Could A Diesel Ban In Hamburg, Germany, Cause More Pollution? Some Residents Worry
The partial ban went into effect Thursday. Many Germans question whether the ban is an environmental milestone or a political shell game that could end up creating more pollution.
On Thursday, Hamburg became the first city in Germany to ban diesel vehicles on its streets — at least in part. But many Germans question whether the limited ban is an environmental milestone, as the city claims, or a political shell game that will ultimately create more pollution.
Hamburg officials predict the inaugural ban — affecting the use of vehicles with older engines on 1.4 miles of two of the city's busiest thoroughfares — will help bring Germany's second-largest metropolis into compliance with European Union diesel pollution limits and reduce toxins that government scientists say kill thousands of Germans each year.
