Bryer’s article has really gone too far this time
KEITH Bryer’s articles (Business Report, October 6) are always controversial, and at times outrageous. Mostly they make entertaining reading. However, this time he has gone too far. In an effort to minimise the huge fraud committed by one of the world’s major motor manufacturers, Bryer got his facts totally wrong. This makes the whole point of the article incorrect and demands that Business Report should publish a correction.
Bryer is of the opinion that NOx refers to laughing gas and that emissions in the range of 30 to 100mg/kilometre as harmless. The entire article was predicated on this fact. This could not be farther from the truth.
Nitrogen oxides are largely a mixture of NO (nitric oxide) and NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and are termed NOx in the industry. Nitrous oxide is only present in minor amounts. NOx is a pollutant emitted in any combustion process. It is a particular problem for diesel engines as its removal is not simple. And NOx in combination with other motor vehicle pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, react together with air to form other pollutants, such as ozone, which have extremely serious health effects on the young, the elderly and those with lung problems. California with its large population, enormous vehicle pool and high mileages travelled, has done the right thing and introduced strict NOx limits.
Bryer may not believe that emission limits are necessary and stringent limits such as those in California do force the motor industry to innovate. However, California is a far more pleasant and healthy place as a result of these proactive actions. NOx is a difficult pollutant to reduce in diesel engines, and more complex for small passenger vehicles, and Volkswagen (VW) clearly has used trickery to avoid meeting the imposed limits. This is fraud, and if emissions from VW diesel cars are truly 40 times the limit and 11 million of these were sold, there can be serious health effects for people in areas with a large vehicle density.
JOHN MARRIOTT CAPE TOWN