[sustran] fwd: Campaign for ban on diesel cars

[SUSTRAN Resource Centre]

<fontfamily><param>Times New Roman</param>Dear Mr Paul,


We need your help to stop the global auto majors from flooding the 
Indian market with diesel cars which are notorious for extremely toxic 
emissions, especially particulate emissions. Delhi is already recording 
10,000 deaths a year – one death an hour – because of particulate 
pollution. Yet all automobile giants – Ford, General Motors, Toyota and 
Mercedes Benz -- are pushing diesel cars in India. 


With the opening up of the Indian economy in the 1990s, we had hoped 
that the trans-national companies which have a capacity to produce 
better and cleaner technology would help us clean the air. On the 
contrary, they are all set to invade the Indian market with polluting
diesel  cars to cash in on cheap diesel prices in India. They are
ignoring  scientific evidence gathered in their own countries on the
toxic effects of  diesel particulates and the limitation of existing
diesel technology to  control these deadly particles. 


Not only are these companies spreading disinformation that diesel 
engines are clean, they are claiming that they do not wish to deprive the
 Indian consumer of his “right to choice”. Unfortunately, the uninformed 
public in India does not realise that this is a choice between life and 
death. 


We have reasons to be deeply concerned about the increasing use of 
diesel as a fuel for luxury cars. 

<paraindent><param>out</param>Unlike the cities in the West, Indian
cities like Delhi are reeling under  serious particulate emissions. The
annual average level of the total  suspended particulate matter in Delhi
has consistently remained  three to five times higher than the World
Health Organisation  (WHO) standards. The levels of PM10 (inhalable
particles) reach 8-9  times the standards in Delhi that is, disastrous
levels of over 500  micrograms per cubic metre. This is where WHO has
concluded that  there is no safe level of exposure to particulate
pollution.

</paraindent>


<paraindent><param>out</param>According to a World Bank study, conducted
for the year 1991-92,  particulate pollution was responsible for 40,000
premature deaths  every year. The same study when repeated by the Centre
for Science  and Environment for the year 1995 showed an increase in the
death  rate by about 28 per cent in just three years.  One person dies
every  hour due to air pollution in Delhi.

</paraindent>


<paraindent><param>out</param>World wide, studies have shown that diesel
particles are extremely  tiny, go deep into the lungs and are rich in
polycyclic aromatic  hydrocarbons (PAH), which are highly carcinogenic.
The Scientific  Review Panel of the California Air Resources Board
designated  diesel particulates as a ‘Toxic Air Contaminant’ (TAC) on
August  27, 1998. Thus, diesel has the potential to cause serious health 
damage and should be controlled.

</paraindent>


<paraindent><param>out</param>Indian citizens are spending an estimated
Rs 4,550 crore each year to  make up for the health damages caused only
by air pollution. A  developing country can ill-afford such costs and
there is need to  control the factors that add to this burden on the
economy and  public health.

</paraindent>


Yet the auto majors are investing heavily in India to produce diesel cars
 on a plea that the number of diesel cars is actually increasing in other
 countries as these are fuel efficient and are being actively promoted to
 control global warming. 


You would agree with us that urban smog is a serious environment and 
public health problem and we must not allow the industry to confuse the 
strategies to deal with global warming with that of smog abatement 
measures. 


You will be surprised to know that private diesel cars in the capital
city of  Delhi are poised to take off at a time when the Government of
Delhi is  under the directive of the Supreme Court of India to run all
public buses  on CNG by March 31, 2001 -- a measure that will greatly
reduce  particulate pollution. 


While it is true that the Indian government has overlooked the folly of 
allowing private diesel cars, is it morally correct for companies to take
 advantage of the flawed policies in  newly emerging economies and  dump
polluting technologies to make a fast buck? By flooding the Indian 
market with diesel-powered cars, the industry is shrugging off its social
 responsibility.  


We are aware of the civil society movements in other countries that have 
achieved success in restricting the use of diesel. One such movement on 
the eastern coast of the United States, the “Dump Dirty Diesel”  campaign
by a coalition of health, environment, transportation and  public
interest groups, has forced the New York City to start replacing its 
diesel-powered buses with models run on cleaner fuels, including natural 
gas. Delhi could do well with a similar movement to restrict use of
diesel  in private vehicles.  


Down to Earth has just carried an article built on interviews with CEOs
of  foreign car manufacturers in India. It shows that none of them want
to  address the problem of particulate pollution. They only want to
disinform  – “who says diesel is bad” – or confuse – “but petrol also
produces  particles” or “but Europe is going in for diesel cars, so why
not India,  etc. You can access the article on CSE’s website
</fontfamily><underline><color><param>0000,0000,ffff</param>www.cseindia.org</color></underline><fontfamily><param>Times
New Roman</param>.


CSE has also produced a monograph on the health effects of diesel  which
also can be accessed on CSE’s website.


We are keen to intensify our campaign against diesel and seek your 
support to put pressure on companies from your country to shoulder  their
social responsibilities. 

<paraindent><param>out</param>Please tell us how you can launch a
campaign against these  companies or help us in our campaign. 

</paraindent>

<paraindent><param>out</param>Can you help us to reach out to a large
number of people and other  environmental networks in your country to
build up a coalition?

</paraindent>


We would sincerely appreciate your help in countering the move of the 
transnational  companies and help save many more Indians from dying. 


Waiting to hear from you soon.

With regards,

Sandhya

Networking Associate,

CSE's <italic>Right to Clean Air Campaign 

</italic>





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