality in the city. A value monitored in one corner of the city is not the same and appropriate for the second corner. For example, it is common to observe higher particulate pollution levels along the main corridors (roads) in a city, but these numbers do not represent the levels in the residential areas. Similarly, what is observed during the daytime when the people are active and exposed the most to the harmful levels of pollution will be different from the night time pollution levels. Having said that, the data is always hazy for many reasons and is never enough. A twitter page is dedicated for reporting the air pollution levels and air pollution index in Beijing for every hour. Also, see reports, inquires, and discussions on the Beijing air quality at Live From Beijing.
The problems with availability of data and reporting in not confined to one country. A recent post (August 25th, 2009) on India Together by Mr. Shripad Dharmadhikary, reports on the findings presented in 2009 Environment Report of India. He writes about the the quality of the data available with the pollution department, "the report mentions that central and state pollution control boards have identified 1532 grossly polluting industries in India. But the source for this information is a World Bank publication, and that too of 1999. In fact, the MoEF should be the primary source of information on such parameters, since pollution is something the ministry itself is supposed to monitor! And its State of Environment reports should be presenting latest figures." What is missing here - is the ministry lacking the technical prowess or the funds to carry out the necessary monitoring themselves that they have to rely on external sources for information on their industries?
With the Commonwealth Games around the corner, a lesson from Beijing to Delhi, is very obvious. The involved institutions need to focus more on the air quality - not only improving the number of monitors that the city already operates, but also better understanding the sources, the contributions of in-city and outside-city pollution sources, the hot spots of industrial and residential areas, a series of interventions which could make effective air quality management (given Delhi will not be able to shut down industries nor stop half their in-use fleet during the games), and above all, an open data dissemination platform.
A major intervention that Beijing and Delhi are counting on is the extension of the metro rail system, to shift the motorized transport trends to the metro rail. The expected level of shift is uncertain, which depends on a number of factors, some of which are recently discussed on the sustran listserve. An analysis conducted by UrbanEmissions.Info reveals a possible reduction of at least 7 percent in the criteria pollutant emissions in 2010, by the introduction of expanded metro rail system in Delhi, India.
The Economist article continues that "A recent joint study by scientists from Peking University and Oregon State University found that pollution during the Olympics was 30% worse than had been reported, and that the air held two to three-and-a-half times more particulate matter than in the previous three summer Olympics." Recently, the air quality in Beijing made several headlines for what was observed during the summer Olympics, what was reported, and what is being observed now.
The challenge for the regulatory bodies in the monitoring. Most often, the cities are growing so fast that there aren't enough monitoring stations to observe and report the exact air quality in the city. A value monitored in one corner of the city is not the same and appropriate for the second corner. For example, it is common to observe higher particulate pollution levels along the main corridors (roads) in a city, but these numbers do not represent the levels in the residential areas. Similarly, what is observed during the daytime when the people are active and exposed the most to the harmful levels of pollution will be different from the night time pollution levels. Having said that, the data is always hazy for many reasons and is never enough. A twitter page is dedicated for reporting the air pollution levels and air pollution index in Beijing for every hour. Also, see reports, inquires, and discussions on the Beijing air quality at Live From Beijing.
The problems with availability of data and reporting in not confined to one country. A recent post (August 25th, 2009) on India Together by Mr. Shripad Dharmadhikary, reports on the findings presented in 2009 Environment Report of India. He writes about the the quality of the data available with the pollution department, "the report mentions that central and state pollution control boards have identified 1532 grossly polluting industries in India. But the source for this information is a World Bank publication, and that too of 1999. In fact, the MoEF should be the primary source of information on such parameters, since pollution is something the ministry itself is supposed to monitor! And its State of Environment reports should be presenting latest figures." What is missing here - is the ministry lacking the technical prowess or the funds to carry out the necessary monitoring themselves that they have to rely on external sources for information on their industries?
