why are you putting so much emphasis on the need to reduce the emissions of our cars? The pollution is a problem that goes beyond global warming. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the environmental pollution is much more dangerous than eating burgers and processed meats daily, though not as much as alcohol and tobacco. The , EPA american estimated that in 2010 there had been over 160,000 premature deaths in the united States due to the exposure to particles in suspension, and around 4,300 by exposure to ozone. That was hence a matter of time that some scientists consider the impact that it has had the fraud of the TDI for the health of the citizens, it is estimated that around 59 people will die prematurely in the united States by the manipulation of the emissions of NOx, a figure that had come down to 140 if he had not uncovered the scandal.
These estimates of the impact to the public health of the fraud of the TDI will serve for the authorities to impose damages and penalties to the mark.
to Study the health consequences of the fraud of the TDI is a necessary exercise in order to claim to Volkswagen the payment of compensation and penalties. In the case of calls to fix for a security issue, such as the famous accelerators of Toyota, or the ram of the start of General Motors, is more simple. The consequences of a security problem is discussed in terms of the damage caused, deaths and injuries, in accidents in which he has been able to prove a direct connection with the fault of the manufacturer.
In the case that occupies to us it is clear that you cannot directly associate a person’s death to the fact that the diesel Volkswagen have emitted more greenhouse gases than those supported by the law. But yes, we can make estimates of their impact to the public health.
With a study of this type it is also possible to quantify the financial impact of the fraud to the public health.
The estimates made by a team of researchers from the MIT (see report) were based precisely on calculations of actual emissions for the diesel, on the impact of the emissions of NOx, ozone (which is generated from the previous), and the particles in suspension, have to health. So that with these data it was necessary to model a map of air quality and to estimate in the impact that they have had, will have, and had not to be called to review, the excess emissions of the diesel Volkswagen.
To all this we must add an economic factor, the social cost, which, according to the study stood at 450 million dollars, and that it had reached 840 million dollars not to have occurred for the call to review.
But, what’s truly important about this study?
There is a phrase, which is generally attributed to Stalin – apparently erroneously (see entry Moscow Times 1997) – which says “the death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic“. The data of 59 deceased because of a defeat device it is shocking, but even more the fact that hundreds of thousands of people die between 10 and 20 years before as a result of the environmental pollution, not only of the derivative of the TDI fraudulent Volkswagen, but also of the derivative of the rest of transport that we use, energy production, heating systems that we use in our home, the industry…
In the last few weeks Volkswagen has become an easy target of all the criticism. But, why not attack the authorities who have allowed Europe to be used in cycles of approval unreal, far removed from the real conditions of driving? why not attack the european legislators that have made our continent a perfect scenario for a fuel that was associated with so many environmental problems as the diesel? Why not attack the politicians that have put at risk our health, concluding a roadmap for emissions of NOx by more lax with the manufacturers?
how Many premature deaths could connect these researchers to the decision of Europe to double the levels of the Euro VI standard? Do dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands…?
Source: Report “Impact of the Volkswagen emissions control defeat device on US public health”
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