Dover's pollution on BBC1, tonight at 7.30
- 12 October 2009 17:4930273I've just received this email:
Inside Out tonight on TV, an item about marine pollution, which Les Richmond of the Dover A20 Action Group has been working hard to bring to the attention of the powers that be.
The concern for us, is that along with the pollution from the lorries, marine pollution AND from the industrial workings just over the sea in Calais, will have an adverse effect on our health, living as we do in this beautiful, but polluted corner.
We, of course, have no idea which bits of the filming they have used, but hopefully it will highlight possible concerns.
Watch it if you can.
Roger - 12 October 2009 17:5230276thanks for that.
will check out the time.
i feel sorry for the people that live up at atholl terrace and east cliff, so close to the main pollutants. - 12 October 2009 21:1730292And from the ships.
was a good programme, frightening all that black dust on that ladies window sill, imagine what that does to peoples health. - 12 October 2009 21:4830302the question now is "will the ferry operators purchase "the scrubber" from the firm in littlehampton?
sounds like a carry on script, but true. - 13 October 2009 01:5930321The programme is available at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ncfwd/Inside_Out_South_East_12_10_2009/
Amused to see Les and the lady standing at the window in East Cliff and saying that the ferries were responsible for the dust when there was a continuous line of artics passing by just below, from whence it was obviously coming!
Usual photos of ferries starting their engines with a gout of black smoke as the initial uncombusted fuel passed through in the few seconds before they warmed up, same as a car engine. Lots of photos of the SeaFrance Moliere, which is the worst in this respect. Been through this every few months on this forum.
Mention made of P&O as being nice and clean because they have a scrubber. This has been "on test" for several years now and is only scrubbing the exhaust on one generator on one ship, not even one of the main engines, just a tiny fraction of the total exhaust emanating from the ship.
Stated that shipping was main worldwide cause of pollution, worse than aircraft and road transport. Placing this in context, shipping moves over 90 percent of world trade so it is rather to be expected and infinitely less polluting than attempting to transport it any other way, even if that were possible.
The heavy fuel oil used as bunker fuel is the main problem, obviously more polluting than a cleaner more refined fuel. Legislation is underway and eventually cleaner fuel will be required. Don't see this as a problem as all ships will have to use it so it is a level playing field. All it means is that every single aspect of everyday living will increase by a small amount to compensate. The polluter pays and the consumer reimburses. - 13 October 2009 17:4830374Even the trucks are getting cleaner these days, at least within Europe where emission controls are being tightened up. Keep an eye out for trucks now sporting an additional "fuel" tank with a blue cap for the AdBlue additive. Quuite what it does I don't know but to drive a truck into London these days it has to comply with Euro 3 emission levels. Most new trucks exceed this level and have been classified as Euro 5 compliant. Quite what happened to Euro 4 has me stumped.
So the road haulage industry is doing its bit to reduce carbon and particulate emissions and it's about time the shipping companies did something about their emissions too. This is just about ferries, but all shipping. The BBC picked on ferries in Dover because they are highly visible when in port. What we don't see is the miriad of tankers, container vessels, coasters etc. ambling through the channel on a daily basis.
Maybe the answer is to go back to sail!Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!! - 13 October 2009 18:1030380If you have not already done I have done a post on the heavy fuel they use on the open page.
- 13 October 2009 18:3830388Reference the dust.
After having worked down the docks for many many years and being on the motorway for many many hours doing Operation stack I did notice a few years back something strange, bear with me.
Ships coming in and out of the port, what happens if the wind is North or North Westerly or even North easterly? all of the pollution goes back out to sea.
What has the motorway and the docks and around the docks have in common?
Vehicles and lots of tyres thats what.
After noticing build ups of black dust in the freight lanes and I mean piles of it I also noticed on a windy day standing on the motorway black dust blowing along in waves along the lanes and setteling on the hard shoulder and the outside lane crash barriers.
When you think about it, all of those tyres do wear down and all of that used rubber has to settle somewhere.
Only a thought.
Ian...grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet. - Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
13 October 2009 19:0830390yes there seems a lot of this black dust on the 4 roundabouts leading into dover.