Friday, March 27, 1892 - North Shore News - 47 ‘Time running out for the smoggiest cities THE AIR pollution probiem in Mexico City is about to explode, according to Luis Manuel Garduno, director gen- eral of the Ecologicas in Mexico City. On two separate cccasions in the past few weeks, Mexico City has imposed emergency anti-smog measures after ozone levels reach- ed three times the acceptable limit as set by the World Health Organization. Forty per cent of cars were ordered off the road, factories were ordered to cut production, government vehicle fleets were halved, and schools were closed. Speaking at a Globe ‘92 en- vironmental! conference last week, entitled ‘‘Cars: Practical Econom- ic Solutions to a Global En- vironmental Problem,’”’ Garduno warned that private automobile use is to blame for most of Mex- ico City’s smog. **Seventy-six per cent of the air pollution in Mexico City comes from private automobile use even though only 16% of the popula- tion owns cars. We have only 40% the sumber of cars of Los ’ Angeles, yet we have three times ‘ the pollution.” Garduno estimates that 11,000 tons of pollutants enter Mexico City’s atmosphere daily. Ninety ‘- per cent of Mexico’s gasoline is still leaded. “Of Mexico City’s 20 million people, 12 million are children and eight million are adults. All are being exposed to a rapid aging of the lungs, asthma and other diseases,”’ said Garduno. Mexico City’s neighbor to the V-& Automatic 4 speed, cassette Stereo, cruise/tilt Bedliner, A/C Institute Autoromo de Investigaciones Greg Wilson AUTOMOTION north, Los Angeies, is aiso facing serious health problems related to automobile emissions. “Health studies on our citizens show that 15% have reduced Jung capacity and that the air in Los Angeles stimulates asthma in those who do not have it,’’ said Larry Berg, member of the South Coast Air Quality Management District in southern California. “Simply being born (and raised) in L.A. gives you permanently reduced lung capacity.’ This is despite the fact that Los Angeles is the only area in the world that has reduced its ozone LL NEW GMC SAFARI PASSENGER VAN All whee! drive $1 9,555 BRAND KEW "1992 GRAND AM Consumer Digest “BEST Buy” Stereo Anti-lock brakes (smog) levels. The number of vehicles and miles travelled has doubled in the last 20 years, but Los Angeles has managed to reduce emissions by a third since the late 1970s. Most of the gains made in reducing automobile pollution have come from tighter regula- tions in exhaust emissions, and cleaner fuels. In a previous visit to Vaucouver in 1990, Berg said that Vancouver could face an air pollution prob- tem as serious as L.A. within 20 years. Vancouver has similar to- pography to Los Angeles and as in L.A. and Mexico City, most of Vancouver's air pollution comes from vehicular exhaust emissions. One of the suggestions put for- ward to reduce automobile pollu- tion is extensive use of mass tran- sit. But evidence indicates that motorists in the world’s big cities are reluctant to give up their cars. Garduno claims that 80% of Mex- ico City’s population who don’t own cars, want one badly. “‘When we had a no-car day in December of ’89 (even-numbered licence plates drive one day, odd-numbered plates the next), people went out and Eought extra cars. We increased the car popula- tion by 300,000 cars in one year,’’ he laments. Mass transit in Mexico City is subsidized to the point of being ridiculously cheap, but commuters are still reluctant to use it. Mass transit in Los Angeles is not very popular either; however, the city has new plans to spend $160 billion on a new transit system, according to Berg. 44 Health studies on our citizens shew that 15% have reduced lung capacity and that the air in Los Angeles stimulates asthma in those who do not have it.?99 Larry Berg, South Coast Air Quality member Low-polluting alternative-fuel cars are another solution. These vehicles, which use methanol, ethanol, natural gas or propane, emit lesser amounts of harmful gases (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons) into the atmosphere but still emit carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. Even electric cars must be recharged using electricity produc- ed from power stations that may burn coal or oil. “We can’t have emission reduc- tion programs without having controls on stationary smokestack emissions,’* said Berg. ~ And according to a Ford Motor Company executive, people are reluctant to buy alternative-fuel cars. “People think they’re a great idea for their neighbors, but they’re leery about buying them,’’ said Kelly Brown, executive engineer, Environmental and Safety Enginecring Staff for Ford. Kelly cited reasons such as cost, lack of refueling stations, and in some cases, poor vehicle perfor- mance and trunk space taken up ‘by hefty storage tanks. “We have flexible-fuel vehicles (gasoline/methanol), but we're having a hard time selling them, even in California, despite sub- sidizing by the government and Ford. It took us over a year to sell 200 flexible-fuel cars in Califor- nia."* Other options presented includ- ed the use of ultra-fuel-efficient cars, bicycles and pedestrian walkways. “By using a bicycle to get to work, I save 240 gallons of gaso- line a year,’’ said Michael Totten of the U.S. International Institute for Energy Conservation. It hasn’t been easy convincing automobile manufacturers and government agencies to implement air pollution standards, according to Larry Berg. “PI give you an example. In Maryland recently, they’ve been considering adopting the stricter California emissions standards. A member of the UAW (United Auto Workers) said that -General Motors: will close their plant in Maryland if they adopt these standards. Politically easy it is not.”’ . NOTICE TO MOTORISTS LIONS GATE BRIDGE SINGLE LANE TRAFFIC The Ministry of Transportation and Highways announces that there will be Single Lane Traffic and Single Lane Alternating Traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge from Sunday March 22 to Wednesday April 1, 1992. Single lane traffic is needed to replace the stringers on the bridge arid will be in effect as foilows. : Single Lane Alternating Traffic 11:30 PM. - 5:30 A.M. (March 22-26 and Apcil 6-15) 12:00 Midnight Saturday — 11:00 A.M. Sunday (March 28/29, April 4/5) Single Lane Traffic (Single Lane Traffic in Both Directions) 8:00 PM. — 6:00 A.M. (March 29-April 5) Motorists shouid expect delays or pian to use an alternate route. For further information, please call the Ministry of Transportation and Highways 24-Hour Road Report at 525-4997 (Greater Vancouver); 938-4997 (Whistler); 855-4997 (Abbotsford); 380-4997 (Greater Victoria); 371-4997 (Kamloops); 860-4997 (Kelowna); *4997 (BC Cellular and Cantel). in all other areas, please call 1-800-663-4997. eS 7) Province of British Columble Minilatry of Transportation and Highways.