5.1 Why pick on cars and gasoline?
Description
This article is from the Gasoline FAQ, by Bruce Hamilton with numerous contributions by others.
5.1 Why pick on cars and gasoline?
Cars emit several pollutants as combustion products out the tailpipe,
(tailpipe emissions), and as losses due to evaporation (evaporative
emissions, refuelling emissions). The volatile organic carbon (VOC)
emissions from these sources, along with nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions
from the tailpipe, will react in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) light
(wavelengths of less than 430nm) to form ground-level (tropospheric) ozone,
which is one of the major components of photochemical smog [63]. Smog has
been a major pollution problem ever since coal-fired power stations were
developed in urban areas, but their emissions are being cleaned up. Now it's
the turn of the automobile.
Cars currently use gasoline that is derived from fossil fuels, thus when
gasoline is burned to completion, it produces additional CO2 that is added
to the atmospheric burden. The effect of the additional CO2 on the global
environment is not known, but the quantity of man-made emissions of fossil
fuels must cause the system to move to a new equilibrium. Even if current
research doubles the efficiency of the IC engine-gasoline combination, and
reduces HC, CO, NOx, SOx, VOCs, particulates, and carbonyls, the amount of
carbon dioxide from the use of fossil fuels may still cause global warming.
More and more scientific evidence is accumulating that warming is occurring
[64,65]. The issue is whether it is natural, or induced by human activities
and and a large panel of scientific experts continues to review scientific
data and models. Interested reader should seek out the various publications
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). There are
international agreements to limit CO2 emissions to 1990 levels, a target that
will require more efficient, lighter, or appropriately-sized vehicles, - if
we are to maintain the current usage. One option is to use "renewable" fuels
in place of fossil fuels. Consider the amount of energy-related CO2 emissions
for selected countries in 1990 [66].
CO2 Emissions
( tonnes/year/person )
USA 20.0
Canada 16.4
Australia 15.9
Germany 10.4
United Kingdom 8.6
Japan 7.7
New Zealand 7.6
The number of new vehicles provides an indication of the magnitude of the
problem. Although vehicle engines are becoming more efficient, the distance
travelled is increasing, resulting in a gradual increase of gasoline
consumption. The world production of vehicles (in thousands) over the last
few years was [67];-
Cars
Region 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 Africa 222 213 194 201 209 Asia-Pacific 12,064 12,112 11,869 11,463 11,020 Central & South America 800 888 1,158 1,523 1,727 Eastern Europe 2,466 984 1,726 1,837 1,547 Middle East 35 24 300 390 274 North America 7,762 7,230 7,470 8,172 8,661 Western Europe 13,688 13,286 13,097 11,141 12,851 Total World 37,039 34,739 35,815 34,721 36,289
Trucks ( including heavy trucks and buses )
Region 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 Africa 133 123 108 101 116 Asia-Pacific 5,101 5,074 5,117 5,057 5,407 Central & South America 312 327 351 431 457 Eastern Europe 980 776 710 600 244 Middle East 36 28 100 128 76 North America 4,851 4,554 5,371 6,037 7,040 Western Europe 1,924 1,818 1,869 1,718 2,116 Total World 13,336 12,701 13,627 14,073 15,457
To fuel all operating vehicles, considerable quantities of gasoline
and diesel have to be consumed. Major consumption in 1994 of gasoline
and middle distillates ( which may include some heating fuels, but
not fuel oils ) in million tonnes.
Gasoline Middle Distillates
USA 338.6 246.3
Canada 26.8 26.1
Western Europe 163.2 266.8
Japan 60.2 92.2
Total World 820.4 1029.0
The USA consumption of gasoline increased from 294.4 (1982) to 335.6 (1989)
then dipped to 324.2 (1991), and has continued to rise since then to reach
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