Pollution in NO2: Why is the air quality in two municipalities managed by the Greens worse?

reGood news ahead: the air in German cities is improving more and more. According to the latest data from the Federal Agency for the Environment (UBA), the air quality limit of 40 micrograms of NO has been reached in 2018 in 57 cities.₂ exceeded by cubic meter of air. In 2017, it was still the case in 65 cities.

For particles, the trend is even clearer: the limit was exceeded only in 2018 in a single measurement station related to the industry. It can run for up to 35 days with average daily values ​​greater than 50 grams per cubic meter. This is Frydagstraße in Lünen, Westphalia, located near a coal-fired power station. There, the average daily value was exceeded for 36 days, so one time too much.

And now, the sobering news: the green policy at the municipality or country level (or even at the two switching points) is obviously not a guarantor for air quality in Davos. Because Germany is the worst no₂The values ​​are recorded in Stuttgart and Darmstadt. Both cities improved on 2017, but dominate the negative ranking. In Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Fritz Kuhn, former federal president and member of the parliament of the mayor green.

In the city of Darmstadt, in southern Hesse, Mayor Jochen Partsch has also had a green man since 2011. And: in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Green Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann ruled with Christian Democrats, while Prime Minister of Hessen CDU, Volker Bouffier, formed a coalition with the Greens; The Deputy Prime Minister is Tarek Al-Wazir, from the Green Group, responsible for the economy and transport.

What are the reasons for stress?

Why NO in both cities?₂Particularly high load? While Darmstadt has no geographical or topological features, Stuttgart is in a cauldron between the Neckar to the north and the vineyards all around. The Swabian Alb and the Black Forest surround this urban area whose difference in height is slightly less than 350 meters.

This policy can not change the geography and the topology is emphasized in Stuttgart. Other means are needed to reduce emissions. Zones 30? Since you are skeptical at the City Hall of the state capital. In the residential districts of Stuttgart, "30 years in the 90s, the Tempo 30 was introduced throughout the country," he says on request. But this applies "for reasons of safety and protection against noise". And: "In our experience, fixed speed limits do not help reduce pollutant emissions."

If, for example, the red-red-green Senate of Berlin learns citizens of Stuttgart? On the Spree, one seems to believe that more and more Tempo-30 zones offer a better climate. However, it can be badumed less that consumption per car has decreased compared to the exasperated abandonment of the driver, who eventually switched to public transport or cycling.

In Stuttgart, on the other hand, people know: "It is only when traffic can be maintained at the same time, which means that the processes of acceleration can be reduced, that there will be a significant reduction in emissions. " For example, green waves are involved. In Stuttgart, this is particularly the case with gradients, "where strong acceleration processes have a particularly negative effect". The Tempo 40 is already applied in many places: "Other routes will be added."

Responsibility is also sought at the federal level

Otherwise, a written declaration from Stuttgart outlines the responsibilities of the federal government and the states to improve air quality: "These include, above all, a blue sticker, public transport financing instruments such as tolls. (the responsibility lies with the federal government) or suburban traffic (the responsibility lies with the country), a revision of the highway code as well as the catalog of fines (for example, increasing the number of fines for illegal behavior). "

The Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart (VVS) had "experienced the largest tariff reform of its network in 40 years" in April, when 52 tariff zones were previously grouped into five peripheral areas. For many pbadengers, connections have become cheaper: "They save up to 30% in part". The Ministry of Transport of Baden-Württemberg supports the tariff reform for reasons of air pollution with a total of 42 million euros over six years. "Districts and the state capital, Stuttgart, bear the remaining costs in the relationship between 55% (districts) and 45% (city of Stuttgart)."

In addition, it needs vehicles emitting less emissions, such as modernization, and a larger share of the fleet of vehicles emitting locally zero emissions, such as electric vehicles and badociated promotions.

With regard to the toll call, the federal government should not receive much after the toll embargo of the Court of Justice of the European Communities. State policy is however engaged. Andreas Schwarz, head of the Green Party in the Parliament of Baden-Württemberg, said in an interview with WELT that they are investing "mbadively in public transport and electromobility".

He also stressed the local traffic reform: "The whole system has become more flexible and partly cheaper." In addition, the buses have to create tangential connections around Stuttgart, so that travelers who want from one end to the other of the city no longer have to cross the city center.

In addition, the state government has increased state funding for e-mobility by 40 million euros, Schwarz said. In particular, police cars and other government vehicles must switch to a non-combustion line. "It also requires a solid charging infrastructure: every ten kilometers we want a fast charging station – it's an investment in the infrastructure of the future." For now, you're just at the beginning.

In addition, the Greens stress that NO₂Values ​​of the Federal Environmental Agency in 2018. In 2019, in most cases, significantly better values ​​were obtained. According to recent measurements from the National Institute of the Environment, the values ​​for January were 50 grams per cubic meter (for comparison: January 2016: 80 / January 2017: 87 / January 2018: 60) , in February 75 (70/82/70), in March 53 (77/80/72) and in May only 48 grams per cubic meter (79/84/70).

Especially at the much discussed point of measurement at Neckartor, the limit is exceeded. "The 59 micrograms measured in the first four months are well below the 2018 annual average of 2018 per cubic meter of air," Schwarz said.

Incidentally, the green-black coalition not always without tension in the state of Ländle seems to work well in terms of air quality. The CDU's parliamentary leader, Wolfgang Reinhart, introduces another way into the conversation: "For us, the culture of innovation before the culture of prohibition." Here is an example of a way that brought his party, Reinhart, degrading nitrogen oxide asphalt, the special color of buildings, air filters and intelligent control of traffic.