It is about time somebody took action. However it isn’t much.
I wonder if the Honorable Member has ever lobbied the feds about improving the standard of vehicle emissions in Oz which is well above (as in more polluting than) international levels? This is quite feasible and has been done in many parts of the world.
All this talk of air pollution having health impacts is not just theory. In big cities the ongoing level of fine particulates have real and measurable consequences of reducing health, quality of life and life span. Internal combustion engines are a major source of such pollution.
It’s quite possible most residents and the respective members of parliaments around the country quietly agree.
The point of resistance is likely cost.
A political point to the electorate is that it will cost the consumer money to change. The alternative might be a call to the government to incentivise consumers to change (IE the community subsidises those who can).
The stupid thing about that position is that the cost of not doing it in terms of productivity lost, hospital admissions and other medical services tied up and earlier death is much more. So often we see the false economy of taking the short view compared to the long view. But as you say dealing with that takes leadership.
An article regarding vehicle emissions whilst idling.
My mate in Gladstone bought their daughter a Mazda CX-5 which automatically stops the engine when the vehicle is stopped and automatically restarts the engine when the accelerator is depressed.
Of course, such vehicles need to have very reliable system so as to avoid being stopped in the traffic.
I can understand the New York problem as when we stayed at The Empire Hotel in Manhattan in 1994, the only difference in the never ending traffic jam below our hotel window was that during the day, the Yellow Cabs were a small percentage of the total vehicles, but after midnight, the Yellow Cabs were most of the vehicles, but the traffic jams never changed.