With the Commonwealth Games around the corner, a lesson from Beijing to Delhi, is very obvious. The involved institutions need to focus more on the air quality - not only improving the number of monitors that the city already operates, but also better understanding the sources, the contributions of in-city and outside-city pollution sources, the hot spots of industrial and residential areas, a series of interventions which could make effective air quality management (given Delhi will not be able to shut down industries nor stop half their in-use fleet during the games), and above all, an open data dissemination platform.
A major intervention that Beijing and Delhi are counting on is the extension of the metro rail system, to shift the motorized transport trends to the metro rail. The expected level of shift is uncertain, which depends on a number of factors, some of which are recently discussed on the sustran listserve. An analysis conducted by UrbanEmissions.Info reveals a possible reduction of at least 7 percent in the criteria pollutant emissions in 2010, by the introduction of expanded metro rail system in Delhi, India.
10:10 Campaign
What is 10:10?10:10 is an empowering climate change campaign with the aim of getting individuals, companies and institutions to reduce their carbon footprints by 10% during 2010.
Why 10% in 2010?
Although politicians argue about targets for 2050 and 2030, the scientists say world emissions must peak and begin to fall within the next few years. That means we need deep cuts in the developed world as quickly as possible. The longer we leave it, the smaller our chance of avoiding disastrous warming.
Read more about the campaign @ The Guardian
Air Pollution Alerts - September 1st, 2009
News & Information; Every Sunday (Last on August 30, 2009)
Telegraph, September 1st, 2009
Clean air mission - Pollution board chalks out plan for Dhanbad, Jharia.
Xinhua Net, August 31st, 2009
Beijing sees better air quality in August.
Science Daily, August 30th, 2009
How Cities Mimic Life: Megacities Breathe, Consume Energy, Excrete Wastes And Pollute.
Science Daily, August 30th, 2009
Tunnels Concentrate Air Pollution By Up To 1,000 Times.
Global Arab Network, August 29th, 2009
Environmental challenges for the Arab world.
Financial Express, August 28th, 2009
Clean Stoves, Health, & Climate in India.
Science Daily, August 28th, 2009
Nitrous Oxide Now Top Ozone-depleting Emission.
NPR, August 28th, 2009
Nitrous Oxide: A Necessary Evil Of Agriculture.
Science Daily, August 28th, 2009
Small Fluctuations In Solar Activity, Large Influence On Climate.
Times of India, August 27th, 2009
No-pollution three wheelers unveiled in New Delhi.
Science Daily, August 27th, 2009
Scientists Investigate Urban Climate In Rotterdam And Arnhem.
Economist, August 20th, 2009
Carbon Markets in China.
CNN, July 20th, 2009
Computer Software to Track Climate Change.
Capital Weekly, August 20th, 2009
Climate benefits, community safeguards can come together.
Grist, August 19th, 2009
Hotter summers will pose public health challenges.
Chian Daily, August 19th, 2009
UNEP praises China's green efforts.
TIME, August 19th, 2009
Are Chinese Citizens Ready for a Green Revolution?
OMB Watch, August 18th, 2009
CDC Attempts to Track Health and Pollution Connections.
MedIndia, August 18th, 2009
Unsee Air Pollutants Responsible For 380,000 Human Deaths Annually.
UPI, August 18th, 2009
China's air pollution is reducing rainfall.
Shanghaiist, August 18th, 2009
China's CO2 emissions will continue to rise until 2030.
AFP, August 18th, 2009
Chinese city aims for greener growth.
Rising Voices, August 18th, 2009
Nomad Green: More Workshops In Ulaanbaatar.
India PR Wire, August 18th, 2009
Agilent Technologies sets up "Clean Air Challenge" workshop for middle and high school teachers.
Auburn Journal, August 17th, 2009
Fire smoke can make air unfit for some.
New Times, August 16th, 2009
Increase in air pollution in China over last 50 years reduces rainy days by up to a quarter.
Epoch Times, August 16th, 2009
Beijing Air’s Quality More ‘Hazardous’ Than Officials Report.
Press Information Bureau, India, August 15th, 2009
Prime Minister's Independence Day Address.
Economist, August 14th, 2009
Pollution in China: Clear skies; hazy data.
