In the DENR and EMB's National Air Quality Status Report of 2008-2009, LTO has been watching motor vehicles if they are emitting too much pollutant or not complying to the standard regulations for emissions.
One of the methods is the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) which is a systematic testing for motor vehicles, which comply with the international emission standards and the national law. I've seen a testing station that vigilantly searches for vehicles that emits too much smoke in the streets of Rizal Avenue going to Abad Santos. It may not seem the most effective way, but it could sanctioned the violator. The problem of this method is that it is not permanent, many violators still escape the law. Many of the jeepneys accumulates the percentage of TSP because of the smoke it produces.
According to the Clean Air Act of 1999 Sec. 11; Best available technology and alternative methods of prevention, management and control of the pollution. However, this is not best alternative method we have so far. In NCR particularly, the solution of reducing the population with regards that it also incorporates the usage of private vehicles is clearly inadmissible. The problem with a very large population in Metro Manila, is that the denser the city is, the polluted it is. For instance, the increase of private cars introduced heavy volume of traffic, and large demand for gasoline, which is a mobile source of pollution.
One of the methods use by the government to reduce traffic is the Number Coding Scheme which prohibits a car to travel in some specific location. The rule is that you cannot travel, if your car's plate ending number matches the rules' restricted date. This was a very good regulation that encourages the usage of public transportation. Reduction of the private cars is gravely necessary for the reduction of air. Durban, South Africa, solves this by increasing the registration fees and taxes for cars, and encouraged people to use the public transportation.
The Philippine's EMB counterpart for the US is Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which regulates environmental laws. The EPA promotes the use of alternative sources of energy for vehicles, participated in the Clean School Bus USA project, regulates the manufacturer of the car by complying to a standard and researches on the future technology to reduce mobile sources of air pollution.
Sources:
[1] National Air Quality Report [2008-2009]. Environmental Management Bureau. 2010
[2] http://www.epa.gov/otaq/
Another thing to consider is to put a catalytic converter to your car (specially when it is old). My NS professor told us that it reduces the amount of harmful pollution produced by the combustion of hydrocarbon-based fossil fuels in cars. :)
ReplyDelete- Jen Pineda, 4CSA
There is a group called ASBU (Anti-Smoke Belching Unit) that get the licence and the plate number of the jeepneys that emit to much smoke. but there still some hard headed drivers that still doesn't follow the rule.
ReplyDelete-Dave Dizon, 4CSA
Government has the power to implement a law that can lessen cars on the streets other than number coding scheme. Reducing cars on the streets will also reduce air pollution and I think this is a big help in our country.
ReplyDelete- Kevin Joseph D.M. Cerdan 4CSA
this article is very informative, the sad thing is that motorists now a days have lesser interest in conserving the air quality in manila. Since this is becoming a less noisy issue today, more people behave oddly and do not respect what would be the condition of our air in the future. I hope that water as fuel will be pushed through by our government to reduce bad emission from our vehicles.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Christopher S. Reyes
4CSA