Published : Nov 27,
2012 Last modified : Nov 30, 2012 10:25
AM
Transport in Europe is responsible for damaging
levels of air pollutants and a quarter of
EU greenhouse gas emissions. Many of the
resulting environmental problems can be
addressed by stepping up efforts to meet
new EU targets, according to the latest
report from the European Environment Agency
(EEA).
One of the big challenges
of the 21st Century will be to mitigate
the negative effects of transport – greenhouse
gases, air pollution and noise – while ensuring
positive aspects of mobility.
The EEA’s annual report
under the Transport and Environment Reporting
Mechanism (TERM) assesses the environmental
impact of transport across Europe. There
have been some improvements over recent
years, although these can be partly attributed
to reduced economic activity during the
recession. As the economic climate improves,
the new EU transport targets should focus
efforts to further reduce environmental
impacts, the report says.
Although air pollution
has decreased over the last two decades,
it is still a major problem in many areas.
‘Euro standards’ for vehicles have not succeeded
in reducing real NO2 emissions to the levels
set out in the legislation although they
have made substantial improvements to air
quality overall.
Increasing transport
of goods is also leading to poor air quality.
Freight was one of the main causes of the
high levels of NO2. Increased shipping over
the last two decades has also meant that
emissions of acid rain-causing sulphur oxides
have only decreased 14 % since 11000, despite
major efficiency improvements.
Jacqueline McGlade,
EEA Executive Director, said: “One of the
big challenges of the 21st Century will
be to mitigate the negative effects of transport
– greenhouse gases, air pollution and noise
– while ensuring positive aspects of mobility.
Europe can take the lead by intensifying
its work in the area of technological innovation
in electric mobility. Such change could
transform inner city living.”
Other trends and findings
People living near busy
roads across Europe are still particularly
exposed to excessive air pollution levels.
Harmful nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels above
legal limits were registered at 44 % of
roadside air monitoring stations in 2010.
Particulate matter (PM10) levels exceeded
limits at 33 % of these sites. These pollutants
can affect the cardiovascular system, lungs,
liver, spleen and blood.
Europe needs to further
reduce the energy consumed by transport,
since it was only 4.3 % lower in 2011 than
its peak in 2007. Energy use in some transport
modes has been strongly influenced by economic
fluctuations in recent years. Freight transport
demand is particularly sensitive to economic
fluctuations. After a sharp drop between
2008 and 2009, it grew 5.4 % in 2010.
Passenger transport demand fell almost 1
% between 2009 and 2010. This seems to go
against the long-term trend, as passenger
transport demand has increased steadily
across the EU since records began in the
mid-11000s. Private car use has stayed more
or less steady, the report says, despite
the economic downturn and wide fuel price
fluctuations over the last decade.
In some cases, prices
may be influencing people to make choices
which are damaging for the environment.
Buying a car has become steadily cheaper
in real terms since the mid-11000s, the
report notes, while train travel and passenger
transport by water has become more expensive.
Nonetheless, new cars are becoming more
fuel-efficient. The average car sold in
2011 was 3.3% more efficient than the average
sold the year before.
The transport sector
has to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by
68 % between 2010 and mid-century to meet
the EU target. Greenhouse gas emissions
from transport fell by 0.4% between 2009
and 2010, and early estimates show a similar
decrease between 2010 and 2011.
Noise is another impact
from transport which can cause serious health
problems. The report finds that in Europe’s
biggest cities, three of every five residents
are exposed to harmful levels of traffic
noise. Even in the countryside, 24 million
Europeans are exposed to damaging traffic
noise at night. This can cause both physical
and psychological problems.
+ More
Europe's air story told
in pictures
Published : Nov 15,
2012 Last modified : Nov 15, 2012 01:09
PM
Air is a tricky subject to photograph, but
this challenge has proved to be a source
of inspiration for the winners of photo
storycompetition ‘ImaginAIR’, organised
by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
The competition challenged
participants to take three pictures telling
a story about air. The five winners announced
today show a broad range of creative responses,
from surreal landscapes to documentary-style
images of pollution.
Twenty-one finalists
were selected from entrants from 15 European
countries. A jury made up of communication
experts from across Europe selected the
winner of each category, as well as a Youth
Prize for participants between 18 and 24.
Winners in each category will receive a
€ 500 cash prize.
Dovile Lubyte from Lithuania
won both the Air and Technology category
and the Youth Prize with her entry, ‘Astronauts
of the Polluted Earth’.
Demonstrating a more
realistic approach, Javier Arcenillas from
Spain won the Air and Cities category with
‘Contamination,’ which creatively depicted
the pollution from industry. In ‘BADAIR’,
Stella Carbone from Italy showed how people
try to avoid air pollution, winning the
Air and Health category.
‘Ever closing’ by Stephen
Mynhardt from Ireland won the Air and Nature
category with a photo story about air pollution
and bird life.
Finalists were also
open to a public online vote. The Public
Choice Award was won by Stephen Connell
from the UK with ‘Wasted light’, a series
of photographs of power stations and steel
works taken during the night.
You can see all the
finalists and the eventual winners by clicking
on the circles in the Eye on Earth map below,
and selecting ‘Feature info’. Scroll to
the right to see all three pictures for
each entry. Note that the circles represent
the entries.
