Last week the European lawmakers also voted on CO2 rules for heavy vehicles, the EU’s first attempt to regulate trucks and buses. And it is not surprising at all why they felt the pressure to do so. It has actually been one of the areas where Europe has lagged behind the rest of the world, like China and the US.
There is something that seems forgotten. In relation to burning fuels in combustion engines there is another problem that needs acknowledgement: the pollution from burning any fuel is deadly to humans and must be stopped. According to the World Bank, the air pollution is responsible for 400 000 premature deaths in Europe alone. That is more than 1000 people every day.
There is a “simple” cure for both problems. We should stop burning fuels. Technologies for doing that exist today for all modes of transport.
Unfortunately the emission reductions that the politicians are setting goals on far in the future will not help, because no one is responsible. Voting for documents that postpone the problem and do not set yearly goals is easy, because those MEPs may be long gone by the time someone has to take responsibility for missed targets and tricking the system in 2025 or 2030.
We must act now for our health and the sustainability of human life on Earth.