Discovery News, August 14th, 2009
Air Pollution Travels, Kills Thousands Annually.
R&D, August 14th, 2009
The sky is not falling: Pollution in eastern China cuts light, useful rainfall.
Peoples Daily Online, August 13th, 2009
How does China deal with climate change and environmental problems?
Economist, August 13th, 2009
Economics of Natural Gas: Drowning in it.
Gasgoo, August 13th, 2009
China has an opportunity and the luxury to develop a competitive electric vehicle industry.
Center for Sciences and Environment, August 12th, 2009
Official delay in setting fuel economy standards smacks of state-sponsored fuel guzzling.
Economist, August 6th, 2009
Rainforest: Burning issues.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Microsoft Joins the Climate Change Calculations - Project 2 Degrees
While the Microsoft founder Bill Gates and a dozen other scientists have raised eyebrows by submitting patent applications for a technology to reduce the danger of approaching hurricanes by cooling ocean temperatures, the global software firm has created an online tool called Project 2 Degrees for cities across the world to monitor their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The carbon footprint calculations and compensating ones (individuals and firms) footprint by buying a
ppropriate carbon credit is already a known practice. However, the Project 2 Degrees for cities takes on different challenge of inventorizing carbon in the cities - where the the real action is.
A article recently published in Foreign Policy in Focus quotes "Cities Can Save the Earth" (May, 2009). Though the article tends to focus more on the transport oriented protection of the cities, the underlying message is clear - the protection comes from less consumption. Lesser the consumption, lesser the demand for energy, lesser the emissions, lesser the pollution, and sustainable the city and healthy the people. Alternet in April 2009 wrote, "Consumption, not population is our main environmental threat".
Cities account for only 2 percent of the worlds land mass but produce up to 75 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, so became the focus for Project 2 Degrees that is a collaboration with software designers Autodesk and the Clinton Climate Initiative.
Currently 40 cities are participating in this program called "C40 group", with New York and Sydney as pilot studies. Other cities in the program include cities Delhi, Bangkok, Manila, Sao Paulo, etc. Check the best practices section for examples of low carbon applications.
The carbon footprint calculations and compensating ones (individuals and firms) footprint by buying a
ppropriate carbon credit is already a known practice. However, the Project 2 Degrees for cities takes on different challenge of inventorizing carbon in the cities - where the the real action is.A article recently published in Foreign Policy in Focus quotes "Cities Can Save the Earth" (May, 2009). Though the article tends to focus more on the transport oriented protection of the cities, the underlying message is clear - the protection comes from less consumption. Lesser the consumption, lesser the demand for energy, lesser the emissions, lesser the pollution, and sustainable the city and healthy the people. Alternet in April 2009 wrote, "Consumption, not population is our main environmental threat".
Cities account for only 2 percent of the worlds land mass but produce up to 75 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, so became the focus for Project 2 Degrees that is a collaboration with software designers Autodesk and the Clinton Climate Initiative.
Currently 40 cities are participating in this program called "C40 group", with New York and Sydney as pilot studies. Other cities in the program include cities Delhi, Bangkok, Manila, Sao Paulo, etc. Check the best practices section for examples of low carbon applications.
Pollution Due to Trucks - Gross Polluters in Bangkok
As part of the DIESEL program (Developing Integrated Environmental Strategies for Evaluating Land Transport) in Bangkok, a series of surveys were conducted to understand the driver behaviour and driving cycles for the heavy duty vehicles (HDV) and the light duty vehicles (LDV). Following the surveys, approximately 250 vehicles, including a mix of manufacturers, age, and fuel quality, were tested for emission rates for the primary pollutants.
This study was supported and funded mutiple agencies and primarily lead by a teams from the Pollution Control Board in Bangkok and the World Bank in Washington DC, USA. The final report was dessiminated along with summary of emission factors at a workshop in June 2008 in Bangkok.
