CAMPAIGNERS from Stroud’s newly-reformed Greenpeace group placed health warning posters on diesel cars at the Peugeot, Vauxhall and Citroen dealerships in the town today.
The environmental group – which has returned to the town after an absence of a decade - visited the garages and placed stickers on diesel cars that say ‘Diesel harms your health’.
Organisers said they took action in a bid to make potential buyers aware of the high levels pollution many new diesel cars emit.
They argued that while car companies aren’t advertising the fact, two-thirds of brand new diesels being sold today are pumping out higher concentrations of toxic air pollution than they should.
Paul a local Greenpeace campaigner, said: “The car industry has been caught out rigging pollution tests, and selling us diesels that are unsafe and harm our health.
“This is a scandal of epic proportions and it's still happening. Every day more shiny new diesels are being sold and adding to the air pollution crisis that’s blighting our population’s health.
“Instead of rigging tests and lobbying for diesel, they should drop diesel and start making affordable electric cars.”
New data has revealed that modern diesel cars produce 10 times more toxic air pollution than heavy trucks and buses.
Nitrogen oxides pollution is responsible for tens of thousands of early deaths across Europe, with the UK suffering a particularly high toll.
Much of the pollution is produced by diesel cars, which on the road emit about six times more than allowed in the official lab-based tests.
Following the Volkswagen “dieselgate” scandal, the car tests are due to be toughened, but campaigners say the reforms do not go far enough.
Greenpeace’s air pollution campaign is calling for the car industry to drop diesel and start making affordable electric cars.
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