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472 points Brajeshwar | 2 comments | | HN request time: 1.913s | source
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lkbm ◴[] No.46218856[source]
> Particulates issued from tailpipes can aggravate asthma and heart disease and increase the risk of lung cancer and heart attack. Globally, they are a leading risk factor for premature death.

Minor nitpick, but tailpipes aren't the primary source of emissions. The study is about PM2.5[0]. which will chiefly be tires and brake pads. Modern gasoline engines are relatively clean, outside of CO2, though diesel engines spit out a bunch of bad stuff.

[0] https://www.nature.com/articles/s44407-025-00037-2

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throwawaypath ◴[] No.46218933[source]
How do EVs fare in this regard? Brakes are used significantly less, but the additional weight from the batteries chews through tires faster.
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lkbm ◴[] No.46219135[source]
I'm not sure, and I assume it will vary a lot by speed.

EVs do also have higher torque, so that may increase tire-based particles, but you're right that it avoids the brake pads for the most part.

Fewer cars in general is the win from congestion pricing, though.

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tart-lemonade ◴[] No.46219333[source]
>Fewer cars in general is the win from congestion pricing, though.

And lower VMTs (vehicle miles traveled) is also a win for the planet, it's probably the best weapon the average person has access to in the fight against climate change. Transit usage begets transit usage; more fares paid to the agency enables better frequencies and more routes, leading to more people opting to take transit instead of driving... In a well-run system, it's a positive feedback loop (and the inverse, where people stop taking transit, can also lead to a death spiral, as happened across America in the mid-20th century).

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oasisbob ◴[] No.46219503[source]
If we're speaking about individual actions, isn't avoiding air travel more effective than any other form of individual vehicle travel choice?
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1. treyd ◴[] No.46219854[source]
Yes, and the northeast has the best rail transit in the US, which NYC sits right in the middle of.
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2. bluGill ◴[] No.46220331[source]
Rail transit in the north east is the best in the US. But it is terrible in many ways. As someone who lives in an area that would be marginal for rail even in the great rail countries of Europe of Asia I really need the north east to develop great rail - only by bringing great rail to places where it is easy can we possibly get it good enough that it would be worth bringing to me. Instead I just get examples of why we shouldn't bother with transit at all here: when all we can see is the stupid things New York is constantly doing to transit (where the density is so high they can get by with it) there isn't an example I can point to of that would be worth doing here.