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by gregwtmtno 2883 days ago
I can't read the article (I really should subscribe) but I think people seriously underestimate the positive effects moving to electric cars will have on city livability and city property values. Because we're all born into a world where engine particulates are ubiquitous, I think we're missing how much of an improvement clean air would be.
1 comments

Black carbon from diesel, train, and ship exhaust is incredibly toxic. I think it's going to be the equivalent of lead, in the future.
Not even close.

Lead does irreversible brain and organ damage to developing children. Carbon, at worst, may increase your chances for respiratory disease or lung cancer.

Nanoscale carbon, as present in exhaust, can migrate far beyond the pulmonary system into the heart, liver, brain, and even into developing fetuses and the placenta. There's significant evidence that it causes beta-amyloid accumulation in the brain, as well as macrophage migration and astrocyte inflammation.

There's a lot of evidence that it's not just the current generation, it's the future generations after the soot exposure ends that are harmed if there is in-utero exposure.

No at worst it increases whole-body inflammation.
This lecture is quite a good one for the health effects of diesel nanoparticles https://youtu.be/aXEal4YJsOU