Considering the number of vehicles on our roads and the many more to come, pollution levels are likely to go up even further.
Among the many unfavourable factors that seem to be conspiring to make life in Zimbabwe quite unpleasant, the traffic situation undoubtedly plays a major part.
This is especially so in Harare where the traffic is getting more congested, making urban life highly uncomfortable.
The fact that more people than ever before are now driving while an even bigger number is looking to soon purchase personal vehicles is a development that might not help our environment at all.
City life is now characterised by haphazardly parked vehicles (mostly kombis), engine noise, squeaking brakes, car horns, doors slamming and worst of all for me, the noisy car stereos.
But when you take the health aspect into consideration, the noise pollution is nothing compared to what the vehicles might actually be doing to our health.
Motor vehicles, especially trucks and the ones that require more fuel, release pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide which disrupts the supply of oxygen to the body’s tissues when inhaled thereby causing a range of health effects.
Since the type of car that one drives is a yardstick for success in Zimbabwe, people who strike gold, or diamonds, prefer driving big distinctive cars such as Toyota Fortuners, Vigos, Land Cruisers and the Prados among many other such big cars.
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It reminds me of a few years back when the Hummer fever gripped the whole nation.
Unfortunately, the Hummer, like most huge cars, has been reported to cause a significant amount of pollution. The 6,2-litre V8 that’s fitted on a brand new Hummer H2 releases 412g/km of CO2.
Maybe the thing that boggles the mind more is why one would opt to ride around the city in a 4X4; aren’t those type of cars more suitable for the rough roads, way out of the city?
But as I said, it’s all to do with prestige, an attitude which has had devastating effects on the environment.
Maybe the appropriate question to ask would be: what is more important, making an impression or saving the environment for ourselves and our children?
Most regrettably, most people seem more concerned about the former!
There are so many things that every responsible and caring car owner can do to make the situation better; it only takes the initiative and a realisation that as humans, we determine our own quality of life.
For instance, instead of the big cars that tend to emit more greenhouse gases, why not try the smaller, more energy efficient cars such as the sleek Toyota Yaris models that emit an average of 110g/km of CO2 and make sure to drive conservatively, keeping the cars well-maintained?
And I know this one might probably not appeal to many of us but it is true that by choosing to do more of biking and walking instead of driving, not only will the environment thank you but so will your body.
It would be nice if we could all avoid using cars for short journeys and when we really have to use cars, combine our journeys.
Remember, whenever you burn fossil fuel you add on to the pollution.
So serious is the cars and pollution issue the world over that the European Union recently gave a mandatory carbon dioxide target for car manufactures with the average vehicle emission in Europe expected to be below 130g of CO2/km by 2015.
It is about time the Zimbabwean government became proactive about looking for alternatives to fossil fuels.
There is need for the responsible authorities to campaign for cars with lower carbon dioxide emissions by making the emission figure and the type of fuel used determine the excise duty on vehicles.
Shamiso Mutisi, head of research for Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association, said although it is understandable that most Zimbabweans cannot afford environment-friendly hybrid cars, those purchasing cars should go for those with a catalytic converter, the device that converts by-products of combustion to produce less harmful substances.
Mutisi added that government’s intended move to put a ban on the importation of second-hand Japanese cars was not advisable as the trade has actually given the majority of Zimbabweans access to vehicles with environment-friendly features.
