The great diesel car deception speeding us to a toxic death

Description

Asthma can be triggered by many factors but it is no coincidence that whenever air pollution levels rise, Britain’s hospitals and GPs see a surge of patients with asthma. More than 20 years ago, scientists warned that the growing popularity of diesel vehicles could turn them into one of Europe’s greatest health threats. Professor Martin Williams, Environmental Research Group, said: 'The reason we have a problem with air pollution now is that UK policy has been focused on climate change, and reducing CO2 emissions, to the exclusion of much else, for most of the last two decades. Diesel was seen as a good thing because it produces less CO2, so we gave people incentives to buy diesel cars.'

Period	24 May 2015
Held at	The Sunday Times