# Houston Must Have Clean Transportation by 2040 to Address a Looming Public Health Crisis

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/06/houston-must-have-clean-transportation-by-2040-to-address-a-looming-public-health-crisis/
- Published: 2020-06-08T23:28:20-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

#### **_Let’s talk fleet emissions controls and fleet electrification strategies now! Report Claiming _****_Clean Combustion Technologies_****_ IS Silly. Why? Because it Don’t work. We need fleet emissions controls and fleet electrification strategies now. It’ll  work s yet WE KNOW ONLY _****_That’s because fleet emissions controls and fleet electrification Cut Harmful Emissions by 90 Percent_**

HOUSTON – Failing to carry out any new emissions control strategies in Houston lead
to an extra 122 deaths in the year 2040. All according to a [report (PDF)](https://web.archive.org/web/20190802104644/https://www.citizen.org//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/migration/public-citizen-air-quality-transportation-houston-report-october-2018.pdf)
released today by Public Citizen and the University of Houston.

Furthermore, the report is about the future of transportation-related air pollution
in the Houston region. It demonstrating the significant air quality and public health
benefits. Benefits of cleaning up emissions from the transportation sector.

### ![](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/pexels-photo-1454253.jpg?resize=135%2C168&quality=52&ssl=1)

#### Public Citizen and the Healthy Port Communities Coalition commissioning the study by the University of Houston.

The study predicting various impacts to public health. All based on the future of
transportation in Houston. The Houston population is predicting to grow 50 percent
by 2040. More noteworthy, on-road vehicle traffic could see increases from 30 percent
to 80 percent. All by the same year. The study’s Business-As-Usual model incorporates
the more emissions this growth would bring. That’s again if clean transportation
methods are not fully adopted.

Already, Houston does not meet federal standards for ozone pollution. With a [growing population](https://abc13.com/society/houstons-population-could-grow-to-10-million-by-2040/4289837/)
and a [growing freight industry](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180926005795/en/Port-Houston-Continues-Shatter-Records-Investments-Bayport),
pollution will worsen and health problems will grow if nothing more is done. Data
in the report prove the lifesaving impact of cleaning up transportation-related 
emissions through improved combustion technologies, tailpipe emissions controls 
and fleet electrification.

### ![](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/pexels-photo-97045.jpg?resize=300%2C200&quality=52&ssl=1)

The report, titled “Evaluation of the air quality impacts of clean combustion technologies,
emissions controls and fleet electrification in the [Houston](https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/03/shell-oil-to-spend-over-115-million-to-reduce-harmful-air-pollution-at-houston-area-refinery-and-chemical-plant/)
Metropolitan Area for the year 2040” is available for[ download here (PDF)](https://web.archive.org/web/20190802104644/https://www.citizen.org//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/migration/public-citizen-air-quality-transportation-houston-report-october-2018.pdf).
More importantly, the metro area includes the eight-county region of Harris, Chambers,
Liberty, Montgomery, Waller, Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston counties.

#### In conclusion, researchers found more interestingly that:

 * If all on-road vehicles in the metro area electrifying by 2040, emissions would
   be reduced by more than 90 percent. All from 2013 levels. This would include 
   reductions in nitrogen oxide (NOx). NOx is one of the precursor compounds to 
   ozone. As well as particulate matter, which creates [serious health impacts ](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18714438/)
   and increases the likelihood of premature mortality. Other compounds that would
   be reduced include cancer-causing benzene and formaldehyde. As well as carbon
   dioxide; which we know is a major contributor to global warming.
 * When every vehicle on the road is electrifying or implemented clean combustion
   technology, Houstonians would see about $152 million in benefits from prevented
   mortality from reduced exposure to ozone. As well as $1.99 billion in benefits
   from prevented mortality from reduced exposure to fine particulate matter. This
   scenario also would put students back in the classroom by reducing the number
   of missed school days by 18,000 days. In addition, Houston area residents would
   suffer 24,652 fewer cases of asthma per year. “Emissions reductions due to vehicle
   electrification would prevent a significant amount of early deaths,” said Dr.
   Shuai Pan, one of the authors of the report. “The results from our study coincide
   with the health studies in other metropolitan areas, such as New York City.”

Furthermore, the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) is a program with the State.
Finally, this program is in place to retrofit and replace old, dirty diesel trucks.
TERP’s success at reducing ozone limiting because annual appropriations are merely
a fraction the $1.7 billion in the program.

### ![emissions controls and fleet electrification](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_0620.jpg?resize=736%2C981&quality=52&ssl=1)

[View this on their press page., ](https://web.archive.org/web/20190917095058/https://www.citizen.org/article/press-releases-about-nejm-study-comparing-costs-in-for-profit-and-nonprofit-hospitals/)
Oct. 18, 2018