Ramblings of a 70-year old: air pollution

Sunday, October 30, 2022

The West Bengal government to launch electric buses in Calcutta to bring down air pollution

In order to reduce air pollution, the government of West Bengal plans to launch nearly 1,200 electric buses in Calcutta over the next two years, some of these will be operational by January 2023. The transport department also plans to introduce CNG-run buses in the northern and western parts of the state. An official of the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) says - "The department will introduce 1,180 buses to be run by the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) within the Calcutta municipal area over the next two years. Out of these, 400 buses will hit the streets by January next year.” Environmental activist Subhas Dutta described it as a "good start." He said that it is a positive step and added that the electric buses will definitely reduce carbon emission. Bengal to launch more electric, CNG buses to reduce air pollution. Right now, some electric buses operate in the eastern metropolis. These had been acquired under the capex (capital expenditure) model the WBTC procured the vehicles and has been operating these on its own.

An official of the WBTC mentioned that another 50 electric buses are being bought for Salt Lake and New Town areas adjoining Calcutta. Of these, 11 are already operational. He added that - "The new buses are being acquired under the opex (operating expenditure) model and an agency will provide the electric buses. The agency will be the owner of the vehicles. The length of some of the buses will be 12-metre, others will be eight-metre long. WBTC will pay the company on a kilometre-running basis. The firm will provide the buses and WBTC will provide the conductors. Two other state transport undertakings (STUs) will acquire the new CNG-run buses. These are the South Bengal State Transport Corporation and the North Bengal State Transport Corporation.

Friday, August 26, 2022

California to go electric by 2035 with more climate-friendly vehicles

Let us have more climate-friendly vehicles is the intention of California. It is evolving plans to give more thrust to manufacture vehicles that run on electricity or hydrogen. The state wants to wean people way from gas-powered cars. Automobile manufacturers need to explore alternatives. Of course, people can continue to operate gas-fueled vehicles and purchase used ones after 2035. The broad plan is to permit one-fifth of sales after 2035 to be plug-in hybrids that can run on batteries and gas. It would mean an end to filling up at the local gas station. Moreover, the change over from gas to electric cars will be environment friendly and reduce carbon emissions and air pollutants. Incidentally, California is the seventh-largest oil producing state. Its output is on the decline in view of its willingness to push forward its climate goals. Consequently, the transition might be painful in some parts of the state. California Poised to Phase Out Sale of New Gas-Powered Cars. As Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said - “The climate crisis is solvable if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to stem the tide of carbon pollution."

The Governor had announced the 2035 goal two years ago. Subsequently, regulators have worked out the details of the action that has to be taken to ensure that our planet can cater to future generations. The road is ridden with practical hurdles. One of these is the scarcity of adequate reliable power and charging stations. At present, there are about 80,000 stations in public places. This is against a requirement of about 250,000 by 2025. The challengers include the lack of infrastructure, access to materials needed to make batteries, and issues related to the supply chain. There is a need for the authorities to address these hurdles. Climate officials in California believe its new policy will be the most ambitious in the world. It has already set clear benchmarks for ramping up electric vehicle sales over the next dozen years. This is now a global target. The European Parliament, Canada and China are in the same frequency.