Environment

Go Greener! Go Further! Go

The Clean Fuel Phenomenon

If you want to know about how exhaust emissions are affecting us here in Jersey - read the quotations below

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Quote from: The States of Jersey E Strategy for Jersey

"Air is all around us and is essential to life. Polluted air damages health, particularly affecting the most vulnerable in society - the very young and the old. Maintaining good air quality is therefore vital to our long term well being. Pollutants come from a wide variety of sources including traffic, industry, power generation and domestic activities.

Jersey is the largest Channel Island at 45 square miles and is only 14 miles from France. It has a population of approximately 87,186 people (2000, Census) and at first glance would seem not to have any air quality problems because of the lack of industry and perception by non-islanders that it is possible to walk or cycle everywhere. In actual fact partly due to its affluence and lack of any Ministry of Transport test the number of vehicles has risen to over 94,000 and 83% of households have access to at least one vehicle. Jersey's capital St Helier, unlike many other similar sized towns in the United Kingdom has limited pedestrianisation and vehicles cut through the town centre streets.

In Jersey the principal pollutant of concern is nitrogen dioxide (NO2) where about 40% of the total emissions in Jersey are from road transport sources. The nitrogen dioxide pollution hot-spots are at Georgetown in St Saviour, Beaumont in St Peter and in St Helier: First Tower, the Weighbridge area, Broad Street and La Pouquelaye. Other sites also showing elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide include Le Bas Centre, Mont Felard, Robin Place, Savile Street/Rouge Bouillon and Beresford Street. Measurements indicate that the European limit value, which has been set for the protection of human health, is currently being exceeded at some of these sites "

Quote from the European Union Commisssion Strategy to reduce C02 emissions from cars:

"Cars are an important part of the everyday lives of a large number of Europeans. However, car use has significant impacts on climate change insofar as it accounts for 12 % of the overall EU emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). Consequently, the European Union has committed itself to ambitious greenhouse gas reduction and energy efficiency improvement targets to which all relevant sectors of the economy should contribute."