Cancer cost by diesel fuel or fossil fuel if you will and gasoline

by qim
(jersey city)

People can disagree with you on global warming but where is all this cancer coming from? Why is the body coming to so much?

Business men, many have lost their hold on making money and no longer care how they make it; just get it. Everything else is

Collateral damage.

That's where I think global warming began.

Barry's Response - You're right on, Q. Diesel fuel is considered to be carcinogenic. Sometimes these fuel exhaust gasses have particulate matter in them...little bits of solids that result from fuel usage and hang in the air for a while afterwards and get deep into your lungs. Workers who are exposed to this stuff in the air day-in and day-out, such as those in transportation and other diesel-consuming industries, have a greater risk than the general public. Everyone does, however, receive some exposure. A Wikipedia article on diesel exhaust provides us another disturbing example:

For over 10 years, concerns have been raised in the USA regarding children's exposure to diesel-particulate-matter as they ride diesel-powered school buses to and from school. In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Clean School Bus USA initiative in an effort to unite private and public organizations in curbing student exposures.

These are Real Causes for Concern

Diesel stinks. The distinguishable odour comes from sulphur contained in the raw fuel, and it can be controlled. The fumes also contain varying amounts of Nitrogen-Oxides, Carbon Monoxide, dioxins and furans and many other chemicals. See a more exhaustive list (pun intended) here in the same article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_exhaust#Chemical_components

The majority of diesel exhaust, however, is urea and water. Both of these components are used by the body in a number of ways.

So it’s really the trace components to concern ourselves with here. What acute effects do people see? Vertigo, nausea and difficulty breathing and other allergy-like symptoms are common. Of greater concern are the effects of chronic exposure. Primarily heart and lung disease, including cancer of course. And heart attacks, too. There may even be impaired performance seen in the brain over time.

Just a few lovely things to think about. But wait...there's more.

Diesel, cancer, and more

Unlike some of the more speculative climate doom predictions, you've hit on a real issue here-one that directly impacts human health. There's a lot of nasty stuff in diesel exhaust and gasoline emissions: particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, benzene, and formaldehyde, which are carcinogens.

This conversation tends to get hijacked by climate narratives when it should really be about air quality and public health.

What's in Diesel Exhaust?

Diesel fumes aren't just about CO2 -- they're also about fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). They can get deep into your lungs and get into your bloodstream, causing respiratory diseases, cardiovascular issues, and cancer risks.

- What are the short-term effects? Cough, dizziness, nausea.
- What's the long-term effect? There's a risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and possibly neurological problems.

Heavy traffic and poor air circulation make cities like Los Angeles, Beijing, and New Delhi more prone to asthma and lung disease. There's no end of century problem with sea level rise. It's here right now.

What happened? Interesting point about businessmen not caring how they make money-just that they do. Yeah, you're right.

Diesel used to be marketed as a cleaner fuel because it emits less CO2. The European Union subsidized diesel cars based on this flawed idea. City dwellers are more likely to get sick from diesel exhaust because it's loaded with ultrafine particles and nitrogen oxides.

Next came "Dieselgate," when Volkswagen (and probably others) cheated on emissions tests. It turns out their "clean diesel" wasn't so clean after all.

Greedy corporations and bad policy didn't consider the health effects of this technology. Let's be honest, this wasn't a sinister plot. Bureaucratic incompetence mixed with a misunderstanding of trade-offs.

Climate vs. health

This is where it gets frustrating. Climate change gets a lot of attention, but what about real air pollution?

No, CO2 isn't a pollutant. Plants need it. It's colorless, odorless, and essential.

Are NO2 and PM2.5 the same thing? These pollutants make people sick.

While we've spent trillions on climate policies, we've done relatively little to reduce urban air pollution. Whoa, why? There's more political hysteria about climate change than air quality.

We'd do these things if we cared about human health:

• Getting rid of particulate pollution in cities (better filtration, cleaner fuels, traffic management).
• Natural gas is better for transit and trucking (lower PM, no sulfur).
• Nuclear energy (zero emissions).

Avoid policies that sound good but cause unintended harm-like Europe's disastrous diesel subsidies.

What's the right balance? Diesel shouldn't be burned freely. But we should weigh risks better. Here's how:
Modern supply chains deliver everything by truck.
It's important to minimize harmful emissions without tanking the economy.
With filtration systems, hybrid/electric trucks, and alternative fuels like natural gas, pollution can be cut without bans.

Innovation and stewardship

Stewardship doesn't mean worshipping nature or putting the planet first. Utilize the intelligence the Good Lord gave us to develop better technologies that balance environmental concerns with economic realities. Make the world a better place by:
- Things don't just get banned, they get innovated.
- Not shutting down industries, but cleaning them up.
- Think critically, don't buy into fear.

Who's to blame? Funny how the same people who pushed diesel a decade ago are now banning it. When air pollution got worse, they demonized diesel cars to "reduce CO2."

Whiplash: who pays? We're people like us. Businesses, truckers, families who have to buy a new car because their old one is illegal.

There's a real health issue with diesel exhaust, and we should reduce it. Stop pretending this is another government mandate or corporate PR stunt. We need innovation, common sense, and real environmental stewardship.

How do you feel about it? Is there a better way than banning diesel overnight? Let us know below.