Ngovi Kitau
19 December 2007
JUDGING BY THE CONTINUED high importation of new and used automotives which do not meet tough limits on carbon dioxide emissions by get-rich-quick traders, global warming is today the most crucial environmental catastrophe facing Kenya.
However, a ruling by a Californian court on December 12 should motivate our policy makers to protect Kenya from the threats of global warming caused by polluting automobiles.
According to Matt Nauman and Frank Davies of Mercury News: "In a major environmental victory for California and 16 other states, a federal court in Fresno on Wednesday upheld a bid to slash auto emissions to combat global warming, a move fiercely opposed by automakers and the Bush administration".
This ruling means California State now has the authority to impose strict greenhouse gas emission regulations, including mileage standards, on cars and trucks.
This landmark verdict comes at an opportune moment when an energy Bill to raise fleet fuel economy to an average of 35 miles per gallon (mpg) for all cars and trucks by 2020 awaits a US Senate vote.
At present, the fuel-mileage standards are 27.5mpg for cars, and 22.2mpg for trucks. At the same time, the EC intends to publish legislation this month which will require average carbon dioxide emissions from new cars limited to 120 grams per kilometre by 2012.
In short, global warming threatens to disrupt Kenya's economy, environment, health, water supplies, and quality of life. And greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cars and trucks contribute vastly to the build-up of GHG in the atmosphere.
If these harmful emissions are not abated, then we are likely to suffer harmful consequences to key economic sectors such as agriculture and tourism.
What are GHGs? And how do GHGs emitted by automotives contribute to global warming?
GHGs IN THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE order of relative abundance include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. When sunlight hits the earth's surface, some of it is absorbed and warms the surface. The rest is radiated back into the atmosphere.
GHGs in the atmosphere also emit long-wave radiation both upward and downward to the Earth's surface. The downward part of this long wave radiation emitted from the atmosphere is known as the greenhouse effect.
Without the greenhouse effect, the planet Earth would be uninhabitable. In its absence, the mean temperature of the Earth would be about (minus) 19 degrees C rather than the present mean temperature of about 15 degrees C.
If the level of GHGs increases significantly, or the greenhouse effect is not managed sustainably, then this can lead to destructive global warming.
Now, motor vehicles tailpipe emission cause negative climate change in two main ways. Some vehicles which have been manufactured without using innovative vehicle technology, or those which have aged, contribute to increasing global warming through emission of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
Secondly, we have indirect carbon dioxide emissions resulting from operating automotive air conditioners (AC) systems. This situation, like in the first case, gets worse when we are in a traffic jam for long hours as happens in Kenya.
We need to recognise that passenger cars and trucks represent the largest global warming pollutants and their impact of GHG emissions on society and ecosystems justifies taking immediate action.
Mr Kitau is the managing director, Bruce Trucks and Equipment (EA) Ltd.
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