The World's Fastest-Growing Cause of Death Is Pollution From Car Exhaust 338
pigrabbitbear writes "Cars, once again, are killing us. They're killing us in crashes and accidents, yes, and they're encouraging us to grow obese and then killing us a little more slowly. But, more than ever before, they're killing us with their pollution. Particulate air pollution, along with obesity, is now the two fastest-growing causes of death in the world, according to a new study published in the Lancet. The study found that in 2010, 3.2 million people died prematurely from the air pollution – particularly the sooty kind that spews from the exhaust pipes of cars and trucks. And of those untimely deaths, 2.1 million were in Asia, where a boom in car use has choked the streets of India and China's fast-expanding cities with smog."
Cars save lives too (Score:0, Insightful)
How many people would be dying each year if we didn't have cars?
Say 10 million.
So really cars are saving our lives.
Tesla, here we come (Score:3, Insightful)
For those who don't know, the Tesla Model S has received countless "car of the year" 2012/2013 awards, up against all the usual gas guzzlers. And it's been pretty unanimous. I didn't take an interest in cars before at all, but that one car has changed all that.
Re:Industrialization is quickly coming (Score:3, Insightful)
..to 2 billion people when you consider India + China. That means automobile transportation is quickly becoming NORMAL in those areas. That means HORRENDOUS smog problems for the next 4-6 decades in those areas.
Sure, many Chinese and Indians are becoming "middle class" and thus can purchase automobiles.
But, like Europeans (in contrast to Americans) , these societies are also embracing real, workable, and efficient public transportation.
Just because you can't pry a fat American out of a car even to walk a block or two, doesn't mean that's how most of the world's population approaches transportation.
Re:And I'm the God Damned Easter Bunny (Score:3, Insightful)
Or maybe you're thinking of "modern cars available for sale in the USA" and not "modern cars." Chinese cars are known to be dangerous garbage in every way, and this article specifically mentions the increase in Asia.
Re:So ban fatties from driving... (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm guessing you don't live in the US?!?
Geez, most families I know, have pretty much one car per person old enough to drive in the home.
If you've ever been to China (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:More congestion = more pollution (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly, stop driving and get on the fucking bus or train. Less cars is the solution, not more roads.
Re:aaaand another article to look over... (Score:2, Insightful)
Um, the Lancet is a peer-reviewed medical journal, not a newspaper.
Re:More congestion = more pollution (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Industrialization is quickly coming (Score:4, Insightful)
Dear god, why not leave your naked prejudice inside before it leaves your hands? I promise I might take you a little more seriously if you can stop hating people just because of their lifestyle.
If Americans were still fat, but used all electric cars instead of public transportation, would you still hate them so much? Oh wait, I shouldn't ask, you'll probably just find another reason to hate them.
Re:So ban fatties from driving... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Smokey diesels are bad (Score:4, Insightful)
Give me much better gas mileage per volume of fuel, which means I can drive the same distance and produce less pollution. Environmentally conscious Europe now sells about 50% of new cars as diesel.