The emission tests emphasized the importance of going after the gross polluters in the fleet for effective management of the emissions in Bangkok. The three tables below presents an analysis of the emission tests for the three categories light duty vehicles, buses, and trucks. The total emissions (in gm) presented for each of the category represent the sum of all the emission factors measured and used here to estimate the fraction of the gross polluters among the fleet.
For example, for the light duty vehicles, the 24 percent of the vehicles are (9 out of 38) are polluting the most contributing approximately 46 percent of the emissions. A direct abolishment of the gross emitters will result in a faster reduction of fleet emissions.
Similarly, for the buses and trucks, where the average fleet age is high, the percentage of vehicles polluting the most is high. Among the heavy duty trucks, 15 percent of the fleet contributes to approximately 45 percent of the emissions. It is important to note that this is based on the sample used for the emissions testing, which was assumed representative of the ~3.9 million vehicles on road in Bangkok.
The analysis provided a basis for strategy development for in-use old and incoming new vehicles, which is detailed in the DIESEL final report.
Also see
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Pollution Due to Trucks - Kolkata & Dhaka
To the relief of the urban dwellers in Kolkata, recent ban of ~15,000 old trucks and buses and phasing out taxis (nearly 7,600), seem to have yielded some clean air results.
The truck ban did create its share of problems in the city, but the results once released are better for the public and the truck operators (for example, new vehicles are more fuel efficient than the old). See the video below.
Authorities in Dhaka announced that Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) admitted nearly 50 percent of the vehicles in the capital do not have fitness certificates. The air pollution due to the black smoke emitted by nearly 150,000 old and junk vehicles causing are causing a serious environmental threat for the Dhaka city dwellers. A recent study estimates 15,000 annual deaths due to urban air pollution in Bangladesh.
While Dhaka banned 3-wheelers and 3-wheel cycles in the past, maybe a replication of phasing out old vehicles might help decrease the number of gross polluters on road.
Also see
The truck ban did create its share of problems in the city, but the results once released are better for the public and the truck operators (for example, new vehicles are more fuel efficient than the old). See the video below.
Authorities in Dhaka announced that Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) admitted nearly 50 percent of the vehicles in the capital do not have fitness certificates. The air pollution due to the black smoke emitted by nearly 150,000 old and junk vehicles causing are causing a serious environmental threat for the Dhaka city dwellers. A recent study estimates 15,000 annual deaths due to urban air pollution in Bangladesh.
While Dhaka banned 3-wheelers and 3-wheel cycles in the past, maybe a replication of phasing out old vehicles might help decrease the number of gross polluters on road.
Also see
Pollution Due to Trucks - Gross Polluters in Delhi
In the SIM 25-2009 working paper, "Photochemistry of Air Pollution in Delhi, India: A Monitoring Based Analysis", the monitoring data from the Indian Tax Office (ITO) station in Delhi, India, (operated by the Central Pollution Control Board) is analyzed to explain the observed trends in the criteria pollutants, PM2.5, NOx, CO, and Ozone.The analysis of the measurements shows that
- the diurnal variation of the mixing layer height is very pronounced in Delhi, which effects the night time concentrations. This is very important for the cities like Delhi, where the diesel operated trucks are allowed to pass through the city only at night, and thus enhancing the night time ambient concentrations. However, since the population exposed to these higher concentrations of PM (mostly diesel soot) and other pollutants is lower during the night time, the impacts of the night time emissions are generally less observed.
- while the passenger travel in the city has grown over the last decade, the importance of the freight transport (via trucks) in the night should not be neglected, since the high concentrations observed during the night tend to linger during the rush hours (mixed with the passenger travel) and beyond (through ~11 AM) and hence increasing the exposure times and related health concerns along the major corridor.
- In the city, the night time concentration of particulates is a growing concern; the night-time concentrations particularly in the winter and spring seasons are approximately twice the day time levels. All the heavy duty trucks are diesel based with an average age of at least 5 years. Also, the lower mixing heights and poor ventilation in the night, prevents proper dispersion of these pollutants, causing this buildup of pollutants. At the sunrise, the buildup of the pollutants is felt among the rush hour commuters.